Card Games

Rules of Card Games: Alphabetical Index
Card Games Home Page | Classified Index | National and Regional Games
Commercial Games | Invented Games | Solitaire Games | Links to other information sources
Alphabetical Index of Card Games

|#|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z|
Traditional multi-player card games for which rules are available from this site are listed below in alphabetical
order, together with the number of players needed. Alternative numbers of players are given in brackets, so "4
[5] players" means that the game is basically for 4 players, but it is possible for 5 to play.
Please note:
1. There are separate pages for:
Commercial games (games requiring a special pack of cards produced by a single manufacturer)
Solitaire / Patience games (games for one player)

Invented games (newly created games and variations contributed by readers)
Individual games of these types are not necessarily listed in the index below.
2. Some games appear more than once under various names. Some of the links lead eventually to rules of
games held on other sites.
3. Building this site is a long project. At present the site contains rules for only a minority of the card games
that exist. Therefore it is quite likely that the game you want is not yet here. If you already know the
game you might consider contributing a description of it to this site. If not, you could try looking it up in
a book.
Index of Games
#
3 Card Monte (2 [or more] players)
3 5 7 (Poker variant) - see Poker
3-13 (2 or more players)
3 in 1 (4 to 7 [2 to 9] players)
4 Colour Chess Cards (Si Se Pai) (2 to 4 players)
All 5's (cards) (2 or 3 players)
5 Up (= All 5's: dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
http://www.pagat.com/alpha.html (1 de 17) [04/05/2001 9:42:51]

5's and 3's (dominoes) (2 to 4 players)

7's (= Fan Tan, Parliament) (3 to 8 players)
7-27 (4 to 10 players)
8's (2 or more players)
8-5-3 (= Sergeant Major) (3 players)
9 Card Don (4 players)
Sky 9 (= Tien Gow) (4 players)
9-5-2 (3 players)
10 (Poker variant) - see Poker
13 (= Tien Len) (2 to 4 players)
21 (Blackjack) (2 to 7 players)
31 (= Schwimmen, Schnauz) (2 to 8 players)
31 (= Scat) (2 to 9 players)
31 (= One and Thirty, Bone Ace) (2 to 8 players)
40 (Cuarenta) (4 players)
40 points (Sishi fen) (= 100 points) (4 players)
42 (4 players)
45s (4 or 6 players)
52 card pickup (2 players)
63 (4 players)
66 (2 players)
83 (4 players)
98 (2 to 10 players)
99 (trick-taking game) (3 [2 to 5] players)
99 (similar to 98 - adding game) (2 to 10 players)
100 points (the Chinese game Da Bai Fen) (4 players)
100 (similar to 98 and 99 - adding game) (2 to 10 players)
120 (= Forty-fives) (4 or 6 players)
500 (3 to 6 players)
500 Rum (2 to 8 players)
800 (Ottocento: Tarocchi Bolognesi) (4 players)
A
Abyssinia (Poker variant) - see Poker
Ace-Deuce (= Yablon) (2 to 8 players)
Agurk (= Cucumber) (2 to 7 players)

Alcalde (3 players)
Alkort (4 players)
All Fives (cards) (2 or 3 players)
All Fives (dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
All For One or One For All (Poker variant) - see Poker
Aluette (4 players)
Anaconda (Poker variant) - see Poker
l'Ascenseur (= Oh Hell!) (3 to 6 players)
Ashush (= Basra) (2 [3 or 4] players)
Asshole (= President, Scum, Bum) (4 to 7 players)
Auction (Poker variant) - see Poker
Auction Forty-Fives (4 or 6 players)
Authors (3 to 6 [2] players)
Avinas (4 players)
B
Baccarat (2 to 12 players)
Bai Fen (4 players)
Barbu (4 players)
Bartok (2 or more players)
Baseball (Poker variant) - see Poker
Basra (2 [3 or 4] players)
Bauernschnapsen (4 [3] players)
Bela (2 or 3 players)
Belote (4 players)
Belote Dcouverte (2 players)
Bergen (Dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Between the Sheets (= Yablon) (2 to 8 players)
Bid Euchre (4 [6 or 8] players)
Bid Whist (4 players)
Blackjack (2 to 7 players)
Black Maria (variation of Hearts) (3 or 4 players)
Black Maria (Finnish) (2 to 6 players)
Blackout (= Oh Hell!) (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Block Dominoes (2 to 4 players)
Bone Ace (2 to 8 players)

Bonneteau (= 3 Card Monte) (2 [or more] players)

Boodle (= Michigan) (3 to 8 players)
Botifarra (4 players)
Bour (Boo-Ray) (4 to 10 players)
Brag (4 to 8 players)
Brcko (= Stovkahra) (4 players)
Bridge (4 players)
Brisca (2 to 5 players)
Briscola (2 to 6 players)
Brus (4 or 6 players)
Buck Euchre (3 or 4 players)
Buddha's Folly (Poker variant) - see Poker
Bullshit (2 to 10 players)
Bum (= Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
Bura (2 [or up to 6] players)
Bust (= Oh Hell!) (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Butthead (= Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
C
Calabresella (= Terziglio) (3 players)
Camicia (2 players)
Canasta (4 players)
Capitalism (= President) (4 to 7 players)
Carioca (2 to 4 [5] players)
Carousel (2 to 5 players)
Caribbean Poker (2 or more players)
Casino (2 to 4 players)
Cat and Mouse (= Spite and Malice) (2 players)
Cau Robat (3 to 5 players)
Cego (3 or 4 players)
Chase the Ace (= Cuckoo) (6 or more players)
Cheat (2 to 10 players)
Chicago (Swedish) (2 to 4 players)
Chicago (Bridge variant) - see Bridge
Chicago (Poker variant) - see Poker
Chicken Foot (dominoes) (4 to 8 players)

Chinese Ten (2 to 4 players)

Choi Dai Di (4 [3 to 5] players)
Church (Poker variant) - see Poker
Ciapan (3 to 5 players)
Cicera (4 players)
Cincinnati (Poker variant) - see Poker
Cinch (= Pedro) (4 players)
Clabber (= Clobyosh) (2 [or 3] players)
Clobyosh (2 [or 3] players)
Cch (4 players)
Coiffeur-Schieber Jass (3 [4] players)
Coinche (4 players)
Conquian (2 players)
Contract Rummy (3 to 5 players)
Coteccio (Trieste) (2 to 7 players)
Cowpie Poker (Poker variant) - see Poker
Crash (4 players)
Crates (2 to 5 players)
Crazy Eights (2 or more players)
Cribbage (Five Card) (2 players)
Cribbage (Six Card) (2 to 4 players)
Cuarenta (4 [or 2] players)
Cucco (4 players)
Cuckoo (6 or more players)
Cucumber (= Agurk) (2 to 7 players)
Cut-throat Euchre (= Buck Euchre) (3 players)
D
Da Bai Fen (100) (4 players)
Dakota (Poker variant) - see Poker
Danish Tarok (3 [or 4] players)
Devil's Bridge (= Oh Hell!) (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Differenzler Jass (3 or 4 players)
Dirty Clubs (3 or 4 players)
Dirty Schultz (Poker variant) - see Poker
Dobbm (4 [or 5] players)

Dom Pedro (4 players)

Don (nine card) (4 players)
Doppelkopf (4 [or 5] players)
Double Solitaire (2 players)
Draw Dominoes (2 to 4 players)
Droggn (Stubai Tarock) (3 [or 4] players)
Drunkard (2 [3 or 4] players)
Durak (2 to 6 players)
Duren Piatkowy (3 to 6 [or more] players)
E
Egyptian Ratscrew (2 or more players)
Eighty-three (4 players)
Eleusis (4 to 8 players)
Elevator (= Oh Hell!) (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Elevator (Poker variant) - see Poker
Emperors and Scum (= President, Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
Encaje (3 or 5 players)
English Stud (Poker variant) - see Poker
Euchre (4 [or 6] players)
F
Fan Tan (= Sevens, Parliament) (3 to 8 players)
Fifty-Two Card Pickup (2 players)
Find the Lady (= 3 Card Monte) (2 [or more] players)
Fish (= Go Fish) (3 to 6 [2] players)
Five Card Draw (Poker variant) - see Poker
Five Hundred (3 to 6 players)
Five Hundred Rum (2 to 8 players)
Fives and Threes (dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Five-Up (Dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Flower and Scorpion (Dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Flush (= Teen Pathi) (4 to 7 players)
Follow the Queen (Poker variant) - see Poker
Forty points (Sishi Fen) (= Bai Fen) (4 players)
Forty-Fives (4 or 6 players)
Forty-two (4 players)

French Tarot (4 [3 or 5] players)
G
German Solo (4 players)
German Whist (2 players)
Gin Rummy (2 [3 or 4] players)
Gleek (3 players)
Go Fish (3 to 6 [2] players)
Golden Ten (3 to 7 players)
Gong Zhu (4 or 5 players)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Poker variant) - see Poker
Grocery Store Dots (Poker variant) - see Poker
Guiote (Tute variant) (2 to 5 players)
Guts (Poker variant) - see Poker
H
Hanafuda (2 to 7 players)
Hand and Foot (4 [2 to 6] players)
Happy Families (3 to 7 players)
Have a Heart (Poker variant) - see Poker
Hearts (4 [3 or 5] players)
Henway (Poker variant) - see Poker
High Card Pool (= Red Dog) (3 to 8 players)
High Five (= Pedro) (4 players)
High-Low-Jack (= Pitch) (4 [3 to 6] players)
Hola (2 or 4 [3] players)
L'Hombre (3 [4] players)
Hornafjararmanni (3 players)
Hosen 'runter (= Schwimmen, Schnauz) (2 to 8 players)
Howdy Doody (Poker variant) - see Poker
Hundred (the Chinese game Da Bai Fen) (4 players)
Hundred (similar to 98 and 99 - adding game) (2 to 10 players)
Hundred and twenty (= Forty-fives) (4 or 6 players)
Hungarian Tarokk (Paskievics) (4 [5] players)
I
I Doubt It (2 to 6 players)

Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk (Palatinusz) (4 [5] players)

In Between (= Yablon) (2 to 8 players)
Indian Poker (Poker variant) - see Poker
Iron Cross (Poker variant) - see Poker
Israeli Whist (4 players)
J
Jacks to Open, Trips to Win (Poker variant) - see Poker
Jack the Shifter (Poker variant) - see Poker
Jass (2 to 6 players)
K
Kaiser (4 players)
Kaiserspiel (= Kaiserjass) (4 or 6 players)
Kalter Schlag (4 players)
Kap Tai Shap (2 or more players)
Karma (= Shithead, Palace) (3 to 6 players)
Karnffel (4 players)
Kemps (4 [6 or 8] players)
King (4 players)
King Pedro (4 players)
King Rummy (3 to 5 players)
Kings in the Corners (2 to 4 or more players)
Kjempetosk (= Stortok) (2 to 5 players)
Klabberjass (3 or 4 [2] players)
Klaverjas (4 players)
Klootzakken (= President) (4 to 7 players)
Knack (= Schwimmen, Schnauz) (2 to 8 players)
Knaves (3 players)
Knockout Whist (2 to 7 players)
Knigrufen (Austrian Tarock) (4 [5] players)
Kozel (2 [or up to 5] players)
Kraken (Klaverjas variant) (4 players)
Krypkille (4 to 6 [3 to 8] players)
L
Lame Brain Pete (Poker variant) - see Poker

Last One (2 to 6 players)

Laugavatnsmanni (3 players)
Laugh and Lie Down (5 players)
Laus (4 players)
Let It Ride (2 or more players)
L'Hombre (3 [4] players)
Liuk Fu (3 [4] players)
Liverpool Rummy (3 to 5 players)
Loba (Argentinian) (2 to 5 players)
Loba (Central American) (2 to 4 [5] players)
Loo (3 to 8 players)
Looking for Friends (6 to 12 players)
Luk Fu (3 [4] players)
M
Madrasso (4 players)
Manipulation (2 to 5 players)
Manni (3 players)
Mao (2 or more players)
Mah Jong (4 players)
Marias (2 to 4 players)
Marjapussi (4 players)
Matador (dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Mattis (= Mas, Mjlnarmatte, Skitgubbe) (3 [2 or 4] players)
Maw (3 to 10 players)
May I? (3 to 5 players)
Mensch (4 players)
Mexican Stud (Poker variant) - see Poker
Mexican Sweat (Poker variant) - see Poker
Mexican Train (dominoes) (2 to 10 players)
Michigan (3 to 8 players)
Michigan Rummy (= Three in One) (4 to 7 [2 to 9] players)
Midnight Baseball (Poker variant) - see Poker
Mighty (3 to 8 players)
Minhato (2 to 7 players)
Minnesota Whist (4 players)

Mittlere Jass (3 players)

Mizerka (3 players)
Molotow Jass (4 players)
Muggins (= Five-Up: dominoes) (2 to 4 players)
Mus (4 or 6 players)
Mus Francs (Encaje) (3 or 5 players)
Mustamaija (2 to 6 players)
N
Napalm (4 to 7 players)
Napoleon (also known as Nap) (2 to 7 players)
Nerts (2 to 6, 8, 10 players)
Newmarket (= Michigan) (3 to 8 players)
Nine Card Don (4 players)
Nine Five Two (3 players)
Ninety-Eight (2 to 10 players)
Ninety-Nine (trick-taking game) (3 [2 to 5] players)
Ninety-Nine (variation of 98 - adding game) (2 to 10 players)
NLK (4 to 9 players)
Noddy (2 players)
Nos (Dominoes) (3 to 5 players)
O
Oh Hell! (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Oh Shit! (= Oh Hell!) (4 to 6 [3, 7] players)
Oklahoma Gin (2 [3 or 4] players)
Old Maid (2 or more players)
Omaha (Poker variant) - see Poker
Ombre (= L'Hombre) (3 [4] players)
One and Thirty (2 to 8 players)
Ottocento (Tarocchi Bolognesi) (4 players)
P
Pai Gow (2 to 7 players)
Pai Gow Poker (2 to 7 players)
Palace (= Shithead) (3 to 6 players)
Pandoeren (4 players)

Parliament (= Sevens, Fan Tan) (3 to 8 players)

Paskahousu (4 or 5 [3 to 7] players)
Paskievics Tarokk (Hungarian call XX tarokk) (4 [5] players)
Patience (Solitaire) (1 player)
Peanuts (= Nerts)(2 to 6, 8, 10 players)
Pedro (4 players)
Pennies from Heaven (6 players)
Pepper (4 [2, 3] players)
Perdivinci (= Ciapan) (3 to 5 players)
Pick a Partner (Poker variant) - see Poker
Pidro (4 players)
Pinochle (double deck) (4 players)
Pinochle (single deck) (4 players)
Pinochle (three-player, auction) (3 [or more] players)
Pinochle (two-player) (2 players)
Piquet (2 players)
Pishti (4 or 2 [3] players)
Pitch (= Setback) (4 [3 to 6] players)
Pits (= Zheng Shangyou) (4 to 6 players)
Pitty Pat (2 to 4 players)
Plus-Minus Jass (3 or 4 players)
Podkidnoy Durak (2 to 6 players)
Podrida (2 to 9 players)
Poker (5 to 10 [2 to 10] players)
Poker Bull (3 or more players)
Poker Menteur (3 to 5 [2 to 8] players)
Polignac (4 to 6 players)
Polish Red Dog (or Polski Pachuck) (3 to 8 players)
Pontoon (3 to 8 [or more] players)
Pounce (= Nerts) (2 to 6, 8, 10 players)
Preferans (Russian) (3 or 4 players)
Preferansz (Donauschwaben) (3 players)
Preference (Austrian) (3 [4] players)
Preference (Croatian) (3 players)
President (= Asshole) (4 to 7 players)

The Price is Right (Poker variant) - see Poker

Primero (2 or more players)
Progressive Rummy (3 to 5 players)
Prostoy Durak (2 to 4 players)
Proter (3 to 6 players)
Psycho (Poker variant) - see Poker
Pkk (5 to 7 players)
Push (4 players)
Put (2 players)
P'yanitsa (2 [3 or 4] players)
Q
Quan Dui (3 to 6 players)
Quartet (3 to 7 players)
Quitlok (5 to 7 [4 to 8] players)
R
Rablulti (3 players)
Racehorse (Pitch variant) - see Pitch
Racing Demon (= Pounce, Nerts) (2 to 6, 8, 10 players)
Railroad Canasta (2 or more players)
Rami (= Rummy) (2 to 4 [5, 6] players)
Ramsch (Schieberamsch) (3 [4] players)
Ramsli (2 to 6 players)
Ranter Go Round (= Cuckoo) (6 or more players)
Raub (4 [2 or 3] players)
Red Dog (2 to 8 players)
Rich Man, Poor Man (= President, Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
Ride the Bus (= Scat) (2 to 9 players)
Rikken (4 players)
Roi (le Jeu du) (= King) (4 players)
Romanian Whist (3 to 8 players)
Rook (4 [3 or 5] players)
Root Beer (President) (3 to 6 players)
Rovescino (= Ciapan) (3 to 5 players)
Ruff and Honours (4 players)
Ruff and Trump (4 players)

Rufmariasch (4 players)
Rummy (2 to 4 [5, 6] players)
S
Sakura (2 to 7 players)
Samba (Samba-Canasta) (2 to 6 players)
Scat (= 31) (2 to 9 players)
Schafkopf (4 players)
Schieber Jass (4 [6] players)
Schmier (6 or 5 players)
Schnapsen (2 players)
Schnauz (= Schwimmen) (2 to 8 players)
Schwimmen (2 to 8 players)
Scopone (4 players)
Screw Your Neighbor (= Cuckoo) (6 or more players)
Scum (= Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
Sechsundsechzig (2 players)
Second Hand High (Poker variant) - see Poker
Selection/Rejection (Poker variant) - see Poker
Sequence (Poker variant) - see Poker
Sergeant Major (3 players)
Setback (= Pitch) (4 [3 or 6] players)
Sevens (= Fan Tan, Parliament) (3 to 8 players)
Seven Twenty-Seven (4 to 10 players)
Shanghai Rummy (3 to 5 players)
Shanghai (3 to 5 players)
Sheepshead (5 players)
Shen Ji (Raise level) (= Bai Fen) (4 players)
Shithead (= Palace) (3 to 6 [2] players)
Shoot (3 to 8 players)
Shoot Pontoon (3 to 8 players)
Shuan Er (Throw two) (= Bai Fen) (4 players)
Si Se Pai (4 Colour Chess Cards) (2 to 4 players)
Sixty-six (2 players)
Sixty-three (4 players)
Sjavs (4 players)

Skat (3 [4] players)

Skitgubbe (= Mas) (3 [2 or 4] players)
Slippery Sam (3 to 8 players)
Slovenian Tarok (3 or 4 [5] players)
Sluitspieren (= President) (4 to 7 players)
Smear (4 to 6 players)
Snoozer (4 players)
Solitaire (Patience) (1 player)
Solo Whist (4 players)
Solo (German Solo) (4 players)
Spades (4 [3 or 2] players)
Speed (= Spit) (2 players)
Spit (2 players)
Spite and Malice (2 players)
Spit in the Ocean (Poker variant) - see Poker
Spitzer (4 players)
Spoons (3 to 8 players)
Squeal (= Pounce, Nerts) (2 to 6, 8, 10 players)
Staekske Rape (4 players)
Stitch (3 to 8 players)
Stortok (2 to 5 players)
Stovkahra (4 players)
Stubai Tarock (3 [or 4] players)
Stud Poker (Poker variant) - see Poker
Strivolt (4 players)
Sueca (4 players)
Svoi Kozyri (2 to 4 players)
Switch (= Crazy Eights) (2 or more players)
T
Table Top Cribbage (2 or 4 players)
Tappen (Dobbm) (4 [or 5] players)
Tarocchi Bolognesi (Ottocento) (4 players)
Tarock (Austrian) (4 [5] players)
Tarock (Stubaital) (3 [or 4] players)
Tarok (Danish) (3 [or 4} players)

Tarok (Slovenian) (3 or 4 [5] players)

Tarokk (Hungarian) (4 [5] players)
Taroky (Czech / Slovak) (4 [5] players)
Tarot (general)
Tarot (French) (3 to 5 players)
Teen Pathi (4 to 7 players)
Ten (Poker variant) - see Poker
Terziglio (= Calabresella) (3 players)
Texas Hold 'Em (Poker variant) - see Poker
Thirteen (= Tien Len) (2 to 4 players)
Thirty-one (= Schwimmen, Schnauz) (2 to 8 players)
Thirty-one (= Scat) (2 to 9 players)
Three Card Monte (2 [or more] players)
Three Five Seven (Poker variant) - see Poker
Three in One (4 to 7 [2 to 9] players)
Three Thirteen (2 or more players)
Tic Tac Toe (Poker variant) - see Poker
Tien Gow (4 players)
Tien Len (2 to 4 players)
Tile Rummy (2 to 4 players)
Tiu U (2 or 3 players)
Toepen (3 to 8 players)
Toonerville Rook (3 to 5 players)
Tonk (2 or 3 [or up to 7] players)
Toppm (Dobbm) (4 [or 5] players)
Train (Dominoes) (4 [3 to 8] players)
Traversone (= Ciapan) (3 to 5 players)
Trees (Poker variant) - see Poker
Treikort (3 players)
Tresillo (3 or 4 players)
Tressette (4 players)
Tribello (3 players)
Trjmann (3 players)
Troccas (4 players)
Troggu (3 to 8 players)

Trou du Cul / Trouduc (= President, Asshole) (4 to 7 players)

Truc (4 [or 2] players)
Truco (2, 4 or 6 players)
Trumps (= Knockout Whist) (2 to 7 players)
Trust - Don't Trust (Verish' ne verish') (2 to 6 players)
Tunk (= Tonk) (2 or 3 [or up to 7] players)
Tute (2 to 5 players)
Twenty-One (Blackjack) (2 to 7 players)
U
Ugly (3 or 4 players)
Ulti (3 players)
V
Vache (= Aluette) (4 players)
Valets (jeu des) (= Polignac) (3 to 6 players)
Vatikan (2 to 5 players)
VC (= Tien Len) (2 to 4 players)
Verish' ne verish' (2 to 6 players)
Vier-anderle (5 to 8 [2 to 13] players)
Viet Cong (= Tien Len) (2 to 4 players)
Vinciperdi (= Ciapan) (3 to 5 players)
Vira (3 [4] players)
Voormsi (or Vorms) (4 or 2 [or 3] players)
W
Wall Street (Poker variant) - see Poker
Want It? Want It? Got It! (Poker variant) - see Poker
War (2 [or more] players)
Warlords and Scumbags (= President, Asshole) (4 to 7 players)
Watten (2 to 4 players)
Welsh Don (4 players)
Whipsaw (= Napalm) (4 to 7 players)
Whist (4 players)
Wilde Boom (= Kraken) (4 players)
Wumps (= Voormsi) (4 or 2 [or 3] players)
X
XXas-hvsos Tarokk (Hungarian call XX tarokk) (4 [5] players)

XX-rufen (Austrian call XX Tarock) (4 [5] players)
Y
Yablon (= Ace-Deuce, In Between) (2 to 8 players)
Z
Z (Poker variant) - see Poker
Zhao Pengyou (Looking for Friends) (6 to 12 players)
Zheng Fen (3 to 6 players)
Zheng Shangyou (4 to 6 players)
Zifuli (5 players)
Zioncheck (3 to 5 players)
Zsrozs (2 or 4 players)
Zwanzigerrufen (Austrian Tarock) (4 [5] players)
Zwickern (4 [2, 3 or more] players)
Return to General Index of Card Games site

This page is maintained by John McLeod (john@pagat.demon.co.uk).
Last updated 4th June 2000

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Card Games
Welcome to the
CARD
GAMES
web site
bringing you rules and information about card and tile games from all parts of the world
Summary of recent additions and changes.

This web site is updated irregularly at
intervals of about 2 - 4 months. If you would
What's New (9th June 2000) like to be informed automatically by e-mail
each time it is updated you can register
using the "Mind-it" form at the bottom of this
page.
Alphabetical index to rules of traditional
Alphabetical Index of Card Games card games for two or more players, giving
the number of players required.
Another index to traditional card games,
Classified Index of Card Games classified by mechanism and by objective,
and including a list of children's games.
Index of games arranged by country where
National and Regional Games they are played, and the types of cards they
are played with.
Links to sources of card games software,
places to play cards online, other card
Links to Other Information game related web pages, books,
newsgroups and mailing lists
A few links to information about games for
Commercial Games requiring a special pack of cards from a
particular maker.
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Card Games
A few links to information about Solitaire

Solitaire Games (Patience) Games
Readers' contributions of newly created
Invented Games games and variations which can be played
with existing cards
Some basic rules, procedures and
General Mechanics of Card Games strategies that apply to most or all card
games
Contributions and Feedback

This site is maintained by John McLeod
(john@pagat.demon.co.uk). Please send me
e-mail if you find any errors, or have any
comments or ideas for improvements, or if you
would like to contribute something. See the
policy page for further information on the aims of
the site, and details of how you can contribute to
its development, how to advertise on the site,
and the site privacy policy.
Receive email when this page changes
Enter email address
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This page is maintained by John McLeod.

Last updated 9th June 2000.
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Card Games: Classification
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | National and Regional Games
Commercial Games | Invented Games | Links to other information sources
Classified Index of Card Games

Introduction
Games Classified by Mechanism: Outplay games; Card exchange games; Comparison games;
Patience games; Other games
Games Classified by Objective
Games classified by type of cards or tiles used
Games classified by country or region where they are played
Children's Games
Other Classifications
Introduction
There are many different ways to classify card games, none of them entirely satisfactory. An excellent
discussion of the difficulties can be found in David Parlett: A History of Card Games (Oxford University
Press 1990) pages 61 to 64.
Following Parlett, the main classification used to organise games on this web site is by mechanism:
games are categorised according to the process for playing them - i.e. what you do when it is your turn to
play. On this page I have also attempted a classification by objective, based on what the players have to
do in order to win.
These abstratct classifications are useful in understanding the evolution of card games and the
relationships between them, but in a practical situation of deciding what card game to play, other types
of classification might be more useful, and will be progressively added to this page in future. Some of
these will be rather subjective. For example, in response to many requests, I have tried to produce a list
of children's card games.
The system of classified indices which starts on this page replaces the previous clasified index which
listed everything on one page, grouped by mechanism. That index page was becoming too long and
unwieldy, and from the beginning of 1999 will no longer be updated. For those who may still want to
refer to the old page, I have saved a copy here.
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Games Classified by Mechanism

The aim in this classification is to put together games which have similar mechanics of play. As card
games evolve and change, players tend to keep the basic mechanism of a game they know, but vary the
objectives or some of the details. Sometimes complications are added to make the game richer;
sometimes games are simplified to speed them up, and sometimes ideas are introduced by analogy with
other games. A result is that in this classification games that are historically related, being derived from
each other or having a common ancestor, tend to end up together in the same group.
I use just five main categories: outplay, exchange, comparison, patience (solitaire) and other. These
categories are subdivided into groups and subgroups. Some of the subgroup divisions may take into
account the objectives of the game as well as the mechanism. This classification scheme seems to be
working reasonably well - nearly all the traditional games being added to the site can be fitted into one of
the existing groups.
Category Group
Outplay Games Trick Taking Games A trick consists of

each player in turn playing one card face up to
This is by far the largest main category. Each player the table. There are Plain Trick Games in
has a hand of cards and a move consists of playing which only the tricks themselves are important,
out one or more cards to the table to achieve some and Point Trick Games in which the value of
effect. The play ends when some or all of the tricks is affected by which cards they contain.
players have run out of cards to play.
Beating Games At your turn you must
either beat the card played by the previous
player or pick it up (possibly with other cards)
and add it to your hand. The aim is generally to
get rid of all your cards.
Climbing Games In these games if you
cannot or do not wish to beat the previous play
you simply pass.
Adding Games The cards are played in a
pile and their values added, the aim usually
being to achieve or avoid particular totals.
Fishing Games There is a pool of face-up
cards on the table which can be captured by
playing a matching card from your hand.
Matching Games At your turn you must
play a card which matches the previous play or
fits into a layout according to some rule. Most
often the aim is to get rid of all your cards in

this way. This category includes the stops

group, the eights group and the layout group.
War Group Players store their cards in a pile

face down and turn up the top card to play it. In
certain circumstances the played cards are
captured by one player, and added to their store
of cards.
Card Exchange Games Draw and Discard Games The basic move
is to draw a card from the stock and discard one
Each player has a hand of cards and a move consists to the discard pile. This category includes the
of exchanging a card or cards. The exchange may large group of Rummy Games.
be with another player or with a stock of face-up or
face-down cards on the table. The objective is Commerce group There is a common pool
generally to collect certain cards or combinations of of cards on the table, and at your turn you
cards. exchange one or more cards with the pool.
Cuckoo group Each player has only one
card, and at their turn can try to exchange this
for their neighbour's card.
Quartet group At your turn you can ask
another player for a card that you want, and if
they have it they must give it to you.
Card passing games A move consists of
passing a card or cards to your neighbour, or in
some cases taking a card from your neighbour.
Comparison Games Showdown Games In these games the

players' hands are compared with each other
In these games there is little or no actual play of and the player with the best hand wins (or the
cards. The result is determined simply by one with the worst hand loses).
comparing the cards dealt to the players to see
which is best, or sometimes simply on the turn of a Vying games In these games, before the
card or cards to decide whether a player wins or hands are compared, players may propose to
loses. In some games there may be an opportunity raise the stakes, and those who do not wish to
to improve your position by drawing some extra accept the raise may drop out.
cards, or by choosing how to arrange your cards Banking games The players do not play
into groups. There are many gambling games in this
against each other, but each plays individually
category, often with elaborate betting procedures.
against a special player - the banker.

Patience Games Single player patience (solitaire)

Patience games were originally designed for a
These are games in which the object is typically sort single player. The player wins if the sorting is
the pack of cards into order, by moving cards on a successful (the patience comes out), and loses if
layout according to specific rules. a position is reached from which the cards
cannot be sorted.
Competitive patience Several players
compete to be the first to complete a patience
game.
Other Games Compendium games Games which use

two or more different kinds of play mechanism
This category is for games that do not yet fit into the in succession or as alternatives.
above classification.
Miscellaneous games Games whose
mechanisms do not belong to any of the other
groups.
Games Classified by Objective

This second classification is according to what you need to do in order to win the game.
Capturing cards
These are games in which the aim centres around capturing cards or avoiding capturing cards. It may be
the sheer quantitiy of cards captured that is important, or it may be that some cards are more valuable
than others.
Shedding or accumulating cards

These are games in which the objective is either to get rid of all your cards or to accumulate all the cards.
Forming combinations of cards

In these games you win, or score points, by combining cards in various ways.
Comparing cards
These are relatively simple games in which winning or losing depends on comparing one card with
another.

Games classified by type of cards or tiles used

This classification is intended to help people who have some cards of a particular design and want to find
out what games they are used for.
French Suited Cards Four suits: hearts, diamonds,
clubs and spades. Each suit usually has three picture
cards (king, queen, jack) plus numeral cards from 1
(ace) to 10 (some packs have fewer or more numerals
per suit). One, two or more jokers may be included.
Some games use multiple packs.
German Suited Cards Four suits: acorns, leaves,
hearts and (spherical) bells. Each suit has three picture
cards, generally all male, an ace or deuce, and some
numeral cards, which often run from 10 down to 7 or 6.
Some games use a double pack.
Latin Suited Cards Four suits: swords, batons, cups

and coins. Each suit has three picture cards, generally a
king, a knight on horseback and a jack or maid.
Numeral cards run from 1 (ace) to 7 or 9 or
occasionally 10.
Swiss Suited Cards Four suits: acorns, flowers

(roses), shields, and (spherical) bells. Each suit has
three picture cards (king, over and under), a banner, an
ace or deuce, and some numeral cards - usually 9, 8, 7,
6, sometimes 9's only, and sometimes from 9 down to
3. Some games use a double pack.
French Suited Tarot Cards Four suits: hearts,

diamonds, clubs and spades. Each suit has four picture
cards (king, queen, cavalier, jack) and up to 10 numeral
cards. In addition there are 21 trump cards with large
roman or arabic numbers and various illustrations, and
the fool, which has no number or suit, but often depicts
a jester or musician.

Italian Suited Tarot Cards Four suits: swords,

batons, cups and coins. Each suit has four picture cards
(king, queen, cavalier, jack) and up to 10 numeral
cards. In addition there are trump cards - usually 21 of
them - with traditional illustrations such as sun, wheel
of fortune, death, chariot, plus a card depicting a fool.
Domino Tiles or Cards Each tile has a number of

spots at each end, usually arranged like the spots on a
die. Usually all combinations of two numbers from 0 or
1 up to 6, 9, 12 or 15 are present. The card version has
a representation of a domino at each end.
Money Cards or Tiles These oriental cards are

usually long and narrow and have three or four suits,
which originally corresponded to denominations of
money - cash, strings of cash, tens of thousands, and so
on. Each suit generally has numerals from 1 to 9 and
there may be some additional special cards. Mah Jong
tiles or cards also belong to this type.
Chess Cards The ranks of these cards correspond to

the pieces in Chinese Chess (Xiangqi), and each rank is
present in either two or four colours. Some packs have
additional cards.
Flower Cards These cards, used in Japan, Korea and

Hawaii, have four cards for each month of the year,
each month corresponding to a different flower or
plant.

Indian Circular Cards There are usually eight or

twelve suits, each with two picture cards and ten
numerals.
Number Cards or Tiles There are several types of

cards which have numbers rather than repeated suit
marks to represent ranks. As there are no suitmarks, the
different suits are generally replaced by different
colours or different styles of numeral.
Single Suited Cards There is a sequence of cards,

the ranks being represented by numbers or pictures,
with no distinction between suits (or colours). Often
there are two (identical) cards of each rank.
Other Types of Cards or Tiles There are many

cards, especially those made for proprietory or
commercial games, which do not fall into any of the
above types.

Children's Games
Several people have asked me to recommend card games suitable for children. I find this difficult
because children vary so widely in their interest and ability at card games. Here is a first list of games
generally considered as children's games. No doubt readers will let me know if this is appropriate or wide
of the mark.
Camicia, Crazy Eights, Fan Tan, German Whist, Go Fish, I Doubt It, Kemps, Knockout Whist,
Mustamaija, Nerts, Ride the Bus / Scat, Spit, War, Zsrozs.
The above list consists mostly of games considered by adults as suitable for children, but of course many
children delight in games that involve bad language, gambling or cheating. The attraction of these may
be enhanced by the disapproval of adults. Games that children and young people sometimes prefer to
play when left to themselves include: Cheat, President, Shithead, 52 Card Pickup (!) and various simple
gambling games.
The above lists contain only games played with standard cards (from various countries) whose rules
already happen to be on this web site. You can find many others in the usual card game books, and I will
probably add more children's games to the web site when I have time. There are also many popular
children's games which use special proprietory cards; a few of these can be found on the Commercial
Games page.
Other Classifications
In future editions of this web site I intend to add other classifications. Some of these will be objective,
some subjective. Ideas for classification bases include:
number of players (already available through the alphabetical index, but not very conveniently),
complexity of rules,
luck / skill,
how long it takes to play
It may be that not all of these will be practical to achieve. One classification that many people would like
to have is into better games and worse games. A problem with this is that nearly every card game on this
web site has come with a recommendation from the contributor that it is the best card game in the world.
Any good/bad classification is going to be mainly a reflection of personal preferences. A few people
have asked me about my favourite games. Of the games I have tried I would recommend: Skat,
Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk, Scopone, Bridge, Schieber Jass.

Last updated 3rd June 2000

National and regional card games
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index

Commercial Games | Invented Games | Solitaire Games

There are a few card games that have spread throughout the world, but almost all countries and regions
have their own characteristic card games. Most people learn to play cards from family or friends, not
from books or the Internet. Because of this, card games do not readily spread from place to place. A
game that is very popular in one region may be completely unknown elsewhere. International games such
as Bridge, Poker and Canasta are the exceptions, and even these often develop local variations.
Information on local card games is quite hard to collect. Books often present a mixture of games
personally known to the author, which will generally be those popular where the author lives, and games
copied from other books, which may be from anywhere. Quite a lot of the information indexed here has
been acquired through personal contacts or from e-mail messages from people living in the regions
concerned. For some of the places listed below I have only fragmentary information, and there are many
others about which I have no information at all as yet. I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who
has more or better information on card games played in particular regions of the world.
Europe Asia North America

Albania Afghanistan Canada
Austria China Greenland
Belgium Iran Mexico
Croatia India United States of America
Czech Republic Israel
Denmark Japan Central America / Caribbean
Faeroes Korea
Belize
Finland Lebanon
Trinidad
France Pakistan
Germany Philippines

South America
Great Britain Russia
Greece Sri Lanka Argentina
Greenland Syria Bolivia
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Hungary Turkey Brazil

Iceland Uzbekistan Colombia
Ireland Vietnam Ecuador
Italy Peru
Lithuania Africa Uruguay
Netherlands Venezuela
Egypt
Poland
Lesotho
Portugal
South Africa
Australasia and Pacific
Romania
Swaziland Australia
Russia
Tunisia Hawaii
Slovakia
New Zealand
Slovenia
Samoa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Note.This national and regional games index was reorganised at the end of 1999. The previous version
included details for just 16 countries, all on a single page. It also tried to organise the information both by
country and by the type of cards used. This was becoming unwieldy, so has been expanded into a page
for each country. An improved index by type of cards or equipment used has been added to the classified
index page. For anyone who wants to refer to the old version of the national and regional games index I
have preserved a copy here. The old page will not be updated after 1999.

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Card Games: Commercial Games
Winning
Moves Winning
Moves Games
Games

National and Regional Games | Invented Games | Solitaire Games
Commercial Card games

This page contains links to information about various card games which require
a special pack of cards promoted and sold by a particular manufacturer. I am not
actively developing this part of the site, but from time to time I will include here
relevant information and links that I come across or that people send me. Some
of the games are available from www.amazon.com and can be ordered by
following the links to the right of the descriptions.
This web site does not carry any detailed information about Collectible Card Games (or CCG's, also
known as Trading Card Games), such as Magic: the Gathering, Pokmon, Vampire, the eternal struggle
(formerly known as Jyhad) and others. For information on this type of game you are recommended to try
the Vault Magazine site.
The symbol indicates entries that have recently been added to the page. It does not necessarily
mean that the game itself is new.
1-2-3 OY
A pack of 90 cards intended for educational games. There are 5 cards for each of the numbers 0 to
16 and 5 wild "OY!" cards. Rules of several games are included, all of which are based on mental
arithmetic. The same company makes an A-B-C OY deck for word games.
Alpha
There are 74 cards representing letters of the alphabet - 42 consonants, 32 vowels and 2 wild cards.
While the consonant cards each represent a single letter, the vowel cards give a choice of two
vowels and the wild cards represent any letter. Several games for these cards are offered; for
example in New Word, players take turns to make the highest scoring word they can from the
cards in their hand together with those left on the table from the previous play, unused table cards
being discarded after each turn.
Barons of Fyn
This is a kind of board wargame, but played entirely with cards, some of which represent land. The
game components are free - you can download and print out the rules the card designs from the
web site, cut out the cards and play.
Baseball (Sportscards)
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Baseball card games are an American tradition dating back to the late 19th century (Lawson's
Patent Base Ball Game was patented in 1884). More modern simulations include Sportscards
Baseball. There is a pitching deck and a batting deck which includes some cards allowing
"coaching moves". The cards come in a handsome wooden box which unfolds to represent the
playing field, with metal pegs for the players. An outline of the rules is given on the cards, but
these are quite hard to understand unless you are familiar with the workings of the real game of
Baseball. For further details contact John Carr at actiongames@classic.msn.com or
actiongames@mailcity.com.
The American novelist Paul Auster has also designed a baseball-based card game called Action
Baseball that was published in his recent Hand to Mouth: A Chronicle of Early Failure (NY, Henry
Holt, 1996). The game needs 2 packs of 96 cards each, a game board, several tokens, a scoring
board. The cards are printed inside the book, and the rules are given as an appendix.
Beat the Bookie
An simple but effective game based on horse race betting - requiring judgement of probabilities
and with plenty of scope for psychology and bluff. There is a pack of 44 cards, each showing a
balanced set of odds on a four horse race, plus two sets of cards representing the four horses (red,
green, blue, black). An odds card is turned up and one player (the bookie) decides secretly which
of the four horses will win the race. Then the other players bet on the horse(s) of the choice, the
winner is revealed and the bets are settled. The inventor is Andrew McKinnon
(acmckinnon@netscapeonline.co.uk)
Blindes Huhn (Blind Chicken)
An unusual trick taking game, invented by Michael Schachtand published in 1997 by Berliner
Spielkarten (a subsidiary of Ravensburger). The pack consists of a single series of 60 cards
numbered from 0 to 59, and the player of the highest card wins the trick. The twist is that having
sorted your cards at the start of the game, you are only allowed to play cards from the ends of your
hand - either the extreme right-hand card or the extreme left-hand card. You cannot rearrange your
cards once play has started. Some of the cards are penalty cards, showing a number of rotten eggs,
and the aim is to collect as few as possible of these rotten eggs in your tricks.
Canasta Caliente
This is an attractive special deck for playing canasta.
The cards are labelled in English and Spanish and the
rules are also provided in both languages. The ranks
Order Canasta Caliente from amazon.com
from ace down to 4 are each marked with their point
values and show fruit on the numeral cards and crowns
on the courts. The red and black threes are replaced by
"bonus" cards with fireworks and "stop" cards with a
stop sign, and the twos and jokers become "small wild"
and "big wild" cards showing mice and a parrot. In
addition to the normal double deck of 108 cards there
are two "caliente" cards. If used in the game, these
allow a player to draw extra cards at a cost of 100
points deducted from the team's score.

Canasta Five
This is a variation of canasta played with three 52 card packs plus jokers, which has achieved great
success in Australia and New Zealand. The game is speeded up by having two draw piles instead
of one, and the advantage of taking the discard pile is lessened by only allowing the top five cards
to be taken. Canasta Five can be played by two, three or four players.
Corporate Shuffle
Another climbing game from Wizards of the Coast, in which the cards depict characters from the
Dilbert cartoon series, It is similar to The Great Dalmuti but with some extra cards that have
special effects.
Coup d'Etat
A four-player game related to Barbu, produced by Parker Brothers in the 1960's. It uses a 32 card
pack and some extra charts and equipment. The innovation in this game is the "coup", by which
another player can try to take over the declarer's role for the rest of the current set of hands.
Cows Can't Dance
(... but they like to be asked). This game from Gamewright contains 52 cards plus two spares,
which can be used as wild. There are 4 lady and 4 gentleman dancers in each of four suits, 6
Madame Fifi cards, 7 bulls and 7 cows. This is a draw and discard game in which players try to
score points by making pairs of dancers, which are placed on the table. The discarded cards are
laid out separately in the "dance hall" in the centre of the table. Normally a pair is formed by a
card from your hand and one from the dance hall. A lady and gentleman of the same suit can dance
together; Madame Fifi can dance with any lady or gent and can break up a dancing couple to get a
partner; cows and bulls can only dance with each other, and can ask for a partner from another
player's hand.
Dutch Blitz
This is like the competitive patience game known as Pounce or Nerts, but played with special
decks containing numeral cards 1 to 10 only (40 cards in each deck). It is sold as a game of the
Pennsylvania Dutch.
Escape
An eights game played with a pack of 108 cards. There are 25 of each of four colours (red, blue,
yellow, green) the cards of each colour being a zero, two each of numbers 1 to 9, two "pluck 3",
two "reverse" and two "skip". The eight extra cards are four "wild pluck 5", two "wild" cards, plus
two "wild escape" cards whose function is to transfer the effect of the previous card played to the
next player in turn.
Five Crowns
A rummy game similar to Three-Thirteen, played with a 116 card

deck. There are no aces or twos but there is an additional suit of stars
and six jokers.
You can order the Five Crowns Card Game from amazon.com

Flinch
Flinch was copyrighted in 1901 by A. J.
Patterson, then in 1903, by Flinch Card Co. and
later revised in 1913. In 1904 Parker Brothers Order the Flinch Card Game from amazon.com
bought the exclusive licence to sell it, and finally
took over Flinch Card Co. in 1938. It is a
competitive patience game a little like Spite and
Malice, played with a 150 card deck consisting of
ten each of cards numbered from 1 to 15. Rules
are also available here. The game is now produced
by Winning Moves.
Fluxx
A boldly original card game, in which the rules are written on the cards. Fluxx was first published
in 1997 by Looney Laboratories and is now sold by ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises). Basically it
works on a draw and discard princple - you draw cards from the stock and either play them in front
of you or in the centre of the table, or discard them. The unusual feature is that the cards you play
alter the rules of play and the winning conditions. Because the objective can change unpredictably
the game is rather wild and there is a considerable luck element. Kristin Looney writes: "So yes,
Fluxx is largely a luck oriented game, which means that hard-core strategy game fans might not
care for it. Rather, it's just a good, fun, kind of silly family card game, which kids of all ages will
enjoy."
See also Steffan O'Sullivan's Fluxx Fix page, which has a review of the game and some suggested
changes to the rules.
Free Parking
In this game from Winning
Moves each player has a
parking meter. They can run
errands worth various
numbers of points, but they
must make time for these
errands by feeding their
meter. In addition to cards
representing the meters with
sliders showing the remaining
time, the deck contains errand You can order the Free Parking and Waterworks card games in a
cards, cards for feeding your single pack ("Monopoly card games") from amazon.com
meter, free parking cards
which enable an errand to be
run without using meter time,
and special cards that send
another player's meter to

zero, cause a player with no

time on their meter to be
fined ("Officer Jones"), or
enable you protect yourself
against a fine. Each player
has a hand of six cards, and a
turn consists of replenishing
your hand to six and then
playing a card. You can also
draw a card from a second
deck, known as "second
chance" cards, and follow the
instructions on the card.
Frog Juice
This Gamewright game is a sort of hybrid of a Order Frog Juice Card Game from amazon.com
fishing game and a quartet game, with some extra
features. It is based around the theme of
collecting the ingredients for spells. The pack
consists of 44 ingredients cards, 4 witches, 2
princes, 2 maidens, a black cat, a "witch wash"
and five different spells.
Gang of Four
This is one of the most successful commercial adaptations of a climbing game. It was adapted
from the Chinese game Choh Dai Di (Big Two) by Lee Yih and first published in Hong Kong in
1990. The cards are attractively designed in an unusual style reminiscent of Chinese communist
poster art. The pack consists of cards numbered from 1 to 10 - two red, two yellow and two green
of each number - plus 4 extra cards. Each numerical rank represents an occupation, from Student
up to General, and the extra cards are the Chairman (highest), two Vice Presidents (next highest)
and a Student Leader (ranking slightly above an ordinary student). As in all such games the aim is
to get rid of your cards. The cards can be played singly, in pairs, in triples, in fours of a kind
(gangs of four) and in five-card poker combinations. A combination is beaten by a combination of
the same type with better cards, or by a gang of four or more equal cards, which beats anything.
The scoring system penalises anyone left with a large number of cards, and this creates an
interesting tension between three possible objectives:
to maximise your chance of eventually winning the hand, for which you must not let go of
your strong cards too soon;
to reduce your hand to a safe level, so that you will not lose too much if someone else wins,
for which you must get rid of cards as soon as you can even if these leaves you with cards
that will be hard to dispose of;
to go out as quickly as possible, to try to catch at least one other player with a high score,
which may taking an early risk that some play you make will not be beaten.
Garden Plots

A straightforward draw and discard game in which players try to complete a garden by melding
five different matching sets of flowers. The deck consists of 15 flower species (3 cards or each)
along with 30 cards representing garden requirements or hazards which are used to support one's
own garden or hinder one's opponents. The set includes baskets to hold the draw and discard piles,
and rules for an alternative quiz game about the flowers depicted on the cards.
The Great Dalmuti
This is a game of the climbing group, somewhat similar to President. The main innovation is that
there are more cards of the low ranks than the high, so the losing players can sometimes play a
such a large set of low cards that they can't be beaten by the players with high cards. The deck
contains 80 cards; there is one card of the highest rank (Great Dalmuti), two of the second, three of
the third, etc. down to twelve of the lowest (Peasants). In addition there are two Jesters, which are
wild. Sequences are not allowed, but Dave Howell of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. writes:
The Great Dalmuti was developed from a variant of scum/asshole/etc. that did have
sequences as an allowable play. It was taught to Richard Garfield by the name "The
Great Dalmuti". We deliberately removed the sequences option as needlessly
complicating the game. We also experimented with a couple of versions that had
trump suits.
Green Thumb Cards
A game with a gardening theme. Some of the cards represent plants of various types and the aim is
to score points by playing matching sets of these in the area in front of you (your garden). Other
cards are used for attacking other players' gardens or defending your own, or cause events such as
natural disasters. At the start of each turn you replenish your hand to six cards and then play one of
these. A computer version of this game is also available.
Guillotine
An original card game from Wizards of the Coast in which French nobles are lined up for
execution, you aim being to arrange them so as to achieve the most prestigious collection of heads.
It has no connection with Scott Marley's card game Guillotine (published in 1983).
Heavy Gear Fighter - Showdown in the Badlands
This is a game for two players, which simulates a combat. Each player has a hand of cards
representing powers and resources. This game seems akin to a Collectible Card Game in the way it
is played, though it uses a fixed pack of cards from which the players' hands are dealt.
Horse Show

The pack for this Gamewright game consists of

32 different cards representing named horses,
each with different abilities, 12 "assist" cards,
which can be used to boost any horse's chances
in a particular type of event, and 15 "blue
ribbon event" cards in the categories Hunter, Order Horse Show Card Game from amazon.com
Jumper, Dressage and Equitation (there is one
"dealer's choice" event, which can represent any
of these types). Each horse show consists of
three events, represented by blue ribbon cards
drawn from the shuffled event card stack. Each
event card also specifies advantages and
penalties for particular horses that might enter.
The horse and assist cards are dealt to the
players, who decide how to deploy them, the
aim being to collect as many blue ribbons as
possible for winning events at the four horse
shows which make up a game.
Instinct
A variant of Oh Hell! played with a 66 card deck consisting of five suits of 12 cards and six equal
ranking trumps. If a trump is led, the other players may play any cards, and if several trumps are
played to a trick the last one wins.
Kuhhandel
Kuhhandel (horsetrade) is an original and unusual game which has been popular in Germany for
some years. It was designed by Rdiger Koltze in 1984 and published in 1985 by Ravensburger. In
1996 a second lightly revised edition was issued which is now being produced under the imprint of
F.X. Schmid (which Ravensburger took over in 1998).
There are two packs of cards: a 40 card pack showing 4 each of 10 types of animal with values
ranging from 10 to 1000, and a pack whose cards serve as money of various denominations. A turn
consists of either auctioning the top animal card of the stock, or trading with another player who
has an animal card of the same type as you. The aim is to collect sets of four matching cards, and
the trading mechanism guarantees that eventually all the animals are in sets belonging to the
players, at which point whoever has the most valuable collection wins. An English translation of
the rules is available from the Kuhandel page at Game Cabinet. Also, here is a German Kuhhandel
page.
Mille Bornes

"Mille Bornes" is a fast and funny partnership game using the

draw-and-discard principle from a six-card hand; cards have
point values; players have to meld cards showing kilometers but
they can be stopped by "accidents" (called Hazard Cards) placed Order from amazon.com:
by their adversaries. The object of the game is to be the first
team to accumulate a total of 5000 points in several hands of Mille Bornes Card Game
play. Four "Safety Cards" can be used to prevent an opponent
from playing certain Hazard Cards.
Mille Bornes was designed in 1954 by Edmond Dujardin, a
printer of Arcachon (near Bordeaux). It is the (last?) outcome of
a family of card games starting with Touring (rules copyright
1906). Although Parker Brothers had for long been publishing
Touring (up to 1975), in 1962 they bought a licence from
Dujardin to issue an American edition of Mille Bornes. The
game remains popular, either under the original French name
"Mille Bornes" or translated as "1000 Miles" or even
"Milestone".
Rules are given on the Central Connector site and also on Dan
F. Duda's page under the name Milestone. There is a computer
versions of the game called Milestone, which is available in Mille Bornes: Collector's Edition
Java and Windows versions. Mille Bornes was discontinued by
Parker Brothers in 1997 but re-released by Winning Moves in
1998 under Parker/Hasbro's licence.
Monopoly: The Card Game

This game from Winning Moves is played
with a 60 card pack: 28 correspond to the
property spaces on a Monopoly board, and
there are 16 house and hotel cards, 2 wild
chance cards, 6 token cards, 4 "go" cards
and 4 "Mr. Monopoly" cards. Each player Order Monopoly: The Card Game from amazon.com
has a hand of 10 cards and the object is to
collect a hand containing one or more
complete colour groups of property cards by
drawing from the stock, discarding and
"trading" discards with the other players.
The value of a colour group can be increased
by house, hotel and token cards, and go and
Mr. Monopoly cards can bring extra
rewards. The score is kept using the
Monopoly money included in the set and the
first player who collects $10,000 dollars
wins.
M

A point trick game by Frank Nestel and Doris Matthus (Spiele von Doris & Frank / Amigo) that
won the 1996 " la carte Kartenspielpreis". It is best for 5 or 4 players, and features a novel and
ingenious method of bidding to choose the trumps and partnerships. The pack consists of 60 cards;
each of the five colours has cards from 0 (low) to 9 (high) with the ones and sevens duplicated.
Sevens and sixes are worth two points, nines and ones are worth nothing, and all other cards are
worth one point each. The trump suit can consist of two parts, the higher part chosen by the bidder
and the lower by the opponents. Trumps can be two colours (e.g. red over blue), two numbers (e.g.
3 over 7), or a number and a suit (e.g. 5 over green or black over 1). The bidding is performed by
players displaying cards from their hands; this gives a lot of scope for players to communicate
information which can be used later when choosing partners and trumps, and in the play.
See also Doris and Frank's Mpage, which includes a forum for discussing strategy and bidding
systems.
Mummy Rummy
A rummy-like game from Gamewright. The
45 cards carry attractive illustrations of parts
ancient Egyptian treasures. The cards are
ingeniously arranged into 5 suits, each of
which has 3 cards showing part of one
treasure, and 6 cards showing parts of two Order Mummy Rummy Card Game from
different treasures. The players try to collect amazon.com
sets of three cards make complete treasures.
At a turn you draw a card, put down any
treasure you have completed and then discard.
It is possible to draw any card from the
discard heap provided that you can use it to
complete a treasure; if you do this you must
also take all the discards that are on top of it.
If you have matched all or all but one of your
cards you can knock, in which case the game
ends and is scored after everyone else has had
one more turn.
Par
A set of games loosely based on Golf. The 72 card pack consists of 5 triple bogies, 20 double
bogies, 25 bogies, 10 pars, 8 birdies, 3 eagles and one hole in one. There is a draw and discard
game where the aim is to reduce your hand to par, and a trick taking game (representing
Matchplay) in which the best card takes each "hole".
Phase 10

A commercial version of Contract

Rummy, with a few innovations. There
are ten contracts (called "phases"), but
instead of playing just ten deals, one for
each contract, it is necessary for each Order from amazon.com:
player to make each contract before
moving on to the next. Thus players
can be aiming for different contracts on
the same deal. Most of the contracts are
made up of sets and runs as usual, but
contract 8 requires a 7 card flush. The
108 card deck has 4 suits of 12 cards
(duplicated) plus 8 wild cards and 4 Phase 10 Deluxe Card Game
"skip" cards which cause the next Phase 10 Card Game
player to miss a turn. The suits are
distinguished only by colour, so the
cards may be difficult for colour-blind
players to use.
Pico
A game of bluff invented by Frank-Sven Nestel. It is somewhat related to GOPS, but with several
interesting twists. It is played with a pack of just 11 cards (originally numbered
2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-13-16 but the new edition Pico 2 will have 11 and 12 instead of 2 and 3). The
two players each place a card face down and expose them simultaneously; the winner a trick is the
player of the higher card, provided it is not more than twice the lower card. If the higher card is
more than twice the lower card, the lower card wins. The card that wins the trick is placed in front
of the person who played and scores at the end; the losing card is put back into the player's hand
and can be reused in future tricks. Here is a Java version of Pico 2, which you play against a
computer.
Pigasus
A game from Gamewright, which is similar to the traditional children's card game known as Pig or
Spoons, but cards are drawn as well as passed so that the hands increase in size. The 55 card pack
onsists of 11 sets of 5 cards, each set depiction a pun involving pigs. The cards are dealt out so that
everyone has a face-down Pig Pile. Play is simultaneous and consists of alternately drawing a card
from your Pig Pile and passing a card to your left-hand neighbour. As soon as anyone has a pair of
cards from the same set they slap the table (or you could grab a spoon of which there are one too
few or put your finger to your nose as in the traditional games). When someone slaps, so does
everyone else, and the last to do so loses a life. There are variations where you can slap without a
pair, but you then lose a life if someone correctly challenges you.
Pit

A lively trading game, first copyrighted by Parker

Brothers in 1903. The deck consists of sets of
cards representing various commodities. Older Order Deluxe Pit Card Game from amazon.com
decks have 9 cards each of corn, wheat, oats, flax,
rye, barley and hay; some new ones have 8 each
of corn, oats, sugar, cocoa, barley and wheat. In
addition there is a bull and a bear card. The game
is played with one commodity per player;
everyone trades cards at once and the aim is to
collect a complete set of one commodity. The
bull card is a wild card, and the bear card is a
useless card which you must get rid of to form a
set. The Central Connector site also has rules of
Pit. The game is now produced by Winning
Moves.
Rage
A game based on Oh Hell!, played with a 108 card pack consisting of six suits numbered 0-15 plus
12 special cards, which have effects such as changing the trump suit or causing the winner of the
trick to gain or lose points.
Rat a Tat Cat
This game from Gamewright is based on the
traditional card game Golf. Of the 54 cards, 45
are rats, numbered from 0 to 8 (four each) plus
nine nines. Each player has four of these face Order Rat-a-Tat Cat Card Game from amazon.com
down, which they try to remember, and the
aim is to collect the lowest total and then stop
the game. At your turn you draw a card form
the stock or discard pile, and can use it to
replace one of your cards. There are also nine
cat cards with special powers: three allow you
to swap one of your cards (unseen) with
another player; three give you two extra turns;
and three let you peek at one of your cards.
Rook
Rook is a deck of 57 cards and also the name of a group of games Order from amazon.com:
played with those cards. The cards are sold by Parker Brothers who
copyrighted the game in 1906, and under licence by Winning
Moves. Some people play Rook with a standard playing-card deck,
and there are several other rather similar games played with
standard cards in various parts of the world. It is not quite clear
which of these are adaptations of Parker's Rook, and whether Rook
itself was based on a pre-existing game played with ordinary cards.

93 years after its American debut in 1906 Rook has at last landed in
continental Europe: the French branch of Hasbro is now marketing
a game called L'Escroc (the Crook) which is Rook in another
guise!
Rook or Deluxe Rook

Roolz
An expanded version of Rook using a pack of 100 cards. There are six suits numbered from 0 to
15 plus four special cards - two "roolers" and two blank cards. The game is for up to six players;
with fewer than five some low cards are removed from the deck. There are two trump suits, one
outranking the other, and the roolers are added to these suits as lowest trumps. The blank cards can
be used as an alternative to following suit (rather like the fool in classic tarot games). The suits are
distinguished only by colour, so the cards may be difficult for colour-blind players to use.
Unfortunately the Roolz web page has closed, but a Roolz computer program for Windows 95 can
still be downloaded, and further informaton is available by e-mail from the inventor Brandon
Morris (bmorris@mba1999.hbs.edu).
Rummikub
A set of 106 coloured and numbered
tiles, consisting of two each of numbers
1 to 13 in red, yellow, blue and black, Order from amazon.com:
plus two jokers, used to play a kind of
manipulation rummy. Rummikub is
credited to Ephraim Hertzano, a
Romanian-born Israeli who designed the
game in 1955. It was later licenced to
the German publisher Intelli and to the
American publisher J. Pressman & Co. The Original Rummikub
in 1980. It is striking that the equipment Deluxe Edition Rummikub
is more or less identical to that used for
the traditional Turkish game Okey.
SET
Set is an original game using a deck of 81 cards. Players try to be the

first to spot matching sets of cards within a layout. This game
originated in the USA and has now also been released in Germany.
You can order SET from amazon.com

Skip-Bo
Skip-Bo was first designed and published by The Skip-Bo
Order Skip-Bo from amazon.com
Company in 1967. In 1980 the licence was bought by
International Games, the creator of Uno. Skip-Bo is a
commercial version of Spite and Malice played with a special
deck of 162 cards - 12 sets numbered 1 to 12 and 18 "skip-bo"
cards which serve as jokers. Pablo Fuentes has written Skip98,
a shareware version of SkipBo which can be played against the
computer over over the Internet using ICQ or Chat.
Slamwich
A children's game from Gamewright. This is a
game of fast reactions, similar to Egyptian
Ratscrew but played with special cards. There are
55 cards, shaped like slices of bread; 40 are
various types of food (four of each), 12 are Order Slamwich Card Game from amazon.com
munchers (numbered 1, 2 or 3; four of each) and
three are thieves. At your turn you play your next
card on the discard pile. If two identical food
cards appear in succession or separated by just
one other card (a sandwich) or whenever a thief
appears, the pile can be claimed by the first player
to slap it. Munchers work like the pictures in
Egyptian Ratscrew or Beggar my Neighbour - the
next player has to play the indicated number of
cards, and if this happens without event the
muncher gets the pile.
Smart
The pack contains 127 cards. There are letters of the alphabet A-Z in four colours, with the B, D
and L of each colour duplicated, plus 11 jokers. For educational purposes, each card also has a
picture of something whose name in English begins with the letter, and a scoring value. Rules for
five games are included: in Smart you form and score for words from the cards in your hand, in
Flash you simply have to identify the cards as the dealer holds them up, Jokers Wild is a form of
Rummy, Zap is a form of Crazy Eights, using the duplicated letters for "Back to you", "Draw one"
and "Lose a turn", and Finders Keepers is a version of Memory or Pelmanism.
Stack 21

As the name suggests, the aim is to form stacks of cards adding

to 21. Each player has four stacks, each begun with a face down
card. At your turn you draw a card and must play it face up on a
stack. A stack of exactly 21 is complete and will score at the
end of the game; a stack which goes over 21 is bust and cannot Order Stack 21 from amazon.com
be played on or score. You cannot bust an opponent's stack; if
you try to play a card on an opponent's stack that makes it more
than 21 the opponent rejects the card and you must play it on
your own layout. The deck consists 104 cards: there are
numeral cards from 0 to 10, plus four "instant 21" cards which
immediately complete a stack by making its total 21. Some of
the numerals are "bonus" cards which increase the score if
included in a completed stack; some are "keepers" which must
be played on your own layout if you draw them. Simple and
elegant; well designed cards; easy to learn. Made by Enginuity.
Stone Soup
An enhanced version from Gamewright of the
traditional game Cheat (sometimes known as
"Bullshit"). The cards represent seven types of
soup ingredients, and there are extra cards
representing stones and salt. As in Cheat, players Order Stone Soup Card Game from amazon.com
try to get rid of their cards by playing them
face-down to a discard pile (soup), adding
ingredients in a fixed order. A player who is
caught adding the wrong ingredient has to pick
up cards from the pile. The stone cards can never
be played legitimately - the only way to get rid
of them is to claim they are a valid ingredient
and hope not to be challenged. The salt cards can
be used to enable a player to pass their turn, thus
passing the responsibility of adding the next
ingredient to the next player in turn.
Suds
A fast game for young children from Gamewright. The
pack of 54 soap-sud shaped laundry cards contains Order Suds Card Game from amazon.com
peaked hats, T-shirts, boxer shorts, pants, socks and
sneakers. There are also three wild cards which count
as anything. The players each have a three-card hand
and a face-down stock used to replace hand cards as
they are used. There are no turns - players get rid of
their cards as fast as they can, building face-up piles of
six cards in the correct sequence on the table. The first
player who runs out of cards wins.

Summon the Dragon

This is a game with trumps, tricks and bidding for four players in fixed partnerships. It is slightly
reminiscent of Bid Whist, though this may be a coincidence as the author says he has never played
that game. The deck has four 13 card suits representing the four elements, plus a dragon card
which is the permanent highest trump, or highest or lowest card of any suit at the holder's choice in
a "no trump" bid. The high bidder has the choice of exchanging the four card kitty or "summoning
the dragon", in which case the holder of the dragon card must give it to the bidder, who discards
one card; the original holder of the summoned dragon gets the kitty as compensation and discards
three cards. In the play, trumping is compulsory if you do not have the led suit, and the last trick
counts as two tricks.
Target
A draw and discard game in which players collect and score for various types of card sets (straight,
flush, three of a kind, etc). There are two decks: the larger deck consists of 82 playing cards: there
are numerals 0 to 9 in four suits (cards 2 to 8 duplicated) plus ten wild cards numbered 0 to 9
which can count for any suit; the smaller deck has 28 "target" cards, each of which defines a type
of combination which the players can try to make, and the score available for the first who
succeeds. Five target cards are turned up and five cards dealt to each player. Whenever a player
achieves a combination corresponding to any of these cards, they win the target card and a new
one is turned up in its place. Available from Enginuity.
Tichu
This game is published by the Swiss firm Fata Morgana Spiele, and seems to be quite closely
related to the Chinese game Zheng Fen. The special pack for this game contains 56 cards, and is
essentially like a standard pack with four jokers. The normal suits are replaced by suits of jade,
sword, pagoda and star, and the four jokers, each of which has a special property, are the sparrow,
the phoenix, the dragon and the dog. An English translation of the rules is available from the Tichu
page at Game Cabinet
TRIPOLEY
A commercial version of Three in One, containing a deck of cards, chips for the stakes, a cloth
layout on which to place the stakes, and rules. In each round three games are played with the same
cards: first chips are won for holding cards on the layout, then you select five cards with which to
play Poker, and you end the round with a game of Michigan (Boodle). Rules are available at the
Central Connector site.
Tripoley Special Edition Tripoley Deluxe
Tripoley Original
Order from
amazon.com:
Tri-Virsity

A rummy game in which the melds are words. The pack has 132 cards - three suits of different
colours each contain 41 letter cards and two wild cards and there are three wild cards that can be
used with any suit. Players can meld words of three or more letters of one colour, or extend words
that other players have melded. Players score for cards melded according to the point values
printed on the cards, and are penalised for unmelded cards when another player goes out.
Twilight
A point trick game for 4 players (2 against 2) with an original trick taking mechanism. The pack
has 28 cards - 14 sun and 14 moon, and one suit belongs to each team. When it is your turn to play
to the trick, a card of your suit must be played. You may either play such a card yourself or direct
one of the other three players to do so on your behalf. The trick is won by the player in whose turn
the highest card was played, irrespective of suit. The sun and moon cards are distinguishable from
the backs so that you can see how many of each suit each player holds. There are a couple of other
unusual features. When the highest card (sun or moon) wins a trick, the cards in the trick count for
the winner of the following trick. The lowest three cards of each suit are multipliers; they only
work for their own team, and they multiply their card points by 1, 2 or 3; if you don't win any of
your own side's multipliers in your tricks you score nothing. Twilight was designed by Wolfgang
Werner with graphics by Robert Korschofski and is published by Bambus Spielverlag Berlin,
whose web site includes the rules in English.
Uno
A popular game of the eights group, first designed and published by International Games, Inc. in
1972. The pack consists of 108 cards including four suits of different cards plus wild cards and
special cards for skipping the next player, reversing the direction of play and making the next
player draw cards. For details see Daniel Johnson's How to play Uno page. Many people have
invented variations of Uno using the same cards; here are some examples. You can order the
Original UNO Game from amazon.com
WaterworksTM - also known in a German edition Leg das Rohr
The pack consists of cards that show lengths of pipe - straight, curved
and with junctions, with and without leaks, plus valves, spouts and
spanners to repair the leaks. By playing cards to a layout you try to be
first to complete a water-tight pipe of the required length from your
valve, ending in a spout. Waterworks is now produced by Winning
Moves. The Central Connector site also has rules of WaterworksTM
You can order the Free Parking and Waterworks card games in a
single pack ("Monopoly card games") from amazon.com
WhizORD
A straightforward word game played with a pack of 108 cards showing letters of the alphabet.
Each player is dealt seven cards, can discard some of them and draw replacements, and must then
make the highest scoring word they can.
Wingo Dingo
Two identical packs of 27 cards, each card showing eyes, mouth and head in a different colours,
plus three special cards. Two games are offered: in one you guess the identity of a card hidden by

your opponent, using information on how closely it matches various cards that you play; the other
is a version of Snap.
Wizard
This is a variation of the traditional game Oh Hell! -
it is officially for 3-6 players but can be adapted for
any number from 2 to 12. Eight special cards - four
jesters and four wizards - are added to the standard
pack, making a total of 60 cards. In the first deal
each player is dealt 1 card; the size of hands
increases by one in each deal, until the whole pack Order Wizard Card Game from amazon.com
(or as much of it as possible) is dealt. Players can bid
any number of tricks - the bids may or may not add
up to the total tricks available. You score only if you
make your bid exactly; if you take too many or too
few tricks you lose. The wizards and jesters can be
played to any trick. Wizards always win the trick (if
several are played to the same trick the first wins)
and jesters lose (a trick consisting entirely of jesters
is won by the first played). If a wizard is led to a
trick the other players may play any cards. If a jester
is led, the next player may play any card, and this
determines the suit to be followed.

Last updated 26th December 2000

Invented Card Games

National and Regional Games | Commercial Games | Links to other information sources
Invented Card Games

This section of the card games site is devoted to new games played with existing cards. The idea is to
provide a forum for card game inventors to publish their ideas, and to try out and comment on each
other's games.
Traditional card games will not be found here, but in the main body of the site (see for example
the alphabetical index).
New games which require a special pack of cards designed for that game, which you have to buy
from the publisher, will also not be found here. They are listed on the Commercial Games page.
Most of the games on this page have been contributed by their inventors. For each game, I have
published the rules exactly as they were sent to me, or a link to the inventor's page. If you have any
questions or comments about one of these games, please ask the author of the game, not me.
If you would like to contribute a game of your own to this page, or publish a comment, variation or
improvement on one of the games here, you can send me your contribution by e-mail.
The games are at present listed in alphabetical order. Eventually I may organise them into categories -
suggestions on the best way to do this would be welcome.
Ace of Spades
A game of impressive simplicity, explained by Chickety China, the Chinese Chicken.
Ace Pit
An unusual two-player trick-taking game, contributed by Bill Hurn.
Addition War
A War variation by Jesse Weinstein and Nancy Fuller in which cards are played two at a time and
added.
Angel (or Afterlife)
A draw and discard game by Rick Orobko, in which a player can call for "judgement" when they
think they have the best hand.
Arlington
This has nothing to do with the Rummy game of the same name. It is a game for two to six players
which involves getting, playing, and keeping played certain combinations of cards. It was
http://www.pagat.com/invented/index.html (1 de 11) [04/05/2001 9:44:04]

Invented Card Games
contributed by Dennis Himes.

Army
A straightforward game of turning over cards, somewhat like War, except that instead of collecting
won cards a score is kept on paper. Contributed by by Justin Kohli.
Ascending Rules Uno
An Uno variation, contributed by Chris O'Hare.
Barry's & Les's
A variation of President played with a pack in which all four suits are different colours, by
Anthony O'Dea and others.
Big Al's Guillotine
A poker variation, contributed by Al.
Bino
"The Computer Math Card Game". Players race to make a high score using the cards of their hand
to represent decimal and binary numbers. Contributed by Jim MacMath
Birthday Suit Uno
Uno played with exposed cards.
Bitch
A crazy eights variation by Miles Dansereau.
Black Heart Rum
Comprehensive guide to this elaborate Rummy variation by Toby Vaughn.
Blind
A game of card matching, which "can last 5 seconds or 5 hours, depending on your luck".
Contributed by Justin Swartsel.
Bottom Line Baccarat and Bottom Line Blackjack
Variations of these games in which red cards count as negative, contributed by Jeff Cross.
Bread and Chocolate
A matching game for two players, in which each card played may enable the player to draw or
discard some cards. The object is to run out of cards exactly. Invented by JC Ravage, Jimmy
Kaplowitz, and Marc Jaffee.
Canadian Salad
A game similar to King or Barbu, contributed by "kermitfrog".
CardSen$e
A game closely related to Barbu, but with fewer contracts and different scoring, contributed by
Carolyn Bryan.
Casualty War

Invented Card Games
A War variation by Jesse Weinstein and Nancy Fuller in which cards are played three at a time.
Cat's Cradle
An original solitaire game by Michael Bourne.
Chamberlain
A cross between American Bid Whist and Polignac / Knaves, by Jonathan Ling.
Chit Chat
A card game for two players that simulates the exchange of small talk between two acquaintances
at a social function, contributed by Richard Vickery.
Clan
A point-trick game invented by Glen Overby, described in late 16th century Scots.
Clogs
A trick-taking game with some unusual features, created by Paul Weekes and Blake Vernon
Clubs
Nothing to do with the suit clubs, but a trick-taking game in which you add the cards you win in
tricks to your hand, where your aim is to form pairs, threes and fours of a kind (known as clubs).
Contributed by Drew Brokke.
Coosner
A bidding type game by Jim Risner and John Cooper, in which cards are auctioned, and the bids in
the auction are themselves represented by cards that come from your hand.
Corellian Pitch
A Pitch variation by Larry Charbonneau
Court Circular
A sort of trick taking game for two or more players, invented by Lewis Caroll. Each player plays
three times to each trick, and the winner of the trick is the player of the best combination.
Cribbage Solitaire
Play cribbage against the deck. Contributed by Natty Bumppo.
Cripple Mr Onion
A reconstruction of a fictional card game from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
Cut-Throat Uno
An Uno variation by Frank Soukey.
Deadly Uno
An Uno variation by Isaac Kuo.
Diamonds (1)
A trick taking game similar to Oh Hell!, by Chris Donges.
Diamonds (2)

Invented Card Games
A kind of trick taking game in which diamonds are especially valuable, by Danny Patterson.
Doors
A simple solitaire game, contributed by Joe Wolf
Duel of Fives
A two-player game by Jesse Weinstein, in which each simultaneously plays five cards at a time,
with the object of winning the majority of the comparisons.
East Point
A revised, rationalised and expanded version of two player pinochle, by Dave Barber
Ena
A Slovenian Uno variation, contributed by Wei-Hwa Huang.
Evil Deal
A trick taking game for two players, each with their own trump suit, by J_rgen Ravn Hagen.
Evil Spades
Rules for a series of hands of Spades each with different constraints on the bidding or play.
Fan Rummy
A Gin Rummy variant played with exposed stock cards, contributed by Daniel Friedman.
Fat Buddah
A crazy eights variation by Peter Ipnar.
Fifteen
A game based loosely on All Fives and having a crib like Cribbage, contributed by Curtis Jones.
Fotboll (also known as Soccer)
A football simulation with a regular deck of cards.
Four Drunk Lawyers
Fan Tan variation contributed by Ducchi Quan.
Files
A game invented by Glen Overby. Each of the 3 players divides their 15-card hand into three
five-card hands which are used n succession for a poker showdown, a trick taking game and a trick
avoidance game.
Freak Solitaire
An original solitaire game by Michael Gurfinkel
Fnf
A five-player trick taking game with changing partners. The object of the game is to take tricks
that include elements of a Quest that changes for each deal. Contributed by Derek Carver.
Gloria

Invented Card Games
A game similar to Barbu, but with a fixed sequence of eight games, including several domino-like
games. Contributed by Peter Skoko.
Guillotine
A game of the King / Barbu type, invented by Scott Marley.
Head to Head
A variation of GOPS by Warren Esty.
Hot Death Uno
Uno variation using at least two decks - one deck altered to make more special cards. Game
includes gratuitous strong language and profanity - stay away if you are easily offended. Here are
rules from Frenzy and another set of rules from Phoneboy.
Iceberg
A Rummy variation for 2-4 players by Gordon Bower
Imperium
A two-player trick-taking game contributed by Erich Burkhardt.
Joker Hearts
A Hearts variation with jokers, by Jonathan Crawford.
Joker High
A trick-taking game with bidding, somewhat similar to 500, contributed by Michael Lawson.
Klitzkie Family Uno
An Uno variation contributed by Penny Klitzkie and David Hoelzel.
Lead
A plain-trick game in which the high bidder chooses a partner by calling a trunp. Contributed by
Cathy Artigues.
Lockout
A solitaire game created by Daniel R.
Losing Cribbage
A negative version of cribbage, contributed by Dave and Jeff.
Marijnissen
An Asshole variation contributed by Martin Hulsman.
Mbogo
Lacking the original rules, Richard Heli invented these rules for this game played with a 61 card
pack depicting African animals, hunters and cages.
Milken
A game by John Cooper, in which by playing cards to suit piles in the centre (representing the
"market") you try to make the remaining cards in your hand worth more than other players' cards

Invented Card Games
before the game ends.

Mitch
An original game in which players try to manage their cards, to play as many cards as possible of
each suit in descending order - invented by Mitch Gunzler, and described by Mark Banilower and
Patrick Phair.
Nags
A game loosely based on Stops and Horse Racing, from Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's
New Card Games site.
Napoleon
A point-trick game with trumps, bidding and alliances. Nothing like the traditional game Napoleon
but coincidentally reminiscent of the Korean game Mighty.
Nimby
A game inspired by Euchre, with some elements of Sheepshead, contributed by David Schulman.
Nusicle
A game based on Crazy Eights (Switch) but with multiple discard piles, from Andrew Brewood
and Francis Irving's New Card Games site.
Oneonta Whist
A trick taking game by Richard Hutnik, which can be played as a solitaire or by two or more
players. The bidding is somewhat reminiscent of Spades, except that the bidder can choose a trump
suit.
One Player Ninety-Nine
A solitaire version of the adding game ninety-nine, contributed by Corey Dixon.
Palindrome
A two-player by Russ Schneider, in which cards are played to a layout with the object of forming
symmetrical sets (palindromes).
Peatwit
A plain-trick game with bidding, in which all the twos, threes and fours are trumps, but can only
trump suits other than their own. Contributed by Paul Dunham.
Personal Uno
Uno variant by se-no-fee-uh in which each winner adds a rule.
Phoenix Burn
A showdown game between three-card hands, contributed by Tim Sharkey and Bob Conlon.
Pick-Up
A fishing game contributed by Justin Lake.
Potomac Blackout

Invented Card Games
A variation of Oh Hell! in which the highest bidder chooses trumps after everyone has bid,
described by Wei-Hwa Huang.
Psycho Poker
A two player game based on poker hands, contributed by James Swerdfeger and Marc Reside.
Push
A new poker variation contributed by Bill Johnson.
Pyramid
A trick-taking game by Albinas Borisevicius. Players try to win the exact number of tricks that
they bid, and each possible bid must be attempted a given number of times by each player diuring
the game.
Rank
A matching game, in which players dispose of their cards by playing a card equal or adjacent in
rank to the previous play. Created by Corey Dixon.
Reoccurring Strange
A trick taking game with two trump suits and two cards played by each player to each trick, from
Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games site. Like "Simple Strange" but stranger.
Reveille
A two-player version of Texas Forty-Two, invented by Ryan Barrett
Reverse Shithead
A Shithead variation by Andrew Duthie, which includes a reverse phase where beating the
previous player's card is compulsory but disadvantageous.
R-M-D Uno
An Uno variation contributed by Ronda.
Rook Shanghai
A version of Contract Rummy played with Rook cards, by William Robfogel
Rounds
A point-trick game for two players in four rounds with changing trumps, contributed by David
Schulman.
Roy
A Crazy Eights variation invented by Roy Fuller, modified by Spike Walker and described by Lee
Coursey.
Royal Mastheads
A trick taking game for four players, in which extra points are scored for winning certain cards.
Contributed by R. Kieva.
Sabacc

Invented Card Games
A showdown game by Peter Kerton, in which the aim is to draw cards that totalling as near as
possible to but now more than 11.
San Mateo Canasta
A Canasta variation created by John Bejarano.
Scum of the Earth
A President variation inspired by the WotC games The Great Dalmuti and Dilbert Corporate
Shuffle, contributed by Ryan McGuire.
Set Variants
Tom Magliery's collection of variations of the commercial game Set.
Seven Card Nopeek
As in War, players flip their cards from a face-down hand. Each player must beat the previous
player's card or combination or be knocked out. Contributed by Christian Mendoza.
Seventeen
A point-trick game in which you are rewarded for points up to 17 but penalised for any excess
points you take, contributed by 'Weirdguy38'.
Shotgun Cribbage
Cribbage without the crib, contributed by Dave and Jeff.
Simple Strange
A trick taking game with two trump suits and two cards played by each player to each trick, from
Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games site.
Six-card draw poker A version of draw poker using six-card hands, by Jeff Cross. Michael Keller has
provided an analysis of the probabilities of hands.
Slave Auction
The picture cards represent slaves and players use the pip cards ace to ten to bid for them.
Contributed by Kate Thompson.
Sparts and Spartsel
Sparts is a cross between Spades and Hearts. Spartsel adds some features of Oh Hell! as well.
Contributed by Doug Meyer.
Speedo Cribbage
A cribbage variation with a different way of discarding to the crib, by Maria Thomas.
Speed Uno
An UNO variation contributed by David Swart
Split
A draw and discard game in which you try to build two three card hands whose point value is
equal and odd. Created by Matt Singer, Christian Dietrich and Trevor Binney
Spooneye

Invented Card Games
A two-player game created by Jesse Fuchs in which each player tries to build "masts" of 21 points
to capture the opponent's masts.
Strato-Sphere
A war game played with cards, from Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games site.
Stud Jack
A 7-card stud poker variation incorporating an element of blackjack, invented by Ken McKenzie
and contributed by Dave Kinney.
Subtraction War
A War variation by Jesse Weinstein and Nancy Fuller in which cards are played two at a time and
subtracted.
Suicide
A money game with no skill at all, invented by Joakim Malmquist.
Suit High
A war variation by Jason Berger.
Suitmatch
A game by Adrian Morgan, in which you try to collect an equal number of cards of each suit by
swapping cards with your neighbour.
Super Crazy Eights For Two
A two handed adaptation of the traditional game Crazy Eights by Donald G Keller and Michael
Keller.
Super Hearts
A version of Hearts with improved scoring to make the game play more demanding. Contributed
by Jerry Schwartz.
Super Hyper/Twisted Knot
An elaborate variation on Shithead, in which nearly all the cards have special effects. Game
created by Galbraith/Lewis/Constance/Mabely (1993); description by Paul JaYmes (1997).
Super Nus
A "real-time" version of the Crazy Eights variant Nusicle, in which everyone plays as fast as
possible without waiting for turns. From Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games
site.
Taboo
A fishing game based on Tablanette, by Ray Munjaro.
Takeover
A simple battle game involving speed and dexterity, in which numeral cards are captured by
picture cards (assassins) of the same suit. Authors: Kevin Saddi and Manuel Garcia

Invented Card Games
Tennis
An unusual trick-taking game in which the cards rank cyclically, and the cards you win in tricks
form your hand for the next round. Invented by JC Ravage and Jimmy Kaplowitz.
Texas Reach Around
A poker variation invented by Nick Henson; description contributed by Jeffrey Able.
3-2-1
A poker variation invented by Treetop Collier
Tien Len variations
Suggested variations of Tien Len: a version with two jokers, contributed by Bryon Pace, and an
alternative starting method, by Michael Gurfinkel.
Tile Rummy Variation
A variation of Tile Rummy contributed by Vivian A. McGraw
Total War
Doug Caspian-Kaufman's variation of War in which players have to announce whether they think
they will win the trick.
Tournament of Queens
Contributed by Roland M Reagan and Kelan Wieloch, this game uses a fortune-telling Tarot deck
but is entirely unlike a tarot game. The premise is that the players are drag queens taking part in a
beauty contest. They play cards representing their attributes, so as to please the panel of judges
whose preferences are represented by an array of cards dealt at the start.
Towers
A game of bridge building and demolition from Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card
Games site.
Trib
A bridge-like trick taking game for two players, with positive and negative bids, from Andrew
Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games site.
Trixter
An Oh Hell! variant by Max Suchy.
Trolley Car
A game by Rick Heli, in which players players get rid of their cards by playing them to a layout
representing trolley lines.
Trump 7
A game inspired by Sheepshead, with a joker added to the pack, contributed by David Schulman.
Tunge
A game from Andrew Brewood and Francis Irving's New Card Games site, in which players play
groups of cards to a discard pile, aiming to get rid of their cards. Cards which match cards in the

Invented Card Games
previous group force the following player to pick up.

Tweetjes
A trick taking game in which some cards are worth positive points while others carry penalty
points. Contributed by Remco Hartog.
Two Blind Bitches
A Hearts variation for two players with two dummies, contributed by Blade2106.
Uno from Hell
An UNO variation, contributed by S D Rhodes.
Valentine Hearts
A Hearts variation, with special rules for the Q and Q, by Nicholas Cheung.
Whiskey
A three player trick taking game, with bids to win or to lose tricks, by Elliot Grant.
Wump Rummy
A children's game - a simplified form of Scopa or Casino - by Kendall J. Redburn
Yacht
A fairly simple trick-taking game with exact bidding, contributed by Drew Brokke.
Yoshi
A game by Don Taber, in which you try to collect poker combinations in a hand of 13 cards.

Last updated 17th July 2000

Card Games: Patience / Solitaire
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | National and Regional Games
Commercial Games | Invented Games
Patience / Solitaire
Card games for one player are called Patience in Britain and Solitaire in America. The rest of the Card
Games web site deals mostly with games for more than one player, but on this page I have provided
some links to sites which specialise in one-player games. Some of these sites contain rules or analysis,
and many of them provide software, since these soliary games being particularly suitable for play against
a computer. If you have further links or information that should be included on this page, please let me
know.
If you are looking for information on Solitaire-like games for more than one player, please go to the
Competitive Patience section of this web site.
Randy Rasa's Solitaire Central site contains a wide range of information, including a Solitaire Rulebook
with descriptions of numerous games.
Gordon Bower's Solitaire pages have rules of several solitaires, old and new, and investigations of the
probability of winning.
For information about Freecell, see Michael Keller's Freecell FAQ and the Catalog of Solutions begun
by Dave Ring and later maintained by Wilson Callan. A free computer program Freecell Pro is available
for download. A fourther collection of Freecell links can be found at Freecell.org.
Tom Warfield's Pretty Good Solitaire page has Windows software for some 300 solitaire games. Users
can have their won/loss statistics posted on the web site. The site also contains the rules for all these
games. He also runs a Solitaire information site.
WebTV users: the following sites provide Solitaire games that can be played on-line - no downloads and
no Java required!
Epsylon Technology's Game Centre
Solitaire at Bill's Games

Marc Brocoum's Ace Games server with Klondike, Blackjack and Video Poker.
Here are the rules for Cribbage Solitaire, in which you play Cribbage against the deck.
Further solitaire games and software can be found on Jouni Miettunen's web page.
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Rajeev Hariharan's Explorer Solitaire site offers a range of Solitaire games for on-line play or download.
Tournament Games - Compete Online at Solitaire! Free to Play! Now Paying
Hourly,Daily and Weekly Cash Prizes to the Tournament Winners! Players
download the free software and compete online at a Klondike type of
Solitaire game. The new version 2.25 includes a wild card, up to a 5 card
deck spread and several new bonus scoring features.
Rick Holzgrafe's Semicolon Software site has a number of patience / solitaire computer programs for the
Macintosh, plus a discussion of the strategy for winning the various games:
Golf rules and tips
Pyramid rules and tips

Spider rules and tips
Accordion rules and tips
Forty Thieves rules and tips
Gabor Kertes has published a Windows Solitaire pack and web pages giving rules and screen shots for
ten games included in the pack:
Agnes
Canfield
Engagements
Fourteens
Gargantua
Golgotha
Hemispheres
Penguin
Pyramid Building
Sir Tommy
From Freeverse software you can obtain the Burning Monkey Solitaire 2 program for
Windows or Macintosh computers.
Here is David Bernazzani's Solitude for Windows page, with links to his free software.
PySol is a freeware collection of over 250 solitaire games by Markus Oberhumer. It runs on
Unix (X11), Windows 95/98/NT and Macintosh computers.
123 Free Solitaire is a freeware collection of solitaire games by TreeCardGames Inc.
The pokersquares.com site has offers an on-line Poker Squares Solitaire game.

Here is Mike's Five by Five Poker game. Arrange cards in rows and columns to form high
scoring poker hands. Compete against players around the world for a place on the high score table.
Here are Heuristech Software's Solitaire games for Solitaire lovers - shareware for Microsoft Windows
systems.
Here are Rudy Muller's rules for Rangoon (also known as Station, Blue-Moon, Gaps, Montana Aces) and
here is his postcard-ware program for playing it.
Chris Pearson's Selkirk Solitaire page with his Java solitaire program.
Tim Adam has written a Java1.1 program for playing Sid Sackson's Bowling Solitaire.
Here is MyCat Software's shareware Chainlink program. Chainlink is a new Solitaire game
that was invented and first programmed by Walt Howe in 1987.
Here is Voon Teong Nang's ace-the-game solitaire program.
The American Federation for the Advancement of Duplicate Solitaire (AmFADS) has released Klondike
Pro, a computer solitaire game based on Klondike, but with a special scoring system designed for
competitive duplicate play.
The RISS Solitaire Pak is a collection of computer solitaire card games. A shareware version is available
for download.
John Kanold's SolKan is a shareware program which plays 130 different Solitaire games.
The Softgame Company's Funsol Solitaire 2000 plays hundreds of solitaire games.
Charles Tyson has written a freeware program CMT Solitaire for Windows 95. It plays over 30 different
games, including Black Widow, Eight Off, Golf, Klondike, La Belle Lucie, Napoleon, Penguin, Pyramid
and Wasp. It is also extensible - new games can be added by defining their layout and rules in a text file.
Solitaire Antics Deluxe, from Masque Publishing, is collection of 50 solitaire games for Windows or
Macintosh computers. An on-line competitive solitaire game is available through the Masque web site.
Boris Sandberg's BVS Solitaire is a collection of 130 different solitaire games. The
author writes: "You'll be able to learn solitaires not found elsewhere. BVS Solitaire Collection gives you
a plethora of statistical and scoring screens. You can track your performance and progress in playing
solitaire about as completely as many people use a computer to track their finances. And you can publish
your personal statistics on the BVS Solitaire Collection web site to appear in the top scores list."
SolSuite 2000 for Windows95 plays numerous solitaire games.
Mike's Cards is a shareware collection of soiltaire games for the Macintosh.
Tony Ioanides has written Patience 2.4 - yet another collection of computer Patience games for
Windows.

Pete Wiseman's Solitaire City offers eight Solitaire games for Windows.
Here is Brian Bain's Windows Solitaire program. Standard Solitaire but with a variety of card deck
options and the possibility to design your own deck.
Neil Wrighting's Solitaire Players Paradise is a site where you can submit and compare high scores
obtained from Microsoft Windows Solitaire.
The FSA shareware page includes two solitaire games - Kings' Corners and Tower.
Alessandro Gironacci has written Solitaire games Space Cards and Super Pairs, which you can download
from Girosoft Games
Shirleetaire is a computer Solitaire game for Windows95
Here is a link to Ake Norden's program Patiens for Windows 95.
Here is the home page of Silver Creek Entertainment, creators of the "Hardwood Solitaire" computer
programs (Windows and Macintosh versions available).
Rules (in French) for La loi Salique and Pyramide are available from Jean-Franois Bustarret's site.
The World of Newave Solitaire Card Games Directory has links to various Solitaire sites.
Tim Winter's site has three computer games to download - not traditional solitaire games but games in
which you race against time to make card combinations totalling 11 or 21.
Here are Mike Lalena's Java Games: Eleven Out, Fun21, Poker Flash, Quick21 and others. Again, these
are games played against the clock. Most of them were originally developed for the coin operated touch
screen game systems usually found at bars.
Game Gate also offers Java games to play against the server, including two card-based games: Poker and
Lucky Cards.
Sancho's Video Casino includes several free Video Poker games.


Card Games: Other Sources of Information
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | National and Regional Games
Links to other information about

playing-cards and card games
Web sites for software
Web sites for playing card games on line
Web sites for information about card games
Web sites for information about playing-cards
Playing-card bitmaps, fonts and programming tools
Makers and sellers of playing-cards and card game equipment
Tournaments and Meetings

Casinos and Gambling
Books
Newsgroups and mailing lists
Web Sites for Card Games Software

Randy Rasa's House of Cards is a good source of information for card games software in general.
Special K Software - available at http://www.dezzanet.net.au/~gmckay - has software for Bridge,
500 and many games of the Rummy family.
Tommy's Toys offer a wide range of basic shareware card games for DOS.
The Jumbo Games pages have a collection of card games software for DOS, Windows, Macintosh,
http://www.pagat.com/sources.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:44:21]

and other platforms.

Winfiles have a large collection of card game programs for Windows.
Arthur Crump maintains a game shareware site including several card games.
The World Opponent Network site contains downloads, reviews and links.
Web sites for playing card games on line

Each of the following sites offers a range of games:
Game Zone (Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre)
Yahoo! Games (Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Poker, Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Sheepshead,
Blackjack, Canasta)
PlaySite (Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Cribbage, Bridge)
IPlay (Spades, Hearts, Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Euchre)
Excite Games (Euchre, Hearts, Spades)
Igames (Hearts, Spades, Cribbage, Gin Rummy, Pinochle)
www.won.net (Blackjack, Hearts, Euchre, Pinochle, Cribbage, Bridge)
Pogo (Bridge, Euchre, Hearts, Spades)
Game TV (Mao, Five Hundred, Poker)
Playlink (Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Poker, Pinochle, Cribbage, Bridge)
Games People Play (Hearts, Spades, Euchre)
NetIntellGames (Russian Preference, Gin Rummy, Poker, Spades, Spite and Malice, Durak,
Cribbage)
Ingame: On Line Games
Randy Rasa's House of Cards includes a large collection of WebTV-compatible card games.
WebTV card games - a page of links to online card games which playable from a WebTV terminal
Randy Rasa's House of Cards has further information about on-line card game sites.
Griff Hazen's Virtual Cards is another free format program which allows you to play a range of
multiplayer card games.
There are also sites offering specific services for Bridge and Poker - see the links on those pages for
further details.
Web sites for information about card games

The Medieval and Renaissance games site has information about the history of card games and
publishes reconstructions of early card games.

The Game Cabinet covers all kinds of games, and includes rules or reviews of some card games
and some games played with dominoes.
Z. Teun Spaan's Domino Plaza has a comprehensive collection of rules of games played with
dominoes.
The Real Beer Page has a collection rules for about 50 drinking card games.
The Drinking Games site also contains several pages describing card games.
John Hay's Rule Book is a collection of current rules of American card games compiled from
surveys over the Internet.
Dave Barker's House of Cards has rules of several card games.
Jack O Spades' Card Gamer's Alley provides another selection of card game rules.
Jen Bullock has a Card Games site, with rules for a different selection of games
Brad Wilson's Card Games pages have descriptions of several North American games.
Nicholas Cheung's Card Games Home Page has yet another selection
Glen Overby's Card Room has a more unusual collection of games
Rick Heli maintains a page of Card Games of the Donauschwaben in 18th and 19th-century
Hungary
Jean-Franois Bustarret's Jeux de Cartes site has rules of card games in French
Sakae Kagohara Junior's Regras de jogos de cartas is a Brazilian site with rules of card games in
Portuguese, with an emphasis on games played in Brazil.
Cristian Seres' site Korttipelien sntj ja Internet-linkkej has rules of Finnish and other card
games in Finnish.
www.kartenspiele.net includes a collection of German card game rules, as well as software and
some information on card tricks.
The Central Connector site has a collection of rules, mostly of commercial games, including
several card games.
The Board Gamesbook is mostly devoted to board games but includes some card information,
mainly on newly invented games to be played with Tarot cards.
Links to other sites with information about specific games can be found under the relevant game.
Use the alphabetical index to find the game.
Web sites for information about playing-cards

The International Playing-Card Society caters for people interested in all aspects of playing-cards,
including collecting, playing, and historical research.
The following pages contain further information related to playing-cards:
The playing-cards FAQ

The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Playing-Cards

Contact details of playing-card societies
Museums with collections of playing-cards
Bibliography
Sources of information Playing-card Tax Stamps
Bob Lancaster's Gallery of Unusual Playing-Cards includes large numbers of links to web sites of
playing-card collectors, manufacturers and other relevant information.
Playing-card bitmaps, fonts and programming tools

Oliver Xymoron has drawn some excellent GIFs of international playing-cards which I have used for
illustration in some places.
The Skatbund "Carl Stlpner" site has bitmaps of French and German suited Skat cards.
Gyula Zsigri has created a True Type Font for Windows, containing suit symbols (French, German, Latin
and Swiss) and other playing-card related glyphs.
Ryan Neaveill's Playing Cards font at Fontastic
Steve Smith's Bermuda Playing-Card & Bridge Fonts
WSI Playing Cards font at ArtToday
The Avrora Card Gaming Components for Delphi 4 can be obtained from the Avrora Software page.
Makers and sellers of playing-cards and card game

equipment
R. Somerville of Edinburgh has a comprehensive range of modern playing cards from all parts of the
world available by mail order.
InterCol London deal in playing-cards, as well as books, maps, prints, currency and other ephemera.
Cartorama deal in antique playing-cards, paper and books.
HG Images - dealer in playing-cards.
Shawn Erikson's Game Store sells card games and equipment, including a range of Cribbage boards.
Sydney Laner and Company sell card tables, including Kestell 8-sided poker tables.
D.J.McAdam's Wooden Horse Books sells playing-cards and other games; also gaming literature (new
and second hand).

Parnell Playing Card Co have auctions of playing-cards, Faro equipment and antiques.
Here are links to home pages of some playing-card manufacturers.

Piatnik (Austria)
Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria (Spain)

France Cartes
Carta Mundi (Belgium)
St Petersburg Colour Printing Plant (Russia)
U.S. Games Systems
AG Mller (Switzerland)
Hoyle Playing-Cards (USA)
KEM Playing Cards (USA)
United States Playing Card Co.
OTK karty (Czech Republic)
Peekay's Playing-Cards (India)
Protea Playing Card (South Africa)
Kling Magnetic Playing-Cards (USA). These cards have a thin metal film in the centre so that they
cling to a magnetic playing surface. Useful for playing out of doors in a breeze.
T.M. Playing Cards - from India
Asha Industries - from India
Stardeck cards are like a standard pack with a fifth suit of stars plus two jokers - 67 cards in all.
Blacksfactor (USA: Afrocentric Playing Cards)
ZByte (USA: cards with suitmarks representing logical operators)
MacGregor Historic Games produce reproductions of historic board, dice and card games.
Old Bridge Playing Card Co.: high visibility playing cards, with a large number or letter replacing
the traditional picture or pips.
Tournaments and Meetings

The IPCS Calendar of conferences and meetings relating to playing-cards.
The Mind Sports Olympiad, an annual tournament for board games and (a few) card games.

Casinos and Gambling

GamblinK - Online Gambling Magazine providing tips, strategies, links, up-to-date gambling news and
more.
The Better Betting web site provides an index of on-line casinos with independent reviews.
The Online Gaming Guide provides an index of hotel casino resorts, online casinos and gambling related
web sites.
Here is a directory of Native American Casinos and Gambling Resorts.
The gambling.com website is essentially a directory listing other websites on gambling and related
activities.
The Urbino site carries information about casinos and gambling from the point of view of the casino
operator.
The following sites include directories of online casinos:
Casinomeister
Links2Gambling
winneronline.com has on-line casino reviews, articles, game rules and free java Blackjack and Poker
games.
Here is the gamingco.com index of casino resorts, hotels and other gambling locations.
The Schweizer Casino-Verzeichnis lists information about casinos in Switzerland and other countries.
Some on-line casinos:

The Sands of the Caribbean
Star Casino
Avia Casino
Books
References to books are given in various places in these pages. Two good general reference books are
The Oxford Guide to Card Games (reprinted as A History of Card Games) and A Dictionary of Card
Games, both by David Parlett and both published by the Oxford University Press. The Official Rules of
Card Games, published by the US Playing Card Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA is inexpensive and
contains a large number of games. For Tarot games the best reference is The Game of Tarot by Michael
Dummett (Duckworth 1980).
There are also many useful articles in The Playing-Card, which is the journal of the International
Playing-Card Society, 6 Reynard's Copse, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 4UR, England.

Newsgroups and mailing lists

The newsgroup rec.games.playing-cards covers games played with playing-cards in general. Certain card
and tile games have their own more specialised newsgroups and forums, for example:
rec.games.bridge
rec.gambling.poker and the forum hosted by Two Plus Two Publishing

rec.gambling.blackjack.moderated and rec.gambling.blackjack
rec.games.mahjong
alt.games.dominos
The playing-cards mailing list has been set up for discussion of all aspects of playing-cards. To join,
simply send a mail message to majordomo@cs.man.ac.uk with a blank subject line and the body of the
message saying subscribe playing-cards


Card Games: Policy
Card Games Web Site Policy

Contents
Aims of the site
How to contribute
Advertising on the site
Privacy policy
Acknowledgements
Awards, etc.
Aims of the site

By publishing rules of games, I am not suggesting that there is a single "correct" way to play each game. Most
card games have a large number of minor variations and house rules - to play successfully, it is only necessary
that the players should all agree on the rules at the start of a session. Where possible, I try to make sure that the
rules given here are "authentic" - the aim is that they should correspond to the way regular players of the game
actually play it. If there are significant variations, I try to include these as options. For games with official
organisations and rules, official rules may be given, but unofficial alternative versions may also be included.
The main focus is on publishing rules of traditional card games for two or more players. I use the term traditional
card games to distinguish them from
commercial games - games designed to be played with special equipment bought from the publisher of the
game
solitaire or patience games - games for one player
invented games - games which do not yet have a well established tradition of play independent of the
original inventor(s)
For traditional multi-player card games, I estimate that the site so far covers about 20% to 40% of the card games
that exist, depending on how you count variations, so there is plenty more work to be done, and all help is
gratefully received. Originally I intended to focus on games which were hard to find elsewhere - for example in
the widely available books about card games - but there turned out also to be a demand for pages on well-known
games such as Bridge, Poker and Canasta, so these have been included as well. The mix of material which is now
on the site has been influenced by the contributions people have offered me, by the questions I have been asked,
and by my own personal tastes. There is plenty of information on other card games, but it does take time to edit it
and produce it in electronic form.
Although I am not actively developing the sections on commercial, solitaire and invented games, I am happy to
receive material about these, which will be placed in separate sections of the site.
The site does not carry information on collectible card games (trading card games). This is not to suggest that
there is anything wrong with these games - just that they are outside the scope of this site.
http://www.pagat.com/policy.html (1 de 4) [04/05/2001 9:44:28]

Card Games: Policy
The site does not provide on-line games, nor does it generally carry computer software for downloading. I will
however put in links to other sites which do carry on-line card games or downloadable card games software if
people tell me about them.
How to contribute
I try to answer all reasonable e-mail, but please make sure you include a valid e-mail address for me to
reply to. I have had several offers of help from people to whom I cannot respond, because the address in
their e-mail does not work. In particular, if you send me mail from your WWW browser, for example using one
of the mail links at the foot of pages on the site, please make sure you have configured your browser to show your
correct e-mail address.
Here is how you can help me make this site even better.
1. Perhaps you were disappointed to find that your favourite card game is not described here. If you would
like it to be included, why not write down the rules and send them to me. Please observe the following
points about game descriptions:
They should be clear and complete, so that a group of players unfamiliar with the game can use the
description to learn how to play;
They should be originally written, not copied from a book (to avoid infringing copyright);
They should preferably be submitted in plain text, which case I will convert to HTML;
If you want to include diagrams or pictures, please e-mail me to discuss how;
In any case it is a good idea to send me an e-mail before starting work, in case someone else has
already written up the same game;
As editor of the card-games site, I reserve the right to edit any contributions before publication, or
subsequently.
2. Perhaps your favourite game is here, but I have got it wrong - or you know a better version of it - or you
would like to add some extra information about it (such as advice on how to play well). Please let me
know, so that I can put it right.
3. Perhaps you tried to play one of the games described here, but found that the explanation was not clear, or
the game failed to work in some way. Please tell me, so that I can improve the description.
4. Perhaps you have found a mistake - however trivial - broken links, spelling mistakes or actual errors of
fact. Please tell me so that I can put it right. (Don't assume that I or someone else will notice).
5. Perhaps you own, or know of, another WWW site with related information. If there is not already a link to
it from this site, please tell me about it so that I can put in a link. You can check my list of links, to see
what other pages this site already points to.
6. Perhaps you have some other ideas for improving this site. Other kinds of pages, other indexes. Whatever it
is, please tell me.
Advertising on the Card Games site

Banner advertisements on the Card Games site can be placed through the
Engage/Flycast Network.
Follow this link for further details and advertising rates.

Card Games: Policy
Card Games site privacy policy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of Internet users. In the process of delivering pages, the Card Games
site does not automatically collect any personally identifiable information about visitors such as name, address,
phone number, or e-mail address. However, we do obtain some types of non-personally identifiable information
such as the the IP address from which you connect to the site, your browser type, or the type of computer
operating system you use (Macintosh or Windows, for example). This information is used to assemble statistics
about the use of the Card Games site, such as the popularity of different pages, the number of different visitors
and their approximate geographic distribution.
Certain pages may request additional personal information. For example, if you wish to receive e-mail
notification of updates via NetMind as offered on the home page, you will obviously have to supply your e-mail
address to make this possible. If you choose to provide such information we promise that it will be used only for
the specific purpose for which it was supplied.
At present the Card Games site does not use cookies to store information about your previous visits to the site.
Some of our advertisers may, however, use cookies in connection with the display of banner ads at the tops of the
pages, for example to make sure that you do not see the same ad repeatedly. If you do not want the benefit of
cookies, there is a simple procedure to manually delete your cookies. Please consult your web browser's Help
documentation for more information.
This site, Card Games, uses the services of Engage for the serving and/or targeting of ads, promotions and other
marketing messages. To do this, Engage collects anonymous data through the use of cookies. To learn more about
Engage, including your ability to opt out of the Engage system, go to http://www.engage.com/privacy.
If you have any additional questions about the Card Games site's dedication to consumer privacy, please contact
the webmaster at john@pagat.demon.co.uk.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to the many people who have made the development of this site possible by contributing descriptions
of games and variations. They include:
P.J.Ackerson, Roberto Alberdi, Mark Alexander, Hans-Joachim Alscher, Kelly Aman, Elena Anaya,
Sarah Ash, Faizal Asmal, Jgvan Brentsen, Jona Bailey, Barbara Bain, Ofer Ballin, Dennis J.
Barmore, Mary Beale, Matt Beeken, Eric Betito, Jim Black, Mike Block, Carol Bott, Michel
Braunwarth, Leo Broukhis, Duine Buile, Ben Butzer, Ben Callaghan, Enric Capo, Joe Childers, Jens
Brix Christiansen, Reinhardt Christiansen, Stefano Cirolini, Al Connor, Megan Corino, Sefa Costa,
Jean-Pierre Coulon, Maxence Crossley, Shiva Ctylyctyc, David Dailey, Sean Daly, John
D'Ambrosio, Danielle Davis, Jim Davis, Mark Allen Davis, Thierry Depaulis, Terry Detrie, Jonathan
Dushoff, Brent Easton, Ed Eby, Yoni Elhanani, John Eveleigh, Virgilio Ferrari, David Fimble, Lutz
Franke, Davorin Fundak, Mathew George, Rick Gilbertson, Luis Fernando Gimnez, Joan C de
Gispert, Mark Given, Dan Glimne, Brian Gordon, Gorgon, Scott Grengs, Jane Guarducci, Sion
Hanson, Adam Hauerwas, John Hay, Kirsty Healey, Hank Hebhoe, Sten Helmfrid, Fernando
Hernandez Morondo, Werner Hintze, Carter Hoerr, Alan Holdsworth, Anita Hollister, Ruurik Holm,
Rachel Hooley, Chris Hovanic, Richard Hussong, Kris Huston, Theodore Hwa, Richard Irving,
Joseph Jaureguy, Chris Jepson, Jesse, Marisa Johnson, Jun Chulmin, Sylvia Kalisch, Bart Kampers,
Craig Kaplan, Eric Kent, Miller Kim, Robert Kissel, Tams Korinek, David Kuznick, Michael
Labranche, Noel Leaver, Belinda Lehmkuhle, Janet Levy, Li Jin, Gavin Longmuir, Kenneth Lu,

Card Games: Policy
Mike Lunney, Matthew Macfadyen, Jonathan Madden, Magnus, Charles Magri, Paolo Marino, Leah
Mathis, Toni Matni, Amir Mazuver, Bruce McCosar, Kit McKormick, Ray McNeil, Paul Medvit,
Jon Melton, Ben Miller, Christian Moeller, Roberto Montesi, Linda Moran, Ian Morgan, Brent
Nelson, Toms Nemec, Richard Newman, Tom Niwinski, Jonathan Norris, Zoran Obradovic,
Stephan Ocker, Sam Oppenheim, Alan Orcutt, John Pannell, David Parlett, Greg Petras, Dave Petrie,
Tahelia Powe, Craig Powers, Olga Prebushewski, William Priester Jr., David Przednowek, William
Putt, Jun Qian, Mark Reed, Gbor Rvsz, John Benton Rhodes, Barry Rigal, Simon Roberts, Ola
Rinta-Koski, Dan Roth, Michael Sanderson, Scott Sauri, Kim Scarborough, Judd A. Schorr, Gnther
Senst, David Shapp, Howard Ship, Rob Simons, Adam Joshua Smargon, Anthony Smith, Bonnie
Smith, Lindsey Smith, James Sorhagen, Reinhard Spode, Mike Stabosz, Doug Stein, Henry Stevens,
Paul Stuurop, Katie Sutton, Tomas Svoboda, Nicholas Tallyn, Toby Thomas, Alan Trangmar,
Eduardo Valcarcel, Paolo Valentini, Eduardo Moitinho Vieira, Keith Waclena, Jeannine Webb, Nick
Wedd, Paul J. Welty, Clive Whitear, Bill Whitnack, Harrie Wiering, Clark Williams, John
Williamson, Michal Wojwoda, Szu Kay Wong, David Wuori, Hwei Yin, Gyula Zsigri
I would also like to thank two people who have allowed me to use their hand-drawn images of playing cards to
illustrate the site. They are Oliver Xymoron, who drew the international pattern cards, and Sefa Costa, who drew
the Spanish cards.
Thanks also to the many others who have helped by supplying information, pointing out errors and omissions,
providing links, etc.
Awards, etc.
Finally, here is a collection of buttons, representing awards the site has received over the years, and various
affiliations.
Links2Go Key
Resource
Games Topic

Last updated 22nd December 2000.

Rules of Card Games: Three Card Monte
Three Card Monte

This is not really a game, but a scam or swindle. Three Card Monte is the American name for it. In
Britain it is usually called Find the Lady, and the equivalent French game is Bonneteau.
The appearance of the game is simple. the dealer has three cards, one of which is a queen. These cards
are shown to the punter and then simultaneously thrown face-down on a table. The punter is invited to
bet on which card is the queen. The dealer will employ various tricks, often with the help of accomplices,
to ensure that the punter loses.
Normally the operators of the game work as a team:
The Tosser is the sleight of hand man who mixes the cards and takes the bets
The Shills are accomplices who make losing bets so that punters will think that the game can be
beaten
The Lookout watches for cops and signals their approach so that the game can be "folded up"
quickly
The Muscle Man takes care of anyone who decides to complain
The Roper seeks out likely punters and encourages them to join the game
If you do happen to bet on the right card, the Tosser may employ various tactics, such as accepting
instead a wrong bet from a Shill and refusing your bet on the grounds that only one bet can be taken at a
time, or swapping the cards while your attention is distracted, or simply arranging for the table to be
knocked over and declaring the deal void.
Bonneteau
This description of the French version of the game was contributed by Jean-Pierre Coulon.
Bonneteau is described here as a warning to card enthusiasts visiting France, who might lose about 1000
French francs within minutes if they happen to join such a game.
This game is often played in the street on a "table" made with a stack of two packing cases. Only three
cards are needed, two from a black suit, and one from a red suit (or the opposite). The cards are slightly
bent around their long axis, in a way similar to Mediterranean tiles, to facilitate their picking up from the
"table". Hence the name Bonneteau, a little cap.
The "dealer" shows all three cards to you, lays them face-down on the "table", and rapidly picks up one
card with his left hand and the other two in his right hand, and drops them back on the table at new
positions. He repeats this scheme a couple of times. Now you have to bet the position of the card which
is alone in its suit. In other words this is a contest between your eyes and the "dealer's" hands. A typical
bet is 200 French francs.
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Rules of Card Games: Three Card Monte
You will easily win the first few deals, but afterwards you won't win a single one, because the "dealer"
uses the following trick. There are two cards in his right hand. The upper card is held between his thumb
and his forefinger, and the lower card is held between his thumb and his middle finger, with a small gap
(a few millimeters) between both cards. According to common sense, the "dealer" should drop the lower
card first, but his forefinger surreptitiously ejects the upper card first, which causes you to lose track of
the right card. This is especially difficult to see if the "dealer's" hand makes a sweeping move from his
left side to his right side while he drops the cards.
One variation is as follows. An accomplice diverts the dealer's attention, taps your shoulder, and bends a
corner of the right card, to help you following it. But the dealer has a trick to simultaneously unbend this
card, and bend the other card he is holding in the same hand.
Strategy
Don't play it! Do not think you will win because you know the trick - you would be in great danger. Do
not be misled by noticing some players who quit the game after some winnings. They are accomplices of
the dealer - a part of the swindle.
You may play the game with your friends provided:
no real money is involved.
you explain the trick afterwards.

Last updated 28th May 2000
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Card Games: Poker
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Related Games
Poker
Poker is played throughout the world, but it is probably still most popular in its country of origin, the
USA. For a good introduction to Poker, refer to the Poker FAQ, which is associated with the newsgroup
rec.gambling.poker. Another useful discussion forum is hosted by Two Plus Two Publishing. Beginners
may also want to refer to the ranking of poker hands.
An excellent starting point to find all kinds of Poker information is Dan Kimberg's Poker Page. Dan also
maintains a comprehensive dictionary of Poker jargon, and another very useful dictionary is provided by
the Planet Poker site.
Here is the comprehensive LVH Poker Rule Book, which gives the full rules used at the Las Vegas
Hilton. There are sections on the two most popular games: Hold'em and 7-card Stud.
A good set of Poker links can be found at the GoCee.com Poker Center.
With the permission of the author, the full text of the book "Poker, A Guaranteed Income For Life by
using the Advanced Concepts of Poker" by Frank R. Wallace is available for reading on line.
Here is another link to some Basic Poker Rules, and here is Peter Sarrett's Glossary of Poker Terms.
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Poker history and rules.
It is possible to play Poker live with other players over the Internet using the IRC Poker Dealer.
The following sites claim to offer on-line poker games:

The 2AM games site
The InGame site (Italian)

Yahoo! Games
Funcom
Playlink
Game TV
Planet Poker offers an on-line game of Texas Hold'em at set stakes.

At the Pure Poker site you can play Texas Hold'em for real money with limits from from $3-$6, up to
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Card Games: Poker
$15-$30.
Net Poker, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a human
opponent over the Internet, LAN, modem or direct connection.
For people looking for a live Poker game in the UK, here is the UK Poker page which surveys the
opportunities for playing casino-organised Poker.
The European Poker Players Association site carries information on poker across Europe including
details of clubs, tournaments and results.
The Poker Search site is a guide to Casino poker in the USA, which aims eventually to expand to give
worldwide coverage.
David Daniel's simulation package allows you to explore Poker probabilities in any situation by setting
up the position you wish to study and generating a large number of deals consistent with that position. It
is available from the Poker Wiz site.
The computer program Ultimate Poker is available from Accidental Software
The Vegas Fever software package includes several Poker variations, plus other casino games.
Peter Sarrett maintains a large collection of rules of Poker Variants.

These are divided into four types:
Draw Games
Stud Games
Shared Card Games
Miscellaneous Games
Here is an alphabetical list of poker variants covered, plus a few references to other games and sites:
Abyssinia
All For One or One For All
Anaconda
Auction
Baseball
Buddha's Folly
Caribbean Poker (not poker but a game against the banker at fixed odds, using poker hands)
Cincinatti
Chicago
Church
Cowpie Poker
Dakota

Card Games: Poker
Dirty Schultz
Elevator
English Stud
Five Card Draw
Follow the Queen
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Grocery Store Dots
Guts
Have a Heart
Henway
Howdy Doody
Indian Poker
Iron Cross - and a more detailed description of Iron Cross by Jen Bullock.
Jacks to Open, Trips to Win
Jack the Shifter
Lame Brain Pete
Let It Ride (not poker but a game against the banker at fixed odds, using poker hands)
Mexican Stud
Mexican Sweat
Midnight Baseball
Napalm
Omaha
Pai Gow Poker (not poker but a game against the bank using poker hands, based on the domino
game Pai Gow)
Pick a Partner
The Price is Right
Psycho
Second Hand High
Selection/Rejection
Sequence
Spit in the Ocean
Stud Poker (see also the LVH rules)
Ten

Card Games: Poker
Texas Hold 'Em (see also the LVH rules)

Three Five Seven
Tic Tac Toe
Trees
Wall Street
Want It? Want It? Got It!
Z
Some further possibilities can be found on the Poker Variations page of the Invented Games section of
this web site.


Rules of Card Games: Three Thirteen
Three Thirteen
This variation of Rummy was contributed by Leah Mathis
Players
Two or more players
Cards
Normal playing cards. One 52 card deck for two players, two decks for three or four people. It doesn't
really matter after that as long as you have enough cards to play with.
The Deal
This game has eleven rounds. The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes to the left
after each round. In the first round three cards are dealt to each player, in the second round four cards are
dealt and so on until the eleventh and last round in which thirteen cards each are dealt. The remainder of
the cards are placed face down on the table to form a stock pile. The top card of the stock is being flipped
face up and put beside the stock pile to start the discard pile.
Object of the Game

The object of the game is to form all the cards in your hand into sets. There are two types of set:
1. a group of three or more cards of the same rank, such as 5- 5- 5.
2. a sequence of three or more cards in the same suit, such as 4- 5- 6
Sets can contain more than three cards - for example four sevens or 8-9-10-J-Q of a suit, but you cannot
count the same card as part of more than one set.
Wild Cards
In each round there is a wild card. It is the card equal to the number of cards dealt. Wild cards can be
used in place of any other card in making a group or sequence. You can even make a set that consists of
only wild cards if you wish. Below is a list of wild cards by round:
Round 1 Threes are wild.

Round 2 Fours are wild.
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Round 3 Fives are wild.

Round 4 Sixes are wild.
Round 5 Sevens are wild.
Round 6 Eights are wild.
Round 7 Nines are wild.
Round 8 Tens are wild.
Round 9 Jacks are wild.
Round 10 Queens are wild.
Round 11 Kings are wild.
The Play
The player to dealer's left begins, and players take turns clockwise around the table. A turn consists of
drawing one card - either the top card of the face down stock or the top card of the discard pile - and then
discarding one card face up on top of the discard pile. Note that only the top card of the discard pile can
be taken.
Going Out
In order to go out you must be able to arrange all the cards in your hand into separate sets after you have
discarded. In this case you announce that you are out, and each of the other players is allowed one more
turn. When the turn to play comes back to you the round is over and the scores are calculated.
Scoring:
At the end of the round, each player arranges as much as possible of their hand into sets. Any cards that
are not included in a set are counted as penalty points against the holder as follows:
Ace 1pt
Two 2pts
Three 3pts
Four 4pts
Five 5pts
Six 6pts
Seven 7pts
Eight 8pts
Nine 9pts
Ten 10pts
Jack 10pts
Queen 10pts
King 10pts
The scores are accumulated from round to round, and whoever has the lowest score at the end of the
eleventh round is the winner.


Last updated 30th March 1997

Rules of Card Games: Tripoley
Three in One
Introduction
Players and Equipment
The Deal and Placing the Stakes
First Stage - collecting stakes for pay cards
Second Stage - Poker
Third Stage - Michigan
Ending the Game
Variations
Introduction
This is an American twentieth century version of the ancient European game Poch; it is sometimes also
known as Michigan Rummy. In the USA equipment for the game is sold under the name
TRIPOLEY, made by Cadaco, and can be ordered from amazon.com in three editions:
Tripoley Special Edition Tripoley Deluxe
Tripoley Original
The game is in three stages: in the first stage, the holders of particular cards collect the relevant stakes;
the second stage is similar to Poker, and the final stage is a Stops game similar to Michigan or Boodle.

Three in One is best for 4 to 7 players (and is possible for 2 to 9). It requires a standard deck of 52 cards,
the cards ranking in each suit, from low to high: 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A. You also need a supply of
chips for betting, and a board or cloth marked out to receive the various stakes. The layout looks
something like this:
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The Deal and Placing the Stakes

Before the deal, each player must place nine chips on the board - one on each of the labelled spaces: ace
of hearts, king of hearts, queen of hearts, jack of hearts, ten of hearts, king-queen of hearts, 8-9-10, kitty
and pot. It may be that some of these spaces already contain unclaimed chips from previous deals; in this
case the new chips are added to these.
The dealer then deals out the cards one at a time, clockwise, to form one hand for each player plus a
spare hand. The spare hand does not belong to anyone. Some players will have one more card than
others.
If as dealer you do not like your hand you can exchange it for the spare hand. You are not allowed to
look at the spare hand before deciding whether to swap. If you do swap, your whole original hand is
discarded face down and becomes the spare (you cannot combine cards from the two hands).
Alternatively, the dealer can offer the spare hand unseen for sale to the highest bidder. The person (if
any) who buys the spare hand discards their own original hand face down and pays the dealer in chips the
amount bid for the spare hand; if you auction the spare hand and no one wants to buy, you still have the
option to swap your hand for the unseen kitty. Another possibility is to exchange your hand for the spare
and then auction your old hand to the highest bidder. What you cannot do is exchange your hand for the

spare and then exchange back - once you look at the spare hand you have to keep it.
First Stage - collecting stakes for pay cards

Anyone who holds the ace, king, queen, jack or ten of hearts takes all the chips from that space.
If a player has the king and queen of hearts, that player takes the chips from the king-queen space, in
addition to the chips from the king and queen spaces.
The chips in the 8-9-10 space can be taken by a player who has an 8-9-10 sequence in one suit (for
example 8- 9- 10). The 8, 9 and 10 must all be in the same suit, but the suit does not have to be
hearts. If two or more players have 8-9-10 in different suits they share the chips in the 8-9-10 space
equally, leaving any remainder on the layout for the next winner.
Usually the chips in some of the spaces are unclaimed - these are left on the layout to be won in a future
hand. Since more chips are added to each space at the start of each hand, the king-queen and 8-9-10
spaces, which are less often claimed, tend to produce higher winnings when someone does have the right
cards.
Second Stage - Poker

Before the stops play begins, there is a round of poker. Everyone selects five cards from their hand that
they wish to play poker with, separates them from the rest of their hand, and temporarily puts the other
cards aside. You do not necessarily have to select the cards that form your best poker hand (you may
have cards that you do not want to reveal until the stops part of the game, especially if you play the
variation where stakes are collected from the layout in stage three rather than stage one). If you are not
familiar with poker combinations, see the ranking of poker hands page for details.
All poker bets are placed in the pot space of the layout. The player to dealer's left begins the betting, and
can either bet (putting an additional chip or chips in the pot) or check. If the first player checks, the next
player can bet or check, and so on clockwise around the table. If everyone checks, all the poker hands are
exposed and the player with the highest hand takes the pot.
If a player bets, it is no longer possible for subsequent players to check. After a bet, players have three
options:
1. Pass or fold - they drop out of the betting and can no longer win the pot. Any chips they have
already placed in the pot will go to the winner.
2. Call or see - the player puts into the pot enough chips so that the total amount of chips they have
placed in the pot is equal to the total number put in by the last player who bet or raised.
3. Raise - the player puts in the number of chips that would be needed to call, plus some additional
chips.
The betting continues clockwise around the table for as many rounds as necessary until one of two things
happens:
1. All the players except one have folded. The sole remaining player takes all the chips in the pot. In
this case none of the players' cards are exposed - it does not matter who actually had the best hand.

2. All the players who have not folded have put in equal stakes. This will happen when after a bet or
raise, all the other players either fold or call. In this case there is a showdown between these
players - they expose their hands and the highest wins all the chips in the pot. The players who
have folded do not expose their cards - they cannot win the pot even if their hands were actually
better than those taking part in the showdown.
Note that after you have passed / folded, you cannot take any further part in the betting.
If in the showdown, two or more players have equal hands, the pot is split equally between them. Any
remainder of chips is carried over for the next deal.
It is usual to agree, before the start of the game, a limit for bets and raises in the poker stage. For
example, if you agree a limit of 10, no one is allowed make an initial bet of more than 10, or to raise the
bet by more than 10 chips in addition to the number needed to call the previous bet or raise.
Third Stage - Michigan

All players pick up their cards, putting their poker cards back together with the remainder of their hand,
and play a game of Michigan. The winner of the pot in the poker stage begins the play by leading a card
face up in front of them. If there was a tie for the pot, the first of the winners in clockwise order starting
to the left of the dealer will begin. The card led can be of any suit, at the player's choice, but must be the
lowest card that they hold in that suit (it need not be the absolute lowest card in their hand - they might
have a lower card in another suit).
The player who holds the next higher card of the led suit must play it, placing it face up on the table in
front of them. Then the player with the next higher card of the suit must play that, and so on until either
the ace is reached or no one can play because no one holds the next higher card of the suit. A card on
which no one can play is called a stop card; this can happen because the next higher card of the suit is in
the spare hand, or because it has been played previously.
When the end of the sequence is reached, the player who played the ace or stop card begins again. They
can lead any suit except the suit just played, and they must play the lowest card they hold in the suit they
choose. The player with the next higher card of the suit led plays it, and so on until another stop is
reached.
The play continues like this until someone runs out of cards, at which point the play ends immediately.
The player who played all their cards wins all the chips in the "kitty" space on the layout, and in addition
wins from each other player a number of chips equal to the number of cards they had left in their hands.
If a player who has just played an ace or stop cannot lead again, because all their remaining cards are in
the same suit that was just played, then the turn to play passes to their left hand opponent. If that player
also has nothing but the suit just played, the turn to start passes around the table until a player is reached
who has some other suit to lead. If no one has any other suit the play ends, and everyone puts into the
kitty a chip for each card they have left in their hands. These chips stay on the layout to be won by the
winner of stage three of the next deal.

Ending the Game

The game can continue for as long as the players want. When you decide to stop, there will probably be
unclaimed chips in some of the areas of the layout (often on the king-queen and 8-9-10 spaces). Rather
than just sharing these chips out among the players, it is usual to play for them. This can be done by
playing an extra round of poker: do not place any new chips but deal just five cards to each player and
play as in stage two; whoever wins takes all the chips from the layout. If there were a lot of chips left
over you may prefer to divide these into several pots and play a game of poker for each.
Variations
A popular variation is to omit stage one, and instead to play that the layout stakes are collected by anyone
who plays the relevant card during the Michigan stage. To collect the king-queen stake you have to play
the queen and king of hearts consecutively. To collect the 8-9-10 stake you have to play the 8, 9 and 10
of any suit consecutively. This makes the game slightly more interesting, in that if you are dealt a high
heart or a sequence, there is no guarantee that you will collect the stake for it - someone might run out of
cards before you have a chance to play it.
Some play that the suit of the pay cards on the layout is decided by whoever is prepared to pay the largest
amount. Players bid in turn, starting with the dealer, and going around the table as many times as
necessary until all except one player have passed. The high bidder then adds the amount of the bid to the
kitty and chooses the paying suit. In this version the stakes on the pay cards are collected during the
Michigan stage, as in the variation described above.
Some play that the sequence on the layout is 6-7-8 or some other specific sequence, rather than 8-9-10.
Some play that the poker betting is begun by the dealer, rather than by the player to dealer's left. Some
play that the Michican stage is begun by the dealer, or by the player to the dealer's left, rather than by the
winner of the poker.
Some play that everyone must play with their original cards - there is no swapping or auctioning of the
spare hand.
All the variations given on the Michigan page are possible for stage three.
Some play that the first lead in stage three must be the lowest card in the player's hand. They have no
choice unless they hold equally low cards in two or more suits. Subsequent leaders can choose the lowest
card of any of the other three suits as usual.
Another possibility is to require that alternate leads are red and black. The first player must begin with
their lowest black card. If the leader has two equally low black cards (for example 2 and 2) they can
lead either. Play continues as usual until someone plays an ace or stop card; this player must then begin
again with their lowest card of the opposite colour - so the second sequence of plays will be red, the
third will be black, and so on. If the player to lead has no card of the appropriate colour, the turn to lead
passes to the left. If no one has a card of the right colour the play ends and everyone pays a chip to the
kitty for each card in their hand. Since this version removes practically all skill from stage three (there is

usually no choice of what suit to lead), I cannot recommend it.


Rules of Card Games: Si Se Pai
Si Se Pai
Four Colour Cards
Si4 Se4 Pai2 is the name for Chinese four colour chess cards and the game played with them. The pack
contains 28 cards of each colour (green, white, yellow, red) depicting the seven Chinese chess pieces,
and there are four identical copies of each card. In addition to these 112 cards there may be several extra
cards (jokers).
The game is a draw and discard game slightly reminiscent of Mah Jong. Detailed rules can be found on
Wei-Hwa Huang's Si Se Pai page.

Last updated 21st April 1999
http://www.pagat.com/rummy/si_se_pai.html [04/05/2001 9:44:50]

Rules of Card Games: Link to All Fives
All Fives
In American card games books, two games called All Fives sometimes appear - a card game and a
domino game. This page about the card game; there is a separate page for the game with dominoes.
The card game All Fives is a variation of All Fours for two or three players, in which additional points
are scored for taking certain trump cards in tricks: A=4; K=3; Q=2; J=1; 10=10; 5=5.
Having introduced these extra points, some players have dropped the original points for high, low jack
and game. For details, see Dave Barker's page Rules for All Fives.

Last updated 14th September 1996
http://www.pagat.com/allfours/allfives.html [04/05/2001 9:44:52]

Rules of Domino Games: Five-Up
Five-Up
This game is played with a standard set of Western double-six dominoes - 28 tiles in all. It is also known
as Muggins or All Fives. Dominoes are played so that the touching ends match in number. Players score
for making the two ends of the layout add up to a multiple of five, and also whoever runs out of
dominoes scores for those remaining in the other players' hands.
Full rules of Muggins can be found on the Domino Plaza site.
Here is a another link to the rules of Five-Up, compiled by Ken Tidwell, editor of the Game Cabinet.
Curtis Cameron has written a shareware Dominoes for Windows program. You can download it from his
Windows Dominoes Games page.

Last updated 30th August 1999
http://www.pagat.com/domino/five-up.html [04/05/2001 9:44:55]

Rules of Domino Games: Fives and Threes
Dominoes: Fives and Threes

This game is played with a standard set of Western double-six dominoes - 28 tiles in all. Dominoes are
played so that the touching ends match in number. Players score for making the two ends of the layout
add up to a multiple of five or three or both, and also whoever runs out of dominoes scores for those
remaining in the other players' hands.
Full rules of All Fives and Threes can be found on the Domino Plaza site.
You can dowload a free 5s and 3s computer program from the MBSSC page.

Last updated 6th February 2000
http://www.pagat.com/domino/5-and-3.html [04/05/2001 9:44:56]

Card Games: Links to Fan Tan / Sevens / Parliament
Sevens / Parliament / Fan Tan

This game, also known as Card Dominoes, and probably yet other names, involves getting rid of all your
cards by playing them to a layout. In the basic game this layout starts with the 7 of each suit and grows
outward towards the king in one direction and the ace in the other. For details see Melissa Binde's Fan
Tan page.
In France, the equivalent game is called Domino. The layout can be started with a rank of the first
player's choice, and the other suits must then begin with the same rank (as in the Domino contract of the
game Barbu). Rules in French can be found on the Domino page of Jean-Franois Bustarret's site.

http://www.pagat.com/domino/sevens.html [04/05/2001 9:44:57]

Rules of Card Games: Seven Twenty-Seven
Seven Twenty-Seven
This page is based on a contribution from P.J.Ackerson, supplemented with information from Peter
Sarrett's poker variations web site.
Introduction
The cards
The deal
The betting
Asking for an extra card
The showdown
Other web pages about 7-27
Introduction
Seven Twenty-Seven is an American vying game for 4 to 10 players, in which players try to make a hand
whose points total as near as possible to 7 or 27 points. There are several variations, especially on what
counts as nearest, so it is essential to agree on the house rules you will use before beginning to play. You
also need to agree the amount of the initial stake (ante) and the betting limits (the minimum and
maximum amount by which the bet may be raised at one time).
The cards
A standard 52 card pack is used. In this game kings, queens and jacks are worth half a point each, and
the numeral cards are worth their face value. Aces are worth 1 or 11 points each - and you are allowed
to count the same ace as 1 for the purpose of making 7 and as 11 for the purpose of making 27. Thus
five-ace-ace is a perfect hand that totals exactly 7 and 27 at the same time.
The deal
Everyone places the agreed initial stake in the pot and the dealer gives one card face up to each player
and then one card each face down. The players look at their face-down cards and then each player in
turn, starting with the player to dealer's left, may ask for an additional card, face-down.
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Variation: Many play that each player is initially dealt two cards face down and ione face up.
The betting
There is then a round of betting, which works in the same way as Poker betting, as follows. The player to
dealer's left may either pass or bet any amount within the agreed limits, placing the amount of the bet
next to the pot. If this player passes, the next player in clockwise rotation has the same options, and so on
round to the dealer. If everyone passes the betting round is over.
If someone bets, subsequent players in rotation have the following options:
to fold - which is to drop out of the play, abandoning any money already bet on the hand;
to call - which is to stake additional money, so that the total amount you have stakes is equal to the
total amount staked by the last player who bet or raised;
to raise - which is to put in the amount needed to call, plus an additional stake anywhere between
the agreed minimum and maximum.
If all the players except one fold, the remaining player takes all the bets, the cards are thrown in (without
showing any of the face-down cards) and the next player deals.
As long as more than one player remains in the game, the betting round continues until the stakes of
those remaining in the game are equalised - which occurs when after one player bets or raises all the
other players fold or call. The game then continues to the next stage - asking for an extra card.
Asking for an extra card

After each round of betting, if more than one player remains in the game, the remaining players,
beginning with the one nearest to dealer's left and continuing clockwise around the table, can each ask for
an extra card to be dealt face down or keep their hand as it is.
If no one wants an extra card there is a showdown. If one or more players do take extra cards there is
another round of betting followed by another chance to take a card. It is legal to pass your chance to take
a card, and then to take a card on the following round.
The showdown
Everyone who has not folded exposes their cards. The winners are the player whose total is nearest to
seven, and the player whose total is nearest to twenty-seven. They each win half of the money in the pot.
In the case of a tie, the tieing players split the relevant part of the pot. For example if two players had 6.5
points and one had 25, then the player with 25 would take half of the pot (for being nearest to 27) and the
players with 6.5 would take one quarter of the pot each (for being equally near to 7).
Players disagree about how to treat totals that are near 7 or 27 from above rather than from below. This is
where it is really important to agree which version you play before beginning. The main possibilities I
have seen are as follows:

Example: if four players have 5.5,

Variation Explanation
7.5, 26, 28, who wins?
Just the difference from 7 or 27, above or 7.5 wins half the pot, 26 and 28 split
Nearest wins
below, counts the other half
You have to be below or equal to the target to
Over is bust win. You can't win the 7 pot if you are over 7 5.5 and 26 win
or anything at all if you are over 27
If the differences are equal, it is better to be
Under beats over 7.5 and 26 win
under the target number than over it.
Other possibilities (over beats under, inside beats outside, outside beats inside) are mentioned on Peter
Sarrett's web page.
The "over is bust" version is from P.J.Ackerson's contribution. In this version it is possible that the 7 pot
will not be won, if no one who stayed in is below seven. Presumably if no one is below 7 the whole pot
will be won by the player nearest to 27. When playing "over is bust", anyone who draws a card that takes
their total over 27 must immediately fold their cards and drop out. Thus it is possible that the hand ends
in the middle of the process of taking extra cards, becuase all players except one is bust. The last
remaining player then takes the pot.
Other web pages about 7-27

There is a short description Seven Twenty-Seven on Peter Sarrett's poker variations page.

Last updated 29th October 1999

Rules of Card Games: Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights
This page is partly based on a contribution from Szu Kay Wong
Contents
Introduction and Alternative Names
Basic Game
Variations
Other WWW Sites and Software
Introduction and Alternative Names

Crazy Eights is a game for two or more players, in which the object is to get rid of the cards in your hand
onto a discard pile by matching the number of suit of the previous discard.
There is a huge number of variations of this game, and many alternative names. It is sometimes called
Crates, Switch, Swedish Rummy, Last One or Rockaway. In Germany it is Mau-Mau; in Switzerland
it is Tschausepp. Some British players call it Black Jack, which is unfortunate as it can lead to
confusion with the well-known American banking card game Blackjack.
Basic Game
The basic game of Crazy Eights uses a standard 52 card pack, or two such packs shuffled together if
there are a lot of players. The dealer deals (singly) five cards to each player (seven each if there are only
two players). The undealt stock is placed face down on the table, and the top card of the stock is turned
face up and placed beside the stock to start the discard pile.
Starting with the player to dealer's left, and continuing clockwise, each player in turn must either play a
legal card face up on top of the discard pile, or draw a card from the undealt stock. The following plays
are legal:
1. if the top card of the discard pile is not an eight, you may play any card which matches the rank or
suit of the previous card (for example if the top card was the king of hearts you could play any
king or any heart);
2. an eight may be played on any card, and the player of the eight must nominate a suit, which must
be played next;
3. if an eight is on top of the pile, you may play any card of the suit nominated by the person who
played the eight.
http://www.pagat.com/eights/crazy8s.html (1 de 3) [04/05/2001 9:45:00]

The first player who gets rid of all their cards wins, and the other players score penalty points according
to the cards they have left in their hands - 50 for an eight, 10 for a picture, and spot cards at face value
(one point for an ace, two for a two and so on).
Variations
Crazy Eights is one of the easiest games to elaborate by adding variations, and is rarely played in its
basic form. There are variations in the number of cards dealt, the rules about drawing cards and the
scoring system. Usually, special meanings are given to particular cards; when played these cards affect
the sequence of play, or have other effects.
Drawing Cards
In the normal game, you may always use your turn to draw a card. However, some people play that you
may only draw if you are unable to play - if you can play you must.
Some allow the drawn card to be played immediately if it is a legal play.
Some allow more than one card to be drawn - either up to a fixed number of cards, after which if you still
cannot (or will not) play the turn passes to the next player. Others require you to continue drawing until
you can play.
Last Card
There may be a rule that you must alert the other players when you have just one card left. If you fail to
do so you must draw cards (usually two) from the stock as a penalty.
Cards requiring special actions

Change suit
Traditionally an eight can be played at any time and the player can nominate any suit. Some play
that you can only play an eight that matches (either the same suit or another eight). Some play that
you can play an eight at any time but cannot nominate another suit - the next player must match
the suit of the eight you played or play another eight. Szu Kay Wong suggests that you can play an
eight at any time, but can only nominate a different suit if the eight matches the rank or suit of the
previous card. Some players use jacks or aces rather than eights as the cards which have the power
to change suit.
Skip
Some play that when a queen (or some other designated rank) is played, the next player in rotation
misses a turn, and the turn passes to the following player.
Reverse direction
Some play that when an ace (or some other designated rank) is played, the direction of play
reverses, becoming anticlockwise if it had been clockwise, or vice versa.
Draw cards

Some play that when a two is played the next player must either draw two cards or play another
two. If several consecutive twos have been played the next player must either play another two or
draw two cards for each two in the sequence.
Other variations
See the following pages on this site:
Crates, described by Richard Hussong.
Spoons, described by Bruce McCosar.

Last One, contributed by Mark Alexander.
Bartok, in which the rules are modified during the game.
Mao, in which the rules may not be discussed.
Several more Crazy Eights variants are listed in the Invented Games section of this site.
There have been many commercial versions of eights, designed to be played with specially produced
packs of cards. Probably the best known of these is Uno, for which there are also many invented
variations.
Other WWW sites and software

More pages with rules of Crazy Eights variants:
Jen Bullock's Crazy Eights page.
Jose M. Carrillo-Muniz describes Ocho Locos, a version of Crazy Eights played in Puerto Rico.
Jean-Franois Bustarret's site has rules of Huit Amricain in French.
You can download Laurent Pellenc's Crazy Eights Program for Windows from his page.


Rules of Card Games: Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Introduction
Players and Cards
Object of the Game
Deal and Card Exchange (first hand)
The Play
Targets and Scoring
Deal and Card Exchange (second and subsequent hands)
End of the Game
Variations
9-5-2
Other WWW pages
Introduction
This game was described to me by John Card, who tells me that it used to be popular in Britain's Royal
Air Force. Some closely related games, generally known as 8-5-3, are played in India and the near east;
also the game 9-5-2, played in Canada, is very similar.
Players and Cards

Sergeant Major is a trick taking game for 3 players, using a standard 52 card pack. It is played clockwise.
Object of the Game

The aim is to win as many tricks as possible. If a player succeeds in winning 12 or more tricks in one
hand, the game ends and that player wins.
Deal and Card Exchange (first hand)

The first dealer is chosen at random. The cards are shuffled, cut and then dealt singly, 16 to each player.
The last four undealt cards are placed face down on the table to form a kitty. The dealer names a suit as
trumps (clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds - "no trump" is not allowed), discards any four cards face
down, and takes the four undealt cards from the kitty in their place.
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The Play
The player to dealer's left leads any card to the first trick. It is compulsory to follow suit if able to; a
player holding no card of the suit led may play any card. Each trick is won by the highest trump it
contains, or if there are no trumps in it, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads
to the next.
Targets and Scoring

Each player has a target. The dealer's target is 8 tricks; the player to dealer's left has a target of 5 tricks;
and the player to dealer's right needs 3 tricks. A player who won more tricks than the target is said to be
up by the number of tricks won in excess of target. A player who failed to reach the target is down by
the number of tricks short. The player(s) who are down pay one stake per trick short of target, and the
player(s) who are up receive one stake per overtrick.
Deal and Exchange (second and subsequent

hands)
The turn to deal rotates clockwise, so the new dealer is the player who led to the first trick previous hand.
The pack is shuffled and cut and 16 cards each are dealt singly as before.
Now each player who was up on the previous hand gives away one unwanted card per overtrick to a
player who was down, and that player must return the highest card(s) held of the same suit(s). The exact
procedure is as follows:
If just one player was up, that player gives each of the other players as many unwanted cards face
down as they had undertricks. These cards are all given simultaneously. The other players add
these cards to their hands, and for each card received, they give back face down their highest card
of that suit. A player who has no other cards of the suit received will of course have to give back
the same card.
If two players were up, they trade cards in turn, starting with the player who has the higher target
for the hand about to be played (that is dealer first, then in clockwise rotation). The first player
gives one card per overtrick face down to the player who was down, and that player gives back
face down the highest card(s) held in the same suit(s). Then the other player who was up does the
same.
After this exchange of cards is complete, the dealer names trumps, discards four cards and takes the four
undealt cards. If the dealer was down and had to give away the highest card of a suit, but then picks up
one or more higher cards of that same suit from the undealt cards, any such high cards must be shown
privately to the player(s) who traded cards in that suit.
The play and scoring then proceeds as described above. The targets are always 8 tricks for the current
dealer, 5 for the player who leads to the first trick, and 3 for the other player.

End of the Game

The game ends when any player succeeds in winning 12 or more tricks in one hand, thereby winning the
game.
Variations
Some play that the dealer picks up the kitty and then discards (rather than discarding before picking up).
Some play that the game goes on until someone takes all sixteen tricks. This can lead to an extremely
long game - my experience with this version is that the game generally gets abandoned before the end is
reached.
Shawn's Sergeant Major page describes a variation played with only 51 cards (the 2 of clubs is removed).
Each player is dealt 17 cards and the targets are 8, 6 and 3 tricks (instead of 8, 5 and 3).
9-5-2
Details of this Canadian variation were sent to me by Henry Stevens. The game is identical to Sergeant
Major apart from the following:
1. The targets for the three players are:
Dealer - 9 tricks
Player to dealer's left - 5 tricks
Player to dealer's right - 2 tricks.
2. After trading cards and choosing trump, the dealer picks up the four kitty cards before discarding
four.
3. A cumulative score for each player is kept on paper. The score for each hand is assessed based on
whether the required number of tricks were taken (zero score), more tricks were taken (plus score
of number of tricks over required tricks) or fewer tricks (minus score of number of tricks under
required tricks). Scores are totaled with the score from previous hands, and the total score of all
three players should always be zero.
4. 9-5-2 is played to a target score agreed in advance, usually 10 or 20 points. The game ends when
someone's score reaches or exceeds the target. Since the sum of the scores on each hand is zero, in
theory the game could go on for ever, but in practice someone will eventually reach the target.
Nicholas Tallyn reports another variation of 9-5-2 with the following differences:
The targets of the players left and right of dealer are reversed - the player to dealer's left needs 2
tricks and the player to the right needs 5 tricks. [This seems odd given that dealer's left hand
opponent has the advantage of leading first.]
The order of exchanging cards and making trumps is:
1. Dealer picks up the four spare cards and then discards four;
2. Players with positive scores on the previous hand pass cards;

3. Dealer calls trump;

4. Players with negative scores pass back their highest cards in the suits they were given.
The game continues until someone reaches or goes beyond +15 or -15, and whoever has the most
points at that time is the winner.
Other WWW pages

Stephen Osborne's 9-5-2 page has rules for another version of this game.


Rules of Card Games: Nine Card Don
Click here for a free 10 pound flutter!
Nine Card Don

Nine-card Don is a distant relative of All Fours which is played in parts of England and Wales.
According to Arthur Taylor's "Guiness Book of Traditional Pub Games" (1992) it is also known as Big
Don, Long Don, or Welsh Don.
This page covers two versions of Don:
1. the Lancashire version as played in Bolton, and in the Bolton Don League.
2. the Welsh version as played in the Abercarn Don and Crib league.
I would be interested to hear about other variations or other places where Don is played.
Lancashire Don
This section is based on information from Simon Roberts, with assistance from Pete Eccles and Tony
Roberts.
Players and objective

There are four players in fixed partnerships, sitting crosswise. The aim is to win counting cards in tricks.
Scores for cards won are pegged during the play and at the end of each hand on a Cribbage board:
The winners are the first team to reach 91 points or more (one and a half times round the board).
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Cards, Ranking and Values

A standard 52 card pack is used. The cards rank from high to low as follows:
In trumps: 5 9 A K Q J 10 8 7 6 4 3 2
In plain suits: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
During the play, anyone who wins a trick containing any of the following cards immediately pegs the
relevant amount on the board:
Card Score to peg
Five of trumps 10
Nine of trumps 9
Ace of trumps 4
King of trumps 3
Queen of trumps 2
Jack of trumps 1
Non-trump five's 5 each.
At the end of the play, each side counts the cards in the tricks they have won according to a different
scale:
Card Point value
each ace 4 points
each king 3 points
each queen 2 points
each jack 1 point
each ten 10 points
other cards no value
Thus there are 80 points in the pack, though the total card points taken by the teams will generally be less
than this, as not all the cards are in play.
The card points themselves are not pegged, but whichever side has taken more of these card points pegs
8 points on the board. If the card points are tied, neither side pegs.
Choice of players, Seating, Deal

Don is normally played in pubs, where there may be more than four people waiting for a game. In this
case, a procedure called 'jacks out' is used to decide which four people will play. Those who wish to take
part (5 to 7 people - because if there were 8 you would have two complete tables) each place a stake
(typically a pound - maybe 5 pounds) on the table, and the cards are dealt out one at a time, face up to the
stakes. When a jack appears, the player who contributed that stake is in the game, and no further cards
are dealt to that stake. Where the four jacks eventually land, those are the players. All the stakes,
including those of the players who were not selected, form a pool which goes to the eventual winners of
the game.
Partnerships are then determined by cutting cards. In some pubs, people also bet on who will be partners.
The dealer shuffles and dealer's right-hand opponent cuts. The dealer deals out nine cards to each player,

one at a time. The remaining 16 cards are set aside face down and are not used in that hand. The turn to
deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
The players may look at and sort their hands, except for the player to dealer's right, who must not touch
the cards until after the first card has been led. (This is to prevent any possibility of illegally signalling to
the pitcher which suit to make trumps.)
Play
The player to dealer's left is called the pitcher. The pitcher leads to the first trick, and the suit of the card
led becomes trumps. The pitcher's partner may then pick up his or her cards.
The rules of play are as in Whist - you must follow suit if possible; if you cannot follow suit you may
play anything. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led unless trumped, in which case the
highest trump wins; the winner leads to the next trick.
Penalties for Irregularities

Playing out of turn
Friendly: The card is 'boarded', meaning the card is left face up on the table and it must be played
at the next legal opportunity.
League: In addition, the offending team loses 19 points from their score.
Reneging: Failing to play a card of the suit led, although you have such a card.
Friendly: The deal is abandoned, and there is a re-deal.
League: In addition, the offending team is penalised 52 points.
Don in South Wales

This section is based on a contribution from Ian Morgan, who plays in the Abercarn Crib and Don
League. It seems that the game is quite widely played in South Wales: there is a similar league in the
Pontypool area; the game is also played in Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan and in the Merthyr Tydfil locality.
There are four players and a standard 52 card pack is used, cards ranking Ace(high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 in all suits. Partners sit opposite each other.
The cards are first cut for 'pitch', i.e. the right to lead first (and make trumps) on the first deal. One player
from each partnership draws a card and the higher card wins, with Ace counting high. The winner of the
cut decides who will lead to the first trick, (he will normally give the pitch to himself or his partner).
The person to the right of the player with the pitch is the first dealer. The dealer shuffles, and customarily
offers the cards to the player on his right for cutting. The dealer then deals 9 cards to each player, one at a
time. Subsequently the turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand and the pitcher is the player to
dealer's left.
The player with the pitch leads to the first trick, and the suit of the first lead becomes trumps for the
remainder of the hand. Tricks are won by the highest card of the suit led, or by the highest trump. Normal

whist type rules apply in that one must follow the suit of the led card if possible; if not one may trump or
discard at will.
Tricks have no value in themselves; the object is to win tricks with certain cards in them. These score as
follows:
Ace of trumps 4 points
King of trumps 3 points
Queen of trumps 2 points
Jack of trumps 1 point
9 of trumps 9 points
5 of trumps 10 points
Any other 5 5 points
Fives are generally called Dons in this game.
During play points for cards taken are scored on a cribbage type peg board. When all cards have been
played, each team examines the cards in the tricks that it has won and adds up their value according to
the following scale (which is different from the scores pegged for the cards when they are played):
Card Value
Any Ace 4
Any King 3
Any Queen 2
Any Jack 1
Any 10 10
The team whose cards have the greater total value pegs 8 'for game'. If both sides have cards with the
same total value then neither side scores the 8 points.
It can be seen that it is possible to score a maximum of 52 points on the board from one hand, by winning
all the scoring cards and the game:
4+3+2+1 = 10 for A K Q J of trumps
10+9 = 19 for 9 and 5 of trumps
5+5+5 = 15 for the other 5's
and also 8 for game
The first team to reach or pass 121 points (twice round the board) wins the 'leg'. To start the next leg
there is a new cut for pitch, normally between the two players who did not cut at the start of the previous
leg. The first team who win two legs are the overall winners of the match.
The Crib and Don League

The Abercarn Crib and Don League consists of 12 pub or club teams, with a minimum of five players in
each team, though teams sometimes turn out with more than ten players. Nine matches are played, three
of Don, three of Double Cribbage and three of Single Crib. Each of these nine matches is played as the
best of three 'legs', with the match winners scoring one point towards the team's total for the night.
Double Cribbage is four player cribbage with fixed partnerships; five cards each are dealt, one being

discarded to dealer's box. Game is 121 points.

The version of Single Crib played is a little unusual - it is the five card variety. Players cut for box, the
loser pegging 3 points immediately. During the play when 31 or last card is reached, no further cards are
played, even if there are, as often happens, 3 left. Game is 61 points.
When all the matches have been played the number won by each team is added to their running total of
championship points. For example, if a team wins 7 - 2 then they get 7 league championship points,
whilst their opponents get 2.
Variations
In his book on Pub Games, Arthur Taylor gives a ranking and pegging value for the cards which is
different from both of the versions described above. According to this book, the trump suit ranks, from
high to low, 9 5 A K Q J 10 8 7 6 4 3 2, and the amount pegged for the 5 of trumps is 19 points rather
than 10. The remaining pegging values and card points are as described above. I would be interested to
hear from anyone who knows where this or other, different versions of Don are played.

Last updated 6th January 1999

Rules of Card Games: Tien Gow
Tien Gow
Tien Gow means "Sky Nine". This is a trick taking game for four players using a single set of Chinese
dominoes. The set consists of all pairs of numbers from 1-1 to 6-6, with the following eleven tiles
duplicated: 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-1, 5-5, 5-1, 4-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 1-1.
Here is a link to the rules of Tien Gow, compiled by Joe Celko.

Last updated 13 September 1996
http://www.pagat.com/multitrk/tiengow.html [04/05/2001 9:45:05]

Rules of Card Games: Tien Len
Tien Len
Introduction
Players and Cards
The Deal
The Play
End of the Play and Payments
Customs and Ethics
Variations
Introduction
Tien Len can be considered the national card game of Vietnam; the name of the game means Go
Forward. The main description on this page is based on information from Jona Bailey; Kenneth Lu has
contributed a slightly different version. Probably as a result of the Vietnam war, Tien Len has spread to
some parts of the USA, where it is sometimes called Viet Cong or just VC; Kelly Aman has contributed
one version of this. Chris Hovanic learned another version from Chris Molinaro (also in the USA) and
they call it Thirteen.
Tien Len is a climbing game (a bit like Zheng Shangyou or President), in which the aim is to get rid of
your cards as soon as possible by beating combinations of cards played by the other players.
Players and Cards

The game is for four players. A standard 52 card deck is used; there are no Jokers and no wild cards. It is
possible for two or three to play. It can also be played by more than four players, using two 52 card packs
shuffled together.
The game is normally dealt and played clockwise, but can be played anticlockwise instead if the players
agree in advance to do so.
The ranking of the cards is: Two (highest), Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six,
Five, Four, Three (lowest).
Within each rank there is also an order of suits: Hearts (highest), Diamonds, Clubs, Spades (lowest).
So the 3 of Spades is the lowest card in the pack, and the 2 of Hearts is the highest. Rank is more
important than suit, so for example the 8 beats the 7.
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The Deal
For the first game, the dealer is chosen at random; subsequently the loser of each game has to deal the
next. When there are four players, 13 cards are dealt to each player.
If there are fewer than four players, 13 cards are still dealt to each player, and there will be some cards
left undealt - these are not used in the game. An alternative with three players is, by prior agreement, to
deal 17 cards each. When there are only two players, only 13 cards each should be dealt - if all the cards
were dealt the players would be able to work out each other's hands, which would spoil the game. When
there are more than four players, you can agree in advance either to deal 13 cards each from the double
deck, or deal as many cards as possible equally to the players.
The Play
In the first game only, the player with the 3 of Spades begins play. If no one has the 3 (in the three or
two player game) whoever holds the lowest card begins. The player must begin by playing this lowest
card, either on its own or as part of a combination.
In subsequent games, the winner of the previous game plays first, and can start with any combination.
Each player in turn must now either beat the previously played card or combination, by playing a card or
combination that beats it, or pass and not play any cards. The played card(s) are placed in a heap face up
in the centre of the table. The play goes around the table as many times as necessary until someone plays
a card or combination that no one else beats. When this happens, all the played cards are set aside, and
the person whose play was unbeaten starts again by playing any legal card or combination face up to the
centre of the table.
If you pass you are locked out of the play until someone makes a play that no one beats. Only when the
cards are set aside and a new card or combination is led are you entitled to play again.
Example (with three players): the player to your right plays a single three, you hold an ace but decide to
pass, the player to your left plays a nine and the player to right plays a king. You cannot now beat the
king with your ace, because you have already passed. If the third player passes too, and your right hand
opponent now leads a queen, you can now play your ace if you want to.
The legal plays in the game are as follows:
Single card
The lowest single card is the 3 and the highest is the 2.
Pair
Two cards of the same rank - such as 7- 7 or Q- Q.
Triple
Three cards of the same rank - such as 5- 5- 5
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank - such as 9- 9- 9- 9.

Sequence
Three or more cards of consecutive rank (the suits can be mixed) - such as 4- 5- 6 or J-
Q- K- A- 2. Sequences cannot "turn the corner" between two and three - A-2-3 is not a
valid sequence because 2 is high and 3 is low.
Double Sequence
Three or more pairs of consecutive rank - such as 3-3-4-4-5-5 or 6-6-7-7-8-8-9-9.
In general, a combination can only be beaten by a higher combination of the same type and same number
of cards. So if a single card is led, only single cards can be played; if a pair is led only pairs can be
played; a three card sequence can only be beaten by a higher three card sequence; and so on. You cannot
for example beat a pair with a triple, or a four card sequence with a five card sequence.
To decide which of two combinations of the same type is higher you just look at the highest card in the
combination. For example 7- 7 beats 7- 7 because the heart beats the diamond. In the same way
8- 9- 10 beats 8- 9- 10 because it is the highest cards (the tens) that are compared.
There are just four exceptions to the rule that a combination can only be beaten by a combination of the
same type:
1. A four of a kind can beat any single two (but not any other single card, such as an ace or king). A
four of a kind can be beaten by a higher four of a kind.
2. A sequence of three pairs (such as 7-7-8-8-9-9) can beat any single two (but not any other single
card). A sequence of three pairs can be beaten by a higher sequence of three pairs.
3. A sequence of four pairs (such as 5-5-6-6-7-7-8-8) can beat a pair of twos (but not any other pair).
A sequence of four pairs can be beaten by a higher sequence of four pairs.
4. A sequence of five pairs (such as 8-8-9-9-10-10-J-J-Q-Q) can beat a set of three twos (but not any
other three of a kind). A sequence of five pairs can be beaten by a higher sequence of five pairs.
Note that these exceptions only apply to beating twos, not other cards. For example, if someone plays
an ace you cannot beat it with your four of a kind, but if the ace has been beaten by a two, then your four
of a kind can be used to beat the two.
End of the Play and Payments

As players run out of cards they drop out of the play. If the player whose turn it is to play has no cards
left, the turn passes to the next player in rotation. The play ends when only one player has cards left. That
player is the loser, and must pay a fixed stake to each of the other players.
This game is often played money, and sometimes for high stakes. Among serious players, typically the
loser of a game would have to pay $2000 to each of the others. In a session of play, a person might easily
lose (or win) a total of $50000 or more.

Customs and Ethics

Some types of behaviour which in many other card games would be regarded as cheating are generally
considered acceptable in Tien Len. For example among some players it OK to peek at other players'
cards, or to play out of turn if you can get away with it.
Variations
The version of Tien Len contributed by Kenneth Lu has the following differences:
1. If there are only three players, 17 cards are dealt to each; the person who starts the play takes the
final card. For the first deal this is the person who has the 3 (or the 3 if the 3 was the
undealt card). If there are only two players they are just dealt 17 cards each.
2. Although in the first game the holder of the 3 leads, the lead does not have to include the 3.
The first player may lead anything.
3. The exceptional cases of combinations beating other types of combination are somewhat different:
A four of a kind can beat any single card or pair.
A sequence of three pairs can beat a single two (but not any other single card).
A sequence of four (or more) pairs has no special power.
4. As soon as someone runs out of cards the play ends and the other players pay the winner one stake
for each card they have left in their hands at this time.
The rules of Viet Cong (VC) as reported by Kelly Aman have the following features:
1. If anyone has four twos, they automatically win.
2. The person with the 3 must begin with a combination that includes that card.
3. Twos cannot be included in single sequences (straights). Straights run from three up to ace only.
4. The special combinations that beat twos are called slams. The rules for these are:
A sequence of three consecutive pairs or a four of a kind can beat a single two (but not any
other single card).
A sequence of five consecutive pairs or two consecutive fours of a kind can beat a pair of
twos (but not any other pair).
A sequence of seven consecutive pairs or three consecutive fours of a kind can beat three
twos (but not any other triple).
As in other versions, a slam can be beaten by a higher slam of the same type.
5. Some people play the game with trading. After the cards are dealt, but before the first lead, any
player can trade one or more cards with another player for an equal number of cards. Trading only
takes place by mutual agreement; if the two players cannot agree on the cards to trade, the trade
does not take place. If you play with trading, four twos do not automatically win the game.


Last updated 5th April 1999

Rules of Card Games: Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack is a popular American casino game, now found throughout the world. It is a banking game in
which the aim of the player is to achieve a hand whose points total nearer to 21 than the banker's hand,
but without exceeding 21.
Marvin L. French reports that in Nevada casinos this game is called 21 rather than Blackjack;
"Blackjack" is the name of the same game played in the home, with slightly different rules mostly
associated with the absence of a house dealer. The "Blackjack" holding of ace and jack is called a
"natural" by all casino personnel.
For information about Blackjack see:
The Blackjack FAQ and the associated newsgroups rec.gambling.blackjack.moderated and
rec.gambling.blackjack
Kenneth R Smith's blackjackinfo.com site, where you can use the Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine
to check the best basic strategy under various casino rules, and where you can also find a complete
explanation of the rules of casino blackjack.
Charlie Post's All About Blackjack site, with rules, history and strategy and other information
about the game.
The Blackjack Rules and Strategy page from casino-gaming.com
The Gambling Times Basics of Blackjack page
The winneronline.com site, which has rules and a free java Blackjack game.
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Blackjack rules and strategy.
The computer program Ultimate Blackjack is available from Accidental Software
The Vegas Fever software package includes Blackjack and other casino games.
The following servers offer on-line Blackjack games with no no program download and no Java, so
should work with webTV.
Marc Brocoum's Blackjack
Everlast Entertainment BlackJack

The following sites also offer on-line Blackjack games:
http://www.pagat.com/banking/blkjack.html (1 de 2) [04/05/2001 9:45:09]

Rules of Card Games: Blackjack
Yahoo! Games
Sancho's Video Casino
www.won.net
Confusingly, the name Black Jack is also used in Britain for a game which is essentially the same as
Crazy Eights.

http://www.pagat.com/banking/blkjack.html (2 de 2) [04/05/2001 9:45:09]

Rules of Card Games: Schwimmen
Schwimmen (31)
Introduction
Players, Cards and Deal
The Play
Scoring
Variations
Schwimmen software
Introduction
Schwimmen belongs to the Commerce group of games, in which you improve your hand by exchanging
cards with a central pool of face-up cards. Other names for the game are 31, Schnautz, Knack and
Hosen 'runter (trousers down). Although it is known in many parts of the world, it seems to be
particularly popular in Germany and the western part of Austria.
There are two other games called 31:
the draw and discard game 31, also known in the USA as Scat and in Britain as Ride the Bus,
which is like the game on this page, except that cards are not swapped with a central pool, but are
drawn from a stock or discard pile as in rummy;
the banking game 31, which is similar to 21 except that the object is to draw cards adding as near
as possible to 31 without exceeding it.
The first version of this description was based on an article posted to rec.games.playing-cards by
Christian Moeller, and variations from various sources have been added since.

This game will work with from 2 to 8 players. First of all everybody is given an equal number of chips
(the more chips, the longer the game will last - 3 each is reasonable).
You need a normal 32-card deck (7-10, J, Q, K, A) which can be made if necessary by stripping the low
cards (2-6) from a standard 52 card deck. The cards have values as follows:
Card Value
Ace 11
King, Queen, Jack, Ten 10
Nine 9
Eight 8
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Seven 7
The dealer deals 3 cards face down to each player, plus an extra hand of 3 cards. The dealer looks at his 3
cards and decides whether to play with these or with the extra hand - this choice must be made before he
sees the cards in the extra hand. The cards rejected by the dealer (either his original hand or the extra
one) are now turned face up and put in the middle of the table.
The Play
The player to the left of the dealer plays first, and turn to play passes clockwise.
At your turn you are allowed to exchange one card of your hand with one of the face up cards on the
table. If you do not want to exchange a card you are allowed to pass instead. The turn then passes to the
next player.
If you ever have a special combination (either from the initial deal or as a result of exchanging), you
must immediately expose it and the hand ends (there is no further chance for the others to exchange).
The special combinations are:
Feuer (fire): a hand of three aces, worth 32;
Schnauz (or 31): three cards of the same suit whose values add up to 31 - i.e. the ace and two of
the ten-point cards.
If all the players pass in succession, the three face up cards are replaced by three new cards from the
undealt portion of the pack (talon). After this the game continues as usual.
If a player decides, at the end of his turn, that he holds enough points he may 'close'. After that every
other player has just one more turn and then the hand is finished and the cards are shown.
The Scoring
When the play is over, all the players' cards are exposed. The score for a hand is got by adding up the
values of the cards in any one suit. For example: 7, 9, K would count 16 points (for the two
hearts); 8, 9, J would count 10 (for the jack of spades).
Three of a kind (three cards of the same rank, such as 3 queens or 3 sevens) score 30.5, unless the cards
are aces - three aces score 32 as already mentioned. So A, A, A (32) beats A, K, J (31)
which beats 9, 9, 9 (30.5) which beats K, Q, J (30).
If two hands have the same score, a higher three of a kind beats a lower one (in the order A (high), K, Q,
J, 10, 9, 8, 7) and a combination in a higher suit beats an equal scoring combination in a lower suit - the
suits rank as in Skat: clubs (high), spades, hearts, diamonds.
If the play ends because a player closes, or because of a declaration of 31 (Schnauz), whoever has the
worst hand loses one chip. In the rare case of a tie (two equally low scores in the same suit), both players
lose.

If the play ends because of a delaration of fire (Feuer), all the players except for the one with fire lose a
chip.
If someone has to give away his last chip he said to be 'swimming' (schwimmen in German). He can
continue to play, but if he loses another hand he drops out of the game and only the others may play on.
The game continues until all the players except one have been eliminated. The last 'survivor' has won the
game and receives a prize.
Variations
A popular variation is to play that in your turn you have the choice of passing, exchanging one card with
the table or exchanging all three of your cards with the table. In no circumstances are you allowed to
exchange two of your cards and keep the third.
If one or more players are dealt 31 in their initial hand, some play that all the players who do not have 31
lose a chip. If someone is dealt three aces (fire) as their initial hand, all the other players lose 2 chips
unless they were dealt 31; players with 31 lose 1 chip only.
Some older descriptions of this game do not recognise the "three of a kind" combinations, but most
people nowadays do allow these.
Schwimmen software
Several computer versions of Schwimmen are available:
Wernke zur Borg's program is available from his Winswim page.
Another program 31 for windows 95.

Thomas Schels' Schnauz program is available from his Shareware Corner.


Rules of Card Games: 31 (Scat)
31 / Scat / Ride the Bus

This page is based on contributions from Eric Kent, Paul Welty, Duine Buile, Jim Black and William
Priester Jr.
Introduction
Players
Cards and their values
Object of the game
Deal
Play
Knocking
Declaring 31
Scoring
Variations
Scat software
Introduction
This is a simple draw and discard game, suitable for players of all ages. Players have a three card hand
and the aim is to collect cards in a single suit worth 31 points or as near as possible to that total. It is
played in the USA, the UK and perhaps other places. In the USA it is usually called Scat or 31, but note
that both of these names are somewhat ambiguous:
This Scat has no connection whatever with the German national card game Skat;
There are two other games called 31:

the German game 31, also known as Schwimmen, Schnauz or Hosen 'runter, which is like
the game on this page, except that cards are swapped with a central pool of three cards,
rather than using a draw and discard mechanism;
the banking game 31, which is similar to 21 except that the object is to draw cards adding as
near as possible to 31 without exceeding it.
Eric Kent learned the game in the late 70's from older siblings, who had in turn learned it from friends
visiting from the UK, and they called it Ride the Bus, and used a somewhat different method of keeping
score.
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Players
From 2 to 9 or more people can play. Eric Kent suggests that the game is perhaps best when played with
3 players, but it should also work well with a larger group.
Cards and their value

A standard 52 card deck is used. For scoring hands, the ace is worth 11 points, the kings, queens, and
jacks are worth 10, and all other cards are worth their pip value.
The value of a three card hand is calculated by adding up the value of the cards held in any one suit. So
if you have three cards of the same suit, you can add up all three. If only two cards are in the same suit
you can add those, or use the value of the odd card if it is higher than the sum of the other two. If you
have three different suits the value of your hand is the value of the highest card in it. The maximum hand
value is 31, consisting of the ace and two ten-point cards in the same suit.
Examples:
K- 8- 5: value 23 (sum of all 3 cards)
Q- 9- 8: value 17 (9 + 8)
A- 6- 4: value 11 (the ace is worth more than the spades)
J- 7- 4: value 10 (the jack)
Deal
Determine the first dealer in any manner you desire. The deal rotates clockwise with each hand. The
cards are shuffled and the dealer deals the cards singly, starting with the player to dealer's left and
continuing clockwise until everyone has a hand of three cards.
The next card is turned face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards are
placed face down next to it to form the stock. During play, the discard pile is always kept "squared up" so
that only the top card is visible and available to be taken.
Play
The player to dealer's left begins and the turn passes clockwise around the table. A normal turn consists
of:
1. drawing the top card either from the stock or from the discard pile;
2. discarding one card on top of the discard pile.

Knocking
If at the start of your turn, you believe that your hand value is at least as high as your opponents can
achieve with one more turn, you can knock instead of drawing a card. Knocking ends your turn; you
must keep the hand you had at the start of that turn, but each other player gets one final turn to draw and
discard. After the player to the knocker's right has discarded, all players reveal their cards. Each player
decides which suit is their point suit, and totals up their cards in that suit.
The player with the lowest hand value loses a life. If there is a tie involving the knocker, the other
player(s) lose a life, but the knocker is safe. The knocker loses if his or her score is lower than that of any
other player, and in that case the knocker loses two lives. If there is a tie for lowest between two or more
players other than the knocker, then both (all) of those players lose a life.
Declaring 31
If after drawing and discarding, or with the cards originally dealt, a player achieves hand value of 31,
they show their cards immediately and claim victory. In this case all the other players lose. A player who
gets 31 can declare it even after another player has knocked; victory is immediate and all the other
players lose. If it happens that two or more players get 31 on the initial deal then all the players other
than those with 31 lose.
Scoring
The normal way of scoring in Scat is that each player begins the game with three pennies. When you lose
a life, you have to put one of your pennies into the kitty in the centre of the table. If you knock and lose,
having the sole lowest hand, you pay two pennies (if you have that many).
If someone declares 31, all the other players have to put a penny in the kitty. If someone declares 31 after
another player has knocked, the knocker just pays one penny, like everyone else.
If you have no money left, having lost all three of your pennies, you are said to be "on the county"
(meaning on the dole, on welfare, receiving charity from the county, etc.), or "on your face". If you lose
while on the county, you are out of the game. The game continues until only one player has not been
eliminated, and that player is the winner.
Variations
Some play that 3-of-a-kind of any rank counts as 30 (or 30.5) points. When it counts 30, it ties with three
ten-point cards of the same suit. If it counts 30.5, it beats all hands except Scat.
Rarely, people play that any straight-flush (three cards of the same suit in sequence) is worth 30 (except
for A-K-Q, which is 31).
Some play that there is a minimumscore with which you are allowed to knock - for example 17 or 19.
Ride the Bus has a different way of keeping track of wins and losses. All players start out "seated" at the

back of the bus. Players who lose a hand move toward the front in a sequence. The sequence is usually:
first, you stand at the back of the bus, then you are in the middle of the bus, then at the front of the bus,
then you are on the stairs, then you are off the bus. Players who are no longer "riding the bus" are out of
play. Winning a hand simply keeps your position; you do not move back a step if you win a hand.
The scoring system of Ride the Bus can be changed to suit how many hands people want to play.
Because this game is very casual, this often happens in the middle of the game by mutual agreement of
all players; for example, a player who is "on the stairs" loses another hand and would normally be out of
play, but since everyone is having so much fun, it is declared that the player is "on the second step" or
"asking the driver to stop" instead of out. If extra levels are introduced, they apply to all players.
Scat software
Bob Dolan's Scat program for Windows is obtainable from the ZDNet Software Library.


Rules of Card Games: Bone Ace and 31
One and Thirty; Bone Ace

These games were played in England in the 17th century. Each player is dealt a three card hand. Face
cards count 10 points and pip cards count face value. Players can draw further cards aiming to get as near
31 as possible without going over that total.
Full reconstructions can be found on the One and Thirty and Bone Ace page of the Medieval and
Renaissance Games site.

http://www.pagat.com/showdown/boneace.html [04/05/2001 9:45:12]

Rules of Card Games: Cuarenta
Cuarenta
This page is based on a contribution from Paul J. Welty.
Contents
Introduction
The Players
The Deck
The Deal and Initial Announcements
The Play
Cada
Limpia
New deal
End of the Play
The Scoring
Special scoring rules
Keeping score using the eights, nines and tens
Variations
Tactics
Customs
Other Cuarenta WWW Pages
Introduction
Cuarenta is played in Ecuador, mostly by people from the mountains, including the cities of Cuenca and
Quito (the capital). Cuarenta means "40" in Spanish; this is the number of cards in the deck as well as the
points required to win. The play is supposed to be full of bravado, loud, exciting, even silly.
The Players
Cuarenta can be played by 2 or 4 people. If there are 4 players, then there are two teams (partners sit
across from each other). One of the team mates keeps the score; the other collects cards as they are won.
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The Deck
Cuarenta is played with 40 cards from a standard 52 card deck. The eights, nines and tens are removed
leaving the numbers ace-2-3-4-5-6-7 (ace is low) and the pictures.
The removed 8's 9's and 10's are not used in the play, but they are used to keep score. At the start of the
game they are placed in a face up stack between the two players who will be keeping score for their
teams.
The Deal and Initial Announcements

Since the dealer usually has an advantage, the first dealer is determined by shuffling the deck and dealing
face-up cards to each player in order. The first player to receive a diamond is the first dealer. After each
complete hand (consisting of two or four deals) the turn to deal passes to the left.
Five cards are dealt to each player, in a single batch of five, beginning with the player to dealer's left,
going around the table clockwise and ending with the dealer. If there are any irregularities in the deal, the
dealer's team loses the entire game. The cards which left over from the deal are kept in a face down stack
to be dealt out later.
After everyone has played their five cards (see play below), the dealer deals another five cards to each
player in the same way from the remaining stock of undealt cards. If there are 4 players, each deal
consumes 20 of the 40 cards, so there will be two deals in all during a hand. If there are 2 players, 10
cards are used each time, so there will be four deals.
There are two special announcements that can be made immediately after any deal:
1. Four of a kind
If any one player is dealt 4 cards of the same rank, the cards are shown and that player's team wins
the entire game immediately.
2. Ronda
A player who has received 3 cards of the same rank immediately says Ronda (= round, like in
singing in rounds). The player's team then collects 4 points (but does not reveal the rank of the
ronda). The player sitting to the left of the ronda should take note, because if that player can find
out the rank of the ronda, and capture one of its cards by a cada, they can claim a bonus.
The Play
The player to dealer's left begins and the turn to play passes clockwise. Each player in turn must play a
card from hand face up on the table. This play may result in some cards being captured from the table, in
which case the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stacked face down in front of one
member of the player's team (like a trick). If the played card does not capture anything, it stays face up
on the table and may itself be captured by a later play.
There are three ways in which a played card can capture cards from the table:

1. Matching
If the played card is the same rank as a card on the table, the matching card can be captured. So if
for example if the table contains a queen and you play a queen, you can capture the queen from the
table and place both queens in your trick pile.
2. Addition
If the played card is a number card, it can capture a set of cards whose values add up to that of the
played card. The values are the obvious ones: ace = 1, two = 2, three = 3, etc. up to seven = 7.
Jacks, queens and kings have no numerical value; they cannot capture or be captured by addition.
For example, if the table contains a two and a three and you play a five, you can capture the 3 and
the 2 and put all three cards in your trick pile. If the table contains ace, 2, 4 you can capture all
three of these cards by playing a seven.
3. Sequence
When a capture is made by matching or addition, a card next higher in rank than the played card
may also be picked up from the table, along with any further cards from the table forming an
unbroken upward sequence. The ranking order from lowest to highest is A-2-3-4-5-6-7-J-Q-K. So,
if a player matches a 2 on the table by playing a 2 from hand, that player may also collect a 3, if
one is on the table. This collection of sequential cards may continue until the sequence is broken.
If the face up cards on the table are 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, J then by playing a 2 you can capture 2, 3, 4, 5 -
the 2 by matching and the 3, 4 and 5 by sequence. This leaves the 7 and jack on the table. You
cannot capture the 7 or the jack because the 6 is missing from the sequence. If the same cards 2, 3,
4, 5, 7, J are on the table and you play a 6, you can capture 2, 4, 7, J - the 2 and 4 by addition and
the 7 and the jack by sequence (note that the jack immediately follows the seven in the ranking
order).
If the table is empty, as for example at the start of the game, then obviously there is nothing to capture,
and the played card will just remain on the table.
If a card can make more than one possible matching or addition capture, the player can choose which
capture to make, but can only choose one of the possibilities. If the cards on the table are ace, 2, 3, 4 and
you play a four, you can capture the 3 and the ace by addition, or you can capture the 4 by matching, but
not both at once. If you play a five you can capture the 2 and the 3 or the 4 and the ace by addition, but
not both sets.
A sequence capture can only be made if the played card makes a matching or addition capture at the
same time. If a 5 is on the table, playing a 4 does not capture the 5 unless the 4 also makes a capture by
matching or addition.
If a player captures by matching or addition, but fails to take all or part of a sequence capture that is
available at the same time, the players on the other team may take the sequence cards for themselves. For
example the table contains 2, 3, 6, 7, J, Q. You play a 5 capturing the 2 and 3 by addition and the 6 and 7
by sequence, but forget to take the jack and queen. Your opponents can now take the jack and queen.
However, there is no such penalty for missing a matching or addition capture. If in the same example you
played a 5 but did not notice that you could capture anything at all, the opponents could not take any
cards. All the cards would remain on the table.

Cada
Capturing the card just played by the previous player by matching it is called a cada (a fall). The team
which makes the capture scores two extra points. Note that a capture is only a cada if the card is
captured by matching by the next player in turn, immediately after the captured card was played. Taking
the previous player's card by addition or sequence is not a cada.
Limpia
If a player clears the table of all cards, that player's team recevies 2 points for a limpia (clean). It often
happens that one player puts a card down on an empty table, and the next player makes a cada on that
card and takes it off the table, which also has the effect of cleaning the table (there was only one card). In
this case, the capturing team gets 4 points: 2 for cada and 2 for limpia.
New deals
Play continues until everyone has played their 5 cards, and then if there are undealt cards remaining in
the pack, another 5 cards are dealt to each player. There may be cards left on the table after everyone has
played their cards from the first deal. These cards are available for capture after the new deal. Thus the
first player gets a chance to collect some easy points if the table was not cleaned from the previous hand.
However, it does not count as a cada if the first player after a new deal matches and captures the last
card played by the dealer at the end of the previous deal.
End of the play

After all 40 cards have been played (which takes two deals if there are 4 players, and 4 deals if there are
2 players), the hand ends and the teams score for the cards that they have taken. Unless the very last play
was a limpia, there will be uncaptured cards left in the centre of the table, and these do not count for
either team.
Scoring
Each team counts its collected cards. A team with 20 cards scores 6 points. A team with more than 20
cards scores one extra point for each extra card, rounded up to the next even number. So a team with 21
or 22 cards score 8 points, 23 or 24 cards score 10 points, and so on. If both teams take 20 cards, then
only the non-dealing team scores 6 points.
If neither team gets as many as 20 cards, the team with the greater number of cards scores just 2 points.
When both teams have the same number of captured cards but fewer than 20 each, the non-dealing team
scores 2 points.
The first team to reach 40 points wins the game.

Special Scoring Rules

If a player makes a cada by capturing a card that was part of a ronda, and remembers this event and the
rank of the ronda cards, the capturing player's team gets 10 points. The announcement of the remembered
event is made at the end of the hand. The bonus cannot be collected once the next deal has begun. It is
therefore not advisable for a ronda team to remind their opponents of what has happened.
A team which has 30 or more points cannot score for rondas, nor for capturing a card of the opponents'
ronda by means of a cada. However, if the opposing team have less than 30 points, they may still collect
10 points if they capture a card of an "unannounced" ronda by a cada, and they notice this.
A team which has 38 points cannot collect for limpia. This has the result that a team can only win the
game by counting cards or with a cada.
However, a team has 36 points can still score 4 points for a cada y limpia, thus winning the game.
Keeping score using the eights, nines and tens

Each of these cards represents 2 points when face up. One of these cards face-down represents ten points
(called a perro [dog]). The score could just as well be kept on paper, but this traditional method is easier
and more fun.
All the scoring cards start in a face-up stack between the scorers. Each scorer takes cards from the stack
to represent their points as they score them. When you have five face up cards you should trade them in
for a perro, otherwise the scoring cards will run out. When you reach 38, this is indicated by returning all
your score cards to the face-up stack. This way there are just enough cards to keep score in all situations.
Tactics
When the table is empty, the player whose turn it is is in trouble. A cada y limpia is likely (and 4 points
is a lot; and it leaves partner in the same position). This is one reason why the dealer is somewhat at an
advantage. So generally you try to play one card of a pair in your hand, to minimize the chance of a
cada. Of course, this doesn't always work. You should count the cards, so that if you don't have a pair,
you know what has and what has not been played, and can play something that has already been played.
When even this fails, you try to play something that can't be used against you. Playing an Ace is bad
because it adds up with just about anything. Face cards are a good option when you don't know what to
do.
When the table has some cards on it, but the player can't make a match, you can still follow the above
recommendations, but don't play something that will easily add. Don't play a card that will begin a
sequence of cards. This can make a cada into a cada y limpia because of the picking up in sequence
rule. Again, an already-played-card or face-card is a good choice.
Hunches count! Sometimes you can tell what the person to your right is hanging onto. So, you keep that
card until the end to capture it. Of course the person to your left will do the same to you.

Customs
When making a cada, a special flourish is employed. The card is sometimes "snapped" down on top of
the captured card with great vigor and from well above the surface of the table. Then, both cards are
taken as usual. This is a purely friendly, but nonetheless rib-poking, gesture.
Near the end of the deal, a player occasionally "predicts" an upcoming cada by taking a card from his
hand and holding it face down near the playing surface in anticipation of the right hand opponent's play.
It may not often work, but, if you really count the cards, you can do this consistently. Another silly
variation is to taunt the opponent by putting the card you expect to use as a cada on your forehead
(facing you, of course).
It is said that, in Ecuador, the really good players can tell exactly what you have in your hand by how
you hesitate before a play.
Other Cuarenta WWW Pages

Cristina Abad Robalino, Rafael Bonilla Armijos, Csar Salazar Tovar and Profesor Ing. Glenn
Maldonado Vaca of Guayaquil, Ecuador have published a Cuarenta web site in Spanish, which includes
rules, information about the World Championship, and a Cuarenta computer program for download.


Rules of Card Games: Da Bai Fen
Da Bai Fen
Introduction
Players and cards
Ranking of cards
Declarers and defenders
The deal
The play
Scoring
Variations
Other WWW pages
Introduction
I learned this game in during a visit to China in May 1979 from our interpreter, Mr. Zhang Chuansheng, in
exchange for teaching him bridge. This page is based on my article in The Playing-Card volume VII No 3.
Da3 Bai3 Fen1 means "contesting 100 points", which is the total number of card points in the pack. Often it
is just called Bai3 Fen1 (100 points) and in English, the game could be called Hundred. There are several
alternative names. It is sometimes called Sheng1 Ji2 ( ), which means "raise level" or "promote". In
Shanghai the game is called Si4shi2 Fen1 ( ), which means "40 points", 40 being the target score
for the defenders. In Chengdu in Sichuan province it is called Shuan3 Er4 ( ), meaning "throw two",
which is what you do during the first deal.
It is a trick taking game for four players in fixed partnerships, with considerable depth and scope for skill. As
far as I know, it is popular over a wide area of China. There is also an expanded version Zhao Pengyou
(Looking for Friends) for 6 to 12 players with variable partnerships. If you have more specific information
about the distribution of either of these games, or variations of them played in particular regions, please let
me know.
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Players and Cards

Da bai fen is a point trick game played by four players in fixed partnerships, with partners facing each other
across the table. A standard international pack is used, with red and black jokers, making 54 cards in all. The
point values of the cards are as follows:
Each King 10 points,

Each ten 10 points,
Each five 5 points,
Other cards no value.
Ranking of Cards
In each hand there are eighteen trumps: the two jokers, all the cards of a particular suit (the trump suit) and
all the cards of a particular rank (the trump rank). The highest trump is the red Joker, second is the black
Joker, and third is the card which belongs to both the trump suit and the trump rank. Next come the other
three cards of the trump rank, which are equal in status. Finally there are the remaining cards of the trump
suit which rank in downwards order A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (omitting the trump rank). The three
remaining suits also rank from highest to lowest A, K, Q, J, 10. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (omitting the trump rank).
For example if sixes and clubs are trumps, the trump suit from high to low is:
red joker, black joker, 6, [ 6/ 6/ 6 - all equal ], A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5,
4, 3, 2.
Declarers and defenders

In each hand one partnership are declarers and the other are the defenders. The declarers are chosen not by
bidding but according to the result of the previous hand. Normally if the declarers are successful they win a
game point while if the opponents are successful they do not score but win the right to be the declarers in the
next hand. In extreme cases it is possible for the declarers to score more than one point or for the opponents
to score in addition to becoming the declarers. Each side's score in game points is expressed as a card rank
from two (low) up to Ace (high). Thus for example if a side with a score of ten gains two game points their
score goes up to "Queen". In each hand the trump rank is the declarers' current score. Both sides start at
two and the winners are the first side whose score goes above Ace.
The Deal
Each player receives twelve cards, but there is no dealer as such. One player, whom I shall call the starter,
shuffles the cards and any other player may cut. The whole pack is then placed face down in the centre of the
table and the players take turns to draw cards one at a time from the top of the pack. The starter draws the
first card, the player to the starter's right takes the second card, and so on in anti-clockwise rotation until
everyone has twelve. As you draw each card you look at it and can sort it into your hand. It is important to
follow this procedure, because a player can choose trumps in the middle of the deal on the basis of the cards
picked up so far.

The trump rank for the hand is known in advance of the deal: for the first hand it must be two because both
sides start with a score of two, and in subsequent hands it is the current score of the declarers. Any player
who draws a card of the trump rank during the deal may place it face up on the table, and its suit then
becomes trumps for the hand. If you draw a card of the trump rank you need not show it immediately you
draw it; you may keep it and expose at at any time provided that no other card has yet been exposed, or you
may prefer never to expose it if you do not want its suit as trumps. Consultation between partners is not
allowed.
After each player has drawn a hand of twelve cards there are six face-down cards left over. If no one has yet
exposed a card, the starter turns these cards face up one at a time in order. Once the first of these cards is
exposed it is too late for anyone to determine the trump suit by exposing one of their own cards. If a card of
the trump rank is found among the last six cards, its suit becomes trumps and no further cards are turned up.
If no card of the trump rank appears, the highest ranking of the six cards, excluding Jokers, determines the
trump suit; among cards of equal rank the earliest exposed takes precedence.
In the first hand whichever player exposes a two (or the starter in the unlikely event that no one does)
becomes the leader, and the leader's side become the declarers. In subsequent hands the leader is the same
player as the starter. In either case the leader picks up the last six cards and adds them to his hand. Apart
from any of these cards which may already have been exposed in order to choose trumps, the cards picked up
are not shown to the other players. The leader then discards any six of his eighteen cards face down. It is
important to keep these discards separate from the trick piles.
Before the first lead any player who has no trumps at all in his hand may if he wishes expose his entire hand
and claim a draw. He is not allowed to consult his partner about this. In this case all the cards are thrown in
and there is a new deal, started by the partner of the leader to the annulled hand, in which any player may
expose a card whose rank is equal to his side's score. Whoever does this becomes the new leader and his side
are the declarers. It is not clear what should happen if no one exposes a card during this special deal, but I
suggest that the hand should be treated as another draw and there should be another special deal; this will
happen very rarely.
The Play
During the play, Jokers and cards of the trump rank all count as belonging to the trump suit, not to the suits
marked on them. The leader leads to the first trick; thereafter the winner of a trick leads to the next. A player
may lead any single card, or a group of cards of the same suit, but if more than one card is led at once, all the
cards led must be higher than any card of the suit led remaining in any player's hand. If it turns out that
anyone (even the partner of the one who led) holds a card of the suit led which beats any one of the cards of
a multiple lead then the lead is a revoke. The penalty for a revoke is that the hand is scored as though the
offending side had lost every trick. There is no restriction on single card leads.
Play is in anti-clockwise rotation. Each of the other three players in turn must play the same number of cards
as were led. As far as possible they must play cards of the suit led. Having run out of cards of the suit led a
player may play any cards he chooses. If one or more players play nothing but trumps to the trick, the trick is
won by whichever of these played the highest trump. Among trumps of equal rank the one which is played
earliest beats the others. If everyone plays at least one non-trump to the trick, it is won by the player of the
highest card of the suit led.
Note that for single card leads these rules are equivalent to the familiar trick-taking rules of skat or bridge,

except for the extra rule that the first played of equal ranking cards has precedence. The purpose of making a
multiple lead is that provided that each opponent has at least one card of the suit led they cannot win by
ruffing. If the same cards were led singly it is more likely that some of them would be trumped. A multiple
lead may also win because an opponent, although void, does not have enough trumps to match the number of
cards led. None of these advantages apply to multiple trump leads, which although legal are very seldom
used in practice.
The object of the play is to win tricks containing counting cards, that is kings, tens and fives. Whenever the
opponents win a trick containing any counting cards. these are extracted from the trick and placed face up in
front of one of them. All other cards played to tricks, including counting cards in tricks won by the declarers,
are put face down in a single heap once the trick is complete. Any counting cards among the six discarded by
the dealer at the beginning of the hand are worth double (20 for Kings and tens, 10 for fives) and are won by
the side which wins the last trick.
Scoring
The result of the hand depends on the number of card points won by the opponents. This determines which
side scores how many points, and who will be the declarers for the next hand:
Opponents' Score Declarers for Starter for
card points next hand next hand
Zero Declarers score 2 No change Previous leader's

partner
5 to 35 Declarers score 1 No change Previous leader's

partner
40 to 75 No score Opponents become Previous leader's

new declarers right hand opponent
80 to 95 Opponents score 1 Opponents become Previous leader's

100 or more Opponents score 2 Opponents become Previous leader's

Example
Call the players N(orth), W(est), S(outh) and E(ast). At the start of the game both teams are on two, as
already explained. Suppose South exposes a two during the deal, becoming the leader, and East-West take 15
points. Then N-S's score goes up to three, and North is the next starter. On this second hand three must be the
trump rank (N-S's score). West exposes a three, and E-W take 40 points. The score is still three to N-S and
two to E-W, but now E-W become the declarers with West as starter. The trump rank is now two (E-W's
score). East exposes a 2 and N-S take no points at all. E-W now have a score of four. Four is the trump rank
and East is the starter.
As explained above, the winning team are the first whose score goes above ace. Suppose N-S have a score of

king and E-W are on queen. E-W are declarers but N-S take 90 points. The result is that N-S have a score of
ace and become declarers, but they have not won the game yet - they need to score another point to win.
Variations
Many people play that after the deal the leader exposes the last six cards before adding them to his hand, but
this version of the game is said to be less skilful.
A complete game can last quite a long time - perhaps a couple of hours. If limited time is available it is
possible to play a shortened game in which the winners are the side whose score first goes above seven, or
any other agreed rank. It is a pity to do this however, as the late hands played on ten, King and Ace have a
special character because of the greater power of the high scoring cards. Starting at seven might be a better
idea.
There is a variation called Bashi Fen (80 points) using two decks of cards. I do not know the details, but
David Paxson tells me that it is popular in Shanghai, and that there are many variations, one of which is
similar to Zhao Pengyou.
Other web pages

Here is David Paxson's page on Forty Points, the Shanghai version of Bai Fen.

Last updated 2nd January 2001

Rules of Card Games: Forty-two
Texas 42
Introduction
Rank and Suit of Dominoes
Values of Dominoes
The Deal
The Bidding
The Play
Special Contracts
The Scoring
Variations
42 With Bidding By Points
Other 42 Web Sites
42 Software
Introduction
Forty-two is a trick taking game played with dominoes. It is especially popular in Texas, USA. The
following description is based on information from David Dailey, Kit McKormick, John Rhodes, Adam
Hauerwas, David Fimble and others.
There are basically two forms of 42: it can be played for points or for marks. The version for marks will
be described first. The version for points is similar except in the bidding and scoring - the differences are
described later.
Players and equipment

There are four players in fixed parnerships - players sit opposite their partner.
A double-six set of dominoes is used - that is 28 dominoes, one for each possible pair of numbers from 0
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(blank) to 6. A domino with the same numer at each end is called a double.
Rank and suit of dominoes

There are 7 suits: blanks, ones, twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes. The highest domino of each suit is the
double.
Normally one suit is trumps. Every domino containing that number is exclusively a trump, and apart
from the double, they rank in order of the other number on the domino. For example if threes are trumps,
the trump suit from high to low is:
The remaining dominoes, apart from the doubles, belong to the two suits corresponding to the two
numbers on them. Within each suit they rank in order of the other number on the domino. So if threes are
trump, the members of the fives suit from highest to lowest are:
Values of Dominoes
Each domino with 10 pips - - is worth 10 points to the side that wins it in their tricks.
Each domino with 5 pips - - is worth 5 points to the side that wins it in their tricks.
In addition each of the seven tricks is worth one point to the side that wins it.
There are therefore 42 points available in each hand.
The Deal
The first dealer is selected at random. Thereafter the turn to deal passes clockwise. The dealer "shuffles"
the dominoes by mixing them thouroughly face down on the table. Then each player takes seven
dominoes and sets them on edge so that the owner can see their values, but the other players cannot see
them. The dealer's opponents should take their dominoes first, then the dealer's partner, and finally the

dealer.
The Bidding
Each player has just one chance to bid or pass, starting with the player to dealer's left and going
clockwise round the table. Each bid must be higher than the previous one.
The lowest possible bid is 30, meaning that the bidder's team undertakes to win at least 30 points in
tricks. Then come 31, 32, 33, etc. up to 41, then 1 mark (which is equivalent to 42), 2 marks, 3 marks etc.
Bids of 1 mark and above require the bidder's side to win all the tricks (i.e. all 42 points) or take on one
of the special contracts (Nello, Plunge, Sevens) described below.
The highest opening bid allowed is 2 marks (unless the declarer intends to play a Plunge). Once someone
has bid 2 marks a subsequent player can bid 3 marks, and so on. To play Plunge it is necessary to bid 4
marks, or 5 if the bidding had already reached 4.
If all four players pass, the dominoes are thrown in and the next player deals.
The Play
The highest bidder (the declarer) names trumps, or may name one of the special contracts if the bid is 1
mark or more.
The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible. A player unable to follow suit
may play any domino. The trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trump, by the
highest domino of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
When a non-trump domino is led, it counts as a member of the higher numbered suit, but when you are
required to follow suit, each non-trump domino you hold counts as belonging to both suits. For example
if threes are trump and the 6-5 is led, it counts as a 6 rather than a 5. But when following suit the 6-5 can
be used to follow to a lead of either sixes or fives. If threes are trumps then the 5-3 when led counts as a
3 not a 5, because trumps are trumps and nothing else.
Notice for example that if blanks are not trump, and you hold the double blank, although it is the highest
card of its suit the only way it can win a trick is if you lead it. Any other blank which is led counts as the
lowest domino of some other suit.
Tricks are kept face up to the right of one member of each team, in the order that they were played, and
can be viewed by all the players. For example after two tricks one side's captures might look like this:
this trick is worth 11 points, and was won by the 6-6 (sixes are trump)

this trick is worth 16 points and was won by the 6-2, a trump.
When playing a contract to win all the tricks, declarer can elect to stack the tricks. In this case the third
trick is stored on top of the first, the fourth on top of the second, and so on, leaving only two previous
tricks visible at one time. This saves space and reduces the players' opportunity to chack back to see what
has already been played.
Special Contracts
A player who wants to play a special contract does not name their contract as part of their bid; they
simply bid the appropriate number of marks. Only after everyone has bid, the high bidder names the
contract.
Nello
A declarer who has bid 1 mark (42) or higher can announce Nello, which is a contract to lose every trick.
Declarer's partner turns all her dominoes face down and takes no part in the play. The declarer leads to
the first trick, and there are no trumps. Doubles form a suit of their own ranking from 6-6 (highest) to 0-0
(lowest). Rules of play are as usual, and a lead of a double calls for doubles. If a non-double is led the
larger number determines the suit to be followed, and a double cannot be played to the trick unless no
dominoes of the suit led are held.
Plunge
The declarer must hold at least 4 doubles to announce Plunge. Declarer's partner chooses trump (without
consulting). Declarer leads, and declarer's team must take all seven tricks to win.
To play a Plunge, the bidder must have bid at least 4 marks. In order to play a plunge, you are allowed to
open the bidding with 4 marks, or jump to 4 marks over any lower bid, or bid 5 marks over a previous
bid of 4. This is the only case where a jump bid or opening bid higher than 2 marks is allowed. A
subsequent player could overcall 4 marks with 5 marks, and play a normal contract to win all the tricks,
or Nello. 5 marks can be overcalled by 6 marks, and so on.
The Scoring
The scoring is in marks. For any bid from 30 to 42 (1 mark), the declarer's team score 1 mark if they win.
For higher bids they score the number of marks bid. If the declarer is unsuccessful, the contract is set,
and the declarer's opponents score as many marks as the declarer's team would have scored. The game
ends when one team reaches a total of seven marks or more.
The marks are drawn to form the word "ALL" - the first mark is drawn as the left side of the "A", the
second is the right side, the third the crossbar, the fourth the vertical of the first "L", etc. The winning

team is thus the first to complete the word "ALL".

When playing for money, the winners are paid an agreed amount for each mark the losers were short of
7, plus an amount for each time the losers were set. If the winners end up with more than 7 marks any
excess over 7 is ignored. Also it does not matter how many times the winners were set - they lose nothing
for this. For example if A & C agree to play B & D for $0.25 per mark and $1.00 per set, and A & C win
7 - 4, with each team set once, then B & D pay A & C $1.75.
Variations
No Trump (Follow Me)
The high bidder, instead of naming a trump suit, can choose to play without trumps, and has the choice
between two versions:
Doubles high - the double is the highest domino of each suit (as usual)
Doubles low - the double is lowest in each suit (so for example the double 6 is beaten by all
dominoes of the six suit, even the 6-0)
The rules of play are as usual, except that as there are no trumps, a trick is always won by the highest
domino of the suit led.
Some players only allow the bidder to choose No Trump when playing for all the tricks - that is, having
bid 42 (one mark) or higher. Others allow any bid from 30 up to be played in No Trumps.
Doubles trump
Instead of naming a suit as trump, the bidder can choose doubles as trumps. In that case doubles are a
separate suit of their own, ranking from 6-6 (high) down to 0-0 (low). If a double is led, the other players
must play doubles if they have them. If a non-double is led, you cannot trump with a double unless you
have no dominoes of the suit led. For example if the 6-5 is led and you have the 6-6 and the 6-4 but no
other sixes, you have to follow suit with the 6-4; you cannot trump with a double. If the 6-5 is led and
you have no sixes, you can trump if you wish using any double (not necessarily the 6-6).
Rank of Doubles in Nello

In Nello, some people give the bidder several options as to how doubles are treated. The bidder chooses
and announces one of these before leading to the first trick.
1. doubles high - the double is the highest domino of each suit
2. doubles low - the double is the lowest domino of each suit
3. doubles take doubles - doubles are a suit of their own ranking from 6-6 (high) down to 0-0 (low)
4. doubles take doubles, inverted - doubles are a suit of their own with 0-0 highest followed by 1-1,
2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 (lowest)
In options 1 and 2 the rules of play are as in No Trumps (Follow Me). In options 3 and 4 if a double is
led doubles must be played, but again there are no trumps.

Some players allow option 3 only, some allow options 1 and 3, some allow 1, 2 and 3, and some allow all
four.
Sevens
This is another special contract, which can be played by a declarer who has bid 1 mark or more. Declarer
leads, and each player must play a domino whose pip total is as close as possible to 7. The trick is won
by the closest domino to 7, or if several are equally close by the first of these which was played. The
winner of a trick leads to the next. The declarer's team have to take all seven tricks to win.
There is no strategy in sevens - the play is forced throughout.
Plunge and Splash

David Fimble reports a version in which Plunge is worth 3 marks, not 4, and it is the partner of the
declarer who leads to the first trick, having named trumps. In this version there is additional special
contract called Splash, which is worth 2 marks. A Splash is the same as a Plunge, except that the bidder
must have 3 doubles, rather than 4; the partner of the declarer names trumps and leads, and all 7 tricks
are required to win.
Some players allow the declarer's partner in a Plunge or Splash to choose No Trump, Sevens or any of
the varieties of Nello instead of naming trumps. If Nello is chosen (a rather desperate move, I would have
thought), the bidder leads and the bidder's partner puts their dominoes face down and does not take part.
Forced Bid
Many people play that if the first three players pass, the declarer must bid. The hand cannot be thrown
in.
Without special contracts

Some players do not allow the special contracts Nello, Plunge and Sevens.
Some players only allow Nello in the situation where the dealer was forced to bid because the other three
players passed.
Opening lead
Some people allow small end opening. In this case, in the first trick only, the bidder can lead a
non-trump domino and specify that it belongs to the suit of the small end. For example holding the 1-1
and the 6-1 you could name fives as trump and lead the 6-1 as a one, which cannot be beaten unless
someone can trump it.
Most 42 players agree that the bidder is allowed to lead a non-trump to the first trick. However, there are
a few people who play that the opening lead must be a trump.

42 with bidding and scoring by points

The information on this form of 42 was supplied by Adam Hauerwas.
In this version the bids are the numbers from 30 to 42, then 84 and 168. You cannot bid 168 unless
someone has bid 84.
For bids below 42, if declarer's team make their bid, both sides score the points they take. If not, the
declarer's team score zero, and the opponents score the points they take plus declarer's bid.
For bids of 42, 84 and 168, declarer's team score the bid if successful. If declarer is set the opponents
score declarer's bid but nothing for their tricks.
It is not possible for all four players to pass. After three passes the dealer must bid.
Low-No is a game equivalent to Nello in the game for marks. Low-No can only be bid by the dealer and
only when the other three players all passed. The declarer's side score 42 points if successful, and the
other side score 42 points if the declarer is forced to take a trick.
The special contracts Plunge and Sevens are not allowed.
Instead of naming a trump suit, the winner of the bidding has two other options (in either case the object
remains to win at least as many points as were bid - or all the tricks if the bid is 42 or more):
1. No trumps: Exactly what it says. The double is the highest domino of each suit as usual and every
other domino belongs to two suits.
2. Doubles: There is a trump suit consisting of all the doubles, ranking from high to low: 6-6, 5-5,
4-4, 3-3, 2-2, 1-1, 0-0. When a double is led everyone must follow suit with a double if possible.
The doubles don't belong to their normal suits so for example if the 4-2 is led you can't trump with
the 4-4 unless you are out of 4's, in which case you could play anything.
Remarks on bidding strategy

Three passes might leave the dealer in an incredibly awkward situation without having a bid to make;
that's part of the game. Note, though, that this gives the dealer's partner incentive to bid 30 on a
somewhat mediocre hand, because they could be saving the dealer from an awkward situation.
If the dealer gets "stuck" with the bid after three passes, note that Low-No could be bid by the dealer in
order to avoid going set on a 30 bid. Since the opponents get the bidding teams bid PLUS whatever
points they catch, if you go set on a 30 bid the opponents would receive 30 + (at least 13 points required
catch for the set) A dealer might bid low-no on a terrible hand if only to restrict the opponents to catching
42 points (instead of more from a bid of 30 which is set).
No-Trump may be bid on a hand with a lot of control but short on long suits. The problem here is
regaining the lead once it is lost. Example no-trump hand: 6-6, 6-5, 5-5, 3-3, 3-2, 3-1, 1-1. Tricks might
be played in order from left to right, and one would hope that one or two "threes" would fall on the first
three tricks so that the double-three could pull in the remaining threes -- making the 3-2 and 3-1 good.
Hands on which it is right to make doubles trump are rather rare. One possible hand where it would make

sense to bid doubles would be the following: 6-6, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2, 1-1, 6-5, 5-4. Note if the double-five falls
on the first trick, you gain ten points and make your 5-4 good.
Other 42 Web Sites

Tony Sanders' 42 page is comprehensive, and includes a lot of helpful advice on strategy.
William Richardson's Rules of Play for 42 are taken from the leaflet included with a set of
dominoes, and also contain some strategy tips.
Paul's 42 has rules, advice and an example game.
Kent Newsome's 42 page is based on an early version of this page, with some amusing comments
inserted.
Mikey Roberts' Texas 42 page
The TreeWay Forty-Two page, including discussion of strategy.
42 Software
Curtis Cameron has written a shareware 42 program for Windows. You can download it from his
Windows Dominoes Games page.
Return to General Index of Card Games Site


Rules of Card Games: Forty-Five
Forty-Fives
Forty-Fives is a descendant of the Irish game Spoil Five. It is much played among the Irish population in
the New World - especially in Nova Scotia - the most popular version being one with bidding,
technically known as Auction Forty-Fives, and also sometimes called One Hundred and Twenty,
which is more logical given that 120 is the target score and the number 45 has no relevance to the game.
For rules of Auction Forty-Fives (or 120) and also the older game of 45 without bidding see Dave
Barker's page Rules for Auction Forty-Fives.
Bob Reichert's book on Forty Fives covers the tactics of the game, has an interesting glossary of terms
used by players in North East America, and shows how to adapt the game for any number of players
from 4 to 10.

Last updated 22nd November 1998
http://www.pagat.com/spoil5/45.html [04/05/2001 9:45:24]

Rules of Card Games: 52 card pick-up
52 card pick-up
This is not really a card game; it is included here so that if someone proposes to play it with you, you will
know what is involved.
Two players and a pack of 52 cards are needed. The first player offers the second player a game of 52
card pick-up. If the second player accepts, the first player scatters the 52 cards over the floor and says
"52 cards - pick up!". The second player's job is then to reassemble the pack of cards by picking them all
up.
That is all there is to it.

Last updated 2nd April 1999
http://www.pagat.com/misc/52pickup.html [04/05/2001 9:45:25]

Rules of Card Games: Pedro
Pedro / Cinch / 63 / 83
This page is partly based on postings to rec.games.playing-cards by Richard Irving, Lindsey Smith and
Roberto Montesi, and information from Jeannine Webb, Jacques Berry, Mark Given, Linda Moran,
David Wuori and Olga Prebushewski.
Introduction
Players and Cards

Deal and Bidding
Play
Scoring
Variations
Pedro in Nicaragua
Pitch with Fives
Pedro Sancho; Dom Pedro; Snoozer
King Pedro
Canadian / Ukranian King Pedro
Sixty-three
Eighty-three
Introduction
Pedro (pronounced "peedro") was developed in the United States in the nineteenth century as a variation
of Pitch. The Pedro is the trump 5, which is worth five points. In the first game described on this page,
which is strictly known as Double Pedro, Cinch or High Five, the other 5 of the same colour as trumps
is also a trump worth 5.
Pedro was extremely widely played in the US at the end of the nineteenth century, but during the
twentieth century it has gradually declined in popularity. Nevertheless it is still played in the southern
part of the country. Jacques Berry of Thibodaux, Louisiana reports that Pedro is extremely popular in
Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes in southern Louisiana, almost to the exclusion of other card games.
Roberto Montesi reports that Pedro is also very well known on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.
Surprisingly, the same game is also played under the name Pidro in sterbotten, which is a Swedish
speaking region in the west of Finland. Pidro seems to be identical to the US version of Pedro or Cinch;
it is reportedly played in every village of this region, and tournaments and an annual championship are
http://www.pagat.com/allfours/pedro.html (1 de 10) [04/05/2001 9:45:27]

also held. As far as I know, Pedro is not played anywhere else in Europe and I cannot at present explain
how this apparently American game came to be played in this particular area of Finland.
The US / Finnish version of Pedro will be described first, then the Nicaraguan version, and then some
other games based on Pedro in which further scoring cards are added: Pedro Sancho, Dom Pedro and
Snoozer (which are probably no longer much played), and King Pedro, 63 and 83, which seem to be
mostly played in the north-east USA and Canada.
Players and Cards

There are four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. A standard 52 card pack is used. In
each hand one suit will be chosen by the high bidder as trumps. The five of the other suit of the same
colour also becomes a trump, known as the low pedro, or left pedro. The rank of the cards in the trump
suit from high to low is:
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (pedro), the other 5 (low pedro), 4, 3, 2.
In the other suits the ranking is:
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, (5 if not the same colour as trump), 4, 3, 2.
Some of the trumps have a value as follows:
trump ace ("high") ... 1 point
trump jack ... 1 point
trump ten (sometimes called "game") ... 1 point
trump five ("pedro") ... 5 points
other five of same colour ("low pedro") ... 5 points
trump two ("low") ... 1 point
There are 14 points in the pack altogether. The points for the trump ace, jack, ten and pedros are won by
the team that wins them in their tricks, but the point for the trump two is won by the team of the player
who was dealt this card.
Deal and Bidding

Deal and play are clockwise. The dealer deals the cards out 3 at a time until each player has 9 cards. The
turn to deal passes to the left after each hand.
Starting with the player to dealer's left, each player has just one chance to bid or pass. A bid is a number,
claiming that the if the bidder is allowed to choose trumps, the bidder's team will win at least that number
of points on a hand. The minimum allowed bid is 7 and the maximum is 14. Each player in turn must bid
higher than the previous bid if any or pass. If the first three players pass the dealer is forced to bid 7.
The highest bidder announces what suit will be trumps. Then everyone discards face down all their
non-trump cards. The dealer deals sufficient cards to the other three players to bring fill their hands out to
6 cards (unless they already have 6 or more cards, which must all be trumps). The dealer then looks

through the remaining undealt cards and picks out all the trumps plus sufficient other cards to make the
dealer's hand up to six cards. The dealer must take all the trumps from the remaining deck, and in this
case may have more than six cards in hand.
Play
The object of the play is for your team to win tricks containing the valuable trumps.
The high bidder leads to the first trick. Any card may be led - it does not have to be a trump. If a trump is
led, everyone must play a trump if they can - otherwise they may discard anything. If a card which is not
a trump is led, players who have cards of this suit must either follow suit or trump. Players who have no
cards of the led suit may play anything. The trick is won by the highest trump in it. If no trumps are
played to a trick it is won by the highest card of the suit that was led. The winner of a trick leads to the
next.
Note that the low pedro - the 5 of the same colour as trumps - counts for all purposes as a card of the
trump suit ranking between the four and the five.
A player who starts the play with more than six cards (which must all be trumps) has to play more than
one card to the first trick, so that after the first trick everyone has 5 cards left in their hands. When
playing two or more cards together, they are played in a face-up stack. The card on top counts as the card
played to the trick, and the others are "buried". It is illegal to bury any of the scoring trumps.
Scoring
Each team keeps a cumulative score. The opponents of the bidder always add the points that they win to
their total. The bidder's team do the same if they score at least as many points as they bid. If the bidders
win fewer points than they bid, they subtract the amount that they bid from their cumulative score.
The winners are the first team to reach 62 or more points.
If both teams have 55 points or more (i.e. both are within 7 points of winning), the situation is called
"bidder goes out". On the next hand the bidding side wins if they make their bid. If the bidding team
does not make its bid, the hand is scored normally (which will quite often result in their opponents
winning the game).
If both teams reach 62 or more points when the situation at the start of the hand was not "bidder goes
out", a further "bidder goes out" hand is played to determine the winner.
Variations
Some play that the minimum bid is 6, and that the dealer must bid 6 if the first three player's pass. Some
play with a minimum bid of 6, but if the first three players pass the dealer is forced to bid 7.
Some play that a bid of 14 (called a slam or shooting the moon) scores 28 points if successful, but loses
only 14 if it fails.

Some also play with a "28-56" bid. This can only be bid by the dealer, and is only allowed if the dealer
holds the ace, king and deuce of trumps. If the dealer's team take all the points they score 56; if they are
set they lose only 28.
There are several slightly different ways of organising the discarding and replenishing of hands. Some
allow players to keep non-trumps (there is no practical way to stop people doing this, anyway). Some
play that if you have more than 6 trumps you must still reduce your hand to six cards, which will involve
discarding trumps. Some play that it is illegal to discard scoring trumps in this situation, or that if you do
they count for the other team.
Some play that the dealer may go through not only the undealt cards but also the other players' discards
looking for trumps. However, this gives rise to the possibility that dealer's partner, holding
ace-king-pedro-pedro might cheat by throwing both pedros for dealer to pick up and then leading the
ace-king for a quick 11 points. To avoid this abuse, some play that discards are made face up. If anyone
accidentally (or purposely) discards a trump, whoever sees it first can add it to their hand, discarding a
non-trump in exchange.
Some play that the bidder must begin by leading a trump, as in Pitch.
Some play that suit must always be followed, even if a non-trump is led. This makes a considerable
difference to the play. For example in the standard game, when a plain suit is led, it is usual for the third
player to trump with a trump higher than the five to stop the fourth player getting home a pedro. This
technique is known as cinching. If you play the rule that suit must be followed, the outcome of the trick
is more a matter of chance. The third player may have the led suit and not be allowed to trump, and if the
third player follows suit the fourth player may also have to follow and thus be unable to save a pedro.
Others have gone in the opposite direction and relaxed the rules so that when a non-trump is led, any card
may be played. This change makes less practical difference: 14 of the 24 cards in play are trumps, so
most tricks will be won by a trump; in any case, tricks which contain no trumps have no value, since all
the scoring cards are trumps.
Most of the books describe an alternative method of scoring, with no negative scores:
if the bid is made, the team which won more points scores the difference between the numbers of
point won by the two teams (so if a team bids 7 and wins 9, the other team winning 5 points, the
bidding team scores 4 (that is 9 - 5));
if the bid fails, the opposing team scores the bid plus the number of points they take (so if a team
bids 7 and wins 6, the other team winning 8, the non-bidders score 15 (that is 7 + 8)).
The target score varies. Some play that the first team to 51 or more points wins. Some play with a
different target score, for example 52, 56 or 61. If both teams reach or pass the target score on the same
hand, the bidding team wins. It is possible for the non-bidding team to win the game if they reach the
target whereas the bidders are still below it.

Pedro in Nicaragua
The ranking and values of the cards is as described above. The dealer deals seven cards per player. Each
player has one chance to bid. The minimum bid is seven; if the first three players pass the dealer must
automatically bid six.
The highest bidder declares the trump suit. The players then discard face-down any cards they do not
want, and the dealer replenishes the hands of the other three players from the undealt cards still in the
deck. To replenish his own hand, the dealer can pick any cards from the remaining in the undealt deck
and may also look at and take cards from the other players' discards.
The highest bidder leads any card to the first trick (not necessarily a trump) and the other players must
follow suit if they can; otherwise they may play any card. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it or,
if no trumps were played, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next
trick.
The game is won by the first team to reach 52 or more points.
Pitch with Fives

Pedro originally was played with only one scoring five of trumps, so that there were only 9 points in the
game. The other five of the same colour is not a trump - it belongs to its own suit. This game still exists.
Here is a description of it contributed by Judd A. Schorr under the name Pitch with Fives.
Each of the four players is dealt 6 cards from a 52 card deck, and each has one opportunity to bid. The
minimum bid is two, and dealer is forced to bid the minimum if everyone else passes. Dealer can always
steal the bid by bidding equal to the highest other bid. Whomever wins the bid calls trump, and all
players throw out their non-trump. The hand full of aces that you thought you could screw people with is
suddenly gone. This purging process lets the bidder know how many trump each player has as a
minimum number. The dealer fills everyone's hand back to 6, and play resumes as normal.
There are nine points to be had (potentially) per hand: high, low, jack, game, and five. The "five" point is
the five of trumps, which is worth 5 points on the score sheet to the side that takes it in a trick. A game is
31 points.
In this variant, you must follow suit if possible - you cannot trump in any time you want to. For example,
if spades are trump and diamonds led, you can save your 5 of spades only if you have no diamonds - if
you have diamonds, you have to follow suit.
This variant is fun, because you can have no trump to start with, and then pick up 3 or 4 or 5 trump in the
replenish (the odds are low for 5, but it does happen!). And, of course, people tend to save trump towards
the end, to try to capture the 5 that they think their opponents couldn't save.

Pedro Sancho; Dom Pedro; Snoozer

I only know these games from books. I would be interested if any actual players could let me know if this
is how they are really played, and any further details.
Pedro Sancho
This game can be played by from 4 to 7 players. Four could play individually or as partners. The
sancho is the nine of trumps, an extra scoring card worth 9 points. There is only one pedro, the five
of trumps - the other five of the same colour is not a trump. So there is one point each for high
(trump ace), low (trump two), jack (trump jack), game (trump ten), 5 points for pedro (trump five)
and 9 points for sancho (trump nine), making a maximum of 18 points. All these (including low)
count for the player that wins the card in a trick.
Most sources say that six cards are dealt to each player. Some say that the cards are dealt as far as
they will go around evenly. There is a single round of bidding: apparently there is no minimum
bid; the maximum bid is obviously 18. The dealer can take the bid by equalling the highest number
bid by the other players. There is no mention of discarding unwanted cards and replenishing the
hands, though this could clearly be incorporated.
It seems that the bidders first lead must be a trump. Players must follow suit if a trump is led; if a
non-trump is led they can follow suit or trump. If the bid is made, everyone scores the points they
made. If the bid fails, the bidder loses the number of points bid. The first player or team to 100
points wins. To decide who is first, the points are counted in the order: high, low, jack, game,
pedro, sancho.
Dom Pedro; Snoozer
The joker (called snoozer or dom) is added to the pack, and is always the lowest card of the trump
suit. The game is similar to Pedro Sancho, except that the trump three counts 3 points and the joker
counts 15, making a total of 36 points available. The winner is the first to reach 100 points. To
decide who is first the cards are counted in the order: high, low, jack, game, three, pedro, sancho,
snoozer.
King Pedro
In this variation of Pedro, the king of trumps scores 30 points. This increases the number of points
available from 14 to 44, the scoring trumps being ace (1), king (30), jack (1), ten (1), right pedro (5), left
pedro (5), two (1). The right pedro is the five of the trump suit, and the left pedro is the other five of the
same colour, which counts as a trump ranking immediately below the right pedro. The two of trumps
scores for the player who plays it; the other trumps score for the team that wins the trick in which they
are played.
As usual there are four players, partners sitting opposite. From a standard 52 card deck, 12 cards are dealt
to each player, and 4 cards are dealt face down to the table to form a kitty.
The player to dealer's left bids first, and the bidding goes around the table as many times as necessary. At
your turn you can pass or bid a number. The minimum bid is 30, and each subsequent number bid must
be higher than the previous bid. If you pass, you are out of the auction; you cannot bid in later rounds.

When three players have passed, the highest bidder names the trump trump suit and takes the four kitty
cards. It is very unusual for all four players to pass, but if it happens the cards are thrown in without play
and the next dealer deals.
All players must then reduce their hands to six cards if possible, by discarding non-trump cards. A player
who has more than six trumps discards all their non-trumps and must play more than one card to the first
trick, so as to have only five cards left at the start of the second trick. If you have to play more than one
trump to the first trick only one of these cards can be a scoring trump. If you are lucky enough to have all
seven scoring trumps you can play the two and one other scoring trump in the first trick.
If a trump is led, the other players must play trumps if possible. If a non-trump is led, the other players
can play any card they wish. A trick is won by the highest trump in it. If no trumps were played, the
leader wins, irrespective of the rank and suit of the cards played. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
A player who has no trumps left must announce "I'm up!", and throw in the rest of their cards. This
player takes no further part until the next hand.
When all six tricks have been played, the teams count the scoring cards they have taken. If the bidder's
team have at least as many points as the bid, they score these points; otherwise they lose the amount of
the bid. The bidder's opponents always score the points they make. To win the game you have to reach a
cumulative score of 200 or more points as a result of a successful bid. If you do this you win even if the
non-bidding team has more points at the time. You cannot win the game by reaching 200 or more on a
hand where the other team were the bidders, nor on a hand where you are set but your score remains over
200. However, if a team reaches minus 100 points they lose the game, no matter what the other team
have scored.
Mark Given has written a shareware King Pedro computer program.
Canadian / Ukrainian King Pedro

Olga Prebushewski reports a different version of King Pedro, played by Ukrainians in Canada. In this
version the points are:
ace ("high") ... 1 point
king ... 30 points
jack ... 1 point
ten ... 10 point
nine ... 9 points
five ... 5 points
other five of same colour ... 5 points
two ("low") ... 1 point
The point for the two is won by the team that held the card; the other points are won by the team that
won the trick containing the card. Thus there are a total of 62 points available. As usual the other five of
the same colour as trumps counts as a trump ranking between the 5 and the 4.
Nine cards are dealt to each player. The minimum bid is 30; the maximum 62. The bidding goes around

the table as many times as necessary until one player makes a bid that the other three players pass. Then
the high bidder chooses trumps, another four cards each are dealt and each player discards seven
non-trump cards, keeping a hand of six.
If you have no trumps at all among your 13 cards you "fold your hand" - place your cards face down and
take no part in the play. If you have only one trump, or two trumps one of which is the two, you may pass
these to partner and then fold. If you have more than six trumps then you may discard non-scoring
trumps, but they must be discarded face up, so that everyone knows what trumps are in play. If you have
all seven scoring trumps you may discard the two.
The high bidder must start by leading a trump. Thereafter the winner of a trick may lead anything to the
next. If a trump is led the other players must play trumps if they can. If a non-trump is led the other
players must play non-trumps (of any suit) if possible; only a player who has nothing but trumps can
play one. A trick is won by the highest trump played to it; if no trumps are played it is won by the player
who led to the trick, irrespective of the other cards played.
If the bidders take at least as many points as they bid they win the points they made; if not they lose the
amount they bid. The opposing team always score the points they make. The game is won by the first
team who achieve a score of 262 points at the end of a hand on which they made a successful bid.
Sixty-Three
The process of adding further scoring trumps to Pedro is further continued in this game. Not only the
nine (as in Pedro Sancho) and the king (as in King Pedro) but also the three of trumps is a scoring card.
There are four players in fixed partnerships, and a standard 52 card pack is used. The ranking of the cards
is as in Pedro, with the other five as the same color as trumps (the left Pedro) counting as a trump ranking
immediately below the five. Points are scored for winning scoring trumps in tricks, the scores being as
follows:
ace ("high") ... 1 point
king ... 25 points
jack ... 1 point
ten (sometimes called "game") ... 1 point
nine ... 9 points
five ("right pedro") ... 5 points
other five of same colour ("left pedro") ... 5 points
three ... 15 points
two ("low") ... 1 point
This makes 63 points altogether - hence the name of the game.
Nine cards are dealt to each player, in threes. The bidding is by numbers, the maximum being 63 and the
minimum (presumably) 1. Players bid in rotation, starting at dealer's left and going around the table as
many times as necessary until the highest bid is passed by the other three players. After the bidding each
player is dealt four more cards (which uses up the whole pack) discards seven cards, so that everyone has

a 6 card hand.
The rules of play are as in Pedro. The high bidder leads. Players must who can follow suit must either do
so or trump. Players who cannot follow suit can play anything.
The whole game is won by the first team to 152 points.
Eighty-Three
This game seems to be confined to Maine, USA. The following description is based on a contribution
from Linda Moran. Jason Breton and David Wuori have provided some further details and variations.
83 is a four player game with partners sitting opposite each other. It is played with 53 cards - a standard
deck with one joker.
It is called 83 because that is the number of possible points. Points are scored for winning cards of the
trump suit in tricks. Trumps are chosen by the high bidder and the trump suit consists of 15 cards: all
cards of the named suit, the other five of the same color, and the joker. The ranking (from high to low)
and values of the trumps are as follows:
Trump card ace king queen jack 10 9 8 7 6 5 other 5 4 3 2 joker
Point value 1 25 20 1 1 9 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 1 15
The cards in the other suits rank from ace (high) to two (low) - missing the five in the suit of the same
color as trump - and have no point value.
The game is played clockwise. Each person is dealt 12 cards and five cards go face down in the center as
the "kitty".
The bidding begins with the player to dealer's left, and each person in turn can pass or bid a number,
which must be higher than the previous bid (if any). The bid is the number of points you and your partner
contract to take in tricks. The minimum bid is 30 and highest normal bid is 83 - the total number of
points in the pack. However, a higher bid of "83 double" is also allowed: like a normal 83, this is also a
contract for you and your partner to take all the points, but it scores 166 if successful (and you lose 166 if
you fail).
The bidding continues for as many rounds as necessary until all of the players except one has passed. The
high bidder then takes the five card kitty and announces a suit of their choice which will be trumps. All
players must then reduce their hands to six cards, discarding any excess. A player who has more than 6
trumps may keep a hand of six trumps and pass any excess to partner. If two partners have more than 12
trumps between them, they will have to discard suficient non-scoring trumps to bring their hands down to
six trumps each. It is always illegal to discard scoring trumps, and thus there are always 83 points in play.
The bidder leads to the first trick. Any card may be led - there is no compulsion to lead a trump if you see
an advantage in doing otherwise. If a trump is led, the other players must play trumps if they have them;
if not they may throw any card. If a non-trump is led, the other players have a choice of playing a card of
the led suit or a trump. It is always legal to play a trump, even if you have cards of the led suit, but you
are not allowed to throw a card of a different non-trump suit unless you have no card of the suit that was

led.
When all six tricks have been played, each team counts the value of the scoring trumps they have won in
the tricks. If the bidding team won at least as many points as the bid, they score the points they won. If
they have not taken enough points to fulfil their bid they are 'set', and they lose the number of points that
they bid. In either case, the opposing team score the points they won in their tricks.
The first team to reach an agreed target score (for example 200 points) wins the game.
63 and 83 variations
I have described 63 played with 52 cards and 83 played with 53 including a joker. It is possible to play
either game with or without the joker. If the joker is used, it is the lowest trump, worth 15 and the trump
three is worth nothing. When playing without a joker the trump three is worth 15 points.
Linda Moran reports that in thier group 83 used to be played with a minimum bid of 40, but nowadays
the minimum is 1. This allows low bids to be used to exchange information between partners.
In either game the deal may be 9 cards to each player, in threes. After the bidding, all players discard
their non-trumps and the dealer deals sufficient replacement cards to the other players so that they each
have a six card hand. Anyone who had more than six trumps passes any excess trumps to their partner
before the dealer replenishes the hands. The dealer takes all the undealt cards and discards down to six
cards.

Here are two Finnish web pages, which give the rules of Pidro in Swedish:
Det sterbottniska kortspelet PIDRO
Pidro
Here is Mark Given's King Pedro program.


Rules of Card Games: Schnapsen
Schnapsen
This description was contributed by Keith Waclena (k-waclena@uchicago.edu), maintainer of the
Austrian Beer Guide.
Table of Contents
The Idea of the Game
The Cards
The Deal
The Play
The Trump Jack
Marriages
Exhausting the Stock
Last Trick
Closing
Going Out
Game
Comments on Strategy
Variants
Three-Handed Schnapsen
Bauernschnapsen
Sechsundsechzig
Gaigel
References
Other Schnapsen WWW Pages and Software
Schnapsen (or Schnapser) is a popular Austrian two-hander. It is essentially a tightened-up version of the
classic German game Sechsundsechzig. Other closely related games include Tausendeins (Austria), Tute
(Spain), Tyziacha (Russia and Ukraine), and Snapszli (Hungary), but anyone familiar with any member
of the Ace-Ten family (such as Pinochle) will grasp the essentials quickly. Schnapsen is an inherently
tense game that requires a lot of concentration and so isn't good for socializing, but it's a challenging
game whose interest never wavers.
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Schnapsen is a point-trick game of the Marriage group, and so the basic idea is to win points by capturing
valuable cards in tricks, and to make bonuses by melding marriages (matched pairs of kings and queens).
However, there are a few ideas that set Schnapsen apart. The first is that the game is played at
trick-and-draw with no requirement to follow suit until the stock is closed, at which point the tricks
remaining in hand are played out strictly, F,t,r. The second is that to win a hand you need 66 card points,
and the players are required to keep track of their score in their heads -- the use of a scoresheet is not
allowed. If your score reaches 66 and you neglect to announce the fact, then your opponent can claim a
win when they reach 66, irrespective of your score; also, if a player claims 66 when they have not in fact
made it, they pay a penalty. A game is seven game points, and can be reached pretty quickly when
penalties and bonuses come into play. Finally, the pack is so short that there's no dead wood: virtually
every card counts and it can be agony trying to decide how to play each one. The short pack also allows a
pretty complete understanding of the lay of the cards to build up quickly, and closing turns out to be the
key element of strategy. Very few games are played out to the end of the pack, and the decision of when
to close can be used as a blow to crush your opponent or as a gamble to prevent her from presenting you
with the same fate.
A typical game proceeds as follows. The hands are dealt and the top card of the stock is turned up as
trump. The hands are played out at trick-and-draw as the players vie to build up strength (usually in
trumps) to allow them to close the stock. They also watch for valuable melds (marriages and the trump
Jack, which can be swapped for the valuable turn-up trump) that can swing the hand to a rapid close. All
the while the players are keeping track of their own scores and their opponent's. At some point one of the
players flips over the turn-up, signalling that the deck is closed and the cards remaining in hand are
played out, with no replacement from the stock, following suit strictly, trumping and heading the trick
when required. Usually one player's trumps come out immediately and she announces 66 before the hand
is played out. But if she calls it incorrectly, her opponent wins a big bonus.
The Cards
Schnapsen is played with a 20-card French- or German-suited pack. I will describe the game with French
suits. To play with a standard 52-card international pack, strip out the Nines through the Twos. Austrian
Schnapsen packs come with 24 cards, as for Sechsundsechzig; you should strip out the Nines before
playing.
The ranks and values of the cards follow the usual Central European model:
Card Value
Ace 11
Ten 10
King 4
Queen 3
Jack 2
When playing with a German-suited pack, the ranks and values are as follows:

Card Value
Daus (As) 11
Zehner 10
Knig 4
Ober (Dame) 3
Unter (Bube) 2
Note that the Daus, or two, is used as high card, instead of the ace (although it is sometimes called the
ace (As)). Note also that, in the absence of a queen, same-sex marriages are between the Knig and Ober.
In fact Obers are often referred to as Queens (Damen) and Unters as Jacks (Buben).
The Deal
Determine the dealer by any acceptable means; thereafter, the deal alternates. After the shuffle and cut,
deal five cards to each (traditionally by two-then-three or vice versa). The next card is turned up to
determine the trump suit, and the remaining stock of nine undealt cards is stacked face-down, crosswise
on top of the trump, so that the value of the trump card can still be seen.
The Play
Non-dealer leads. In the first part of the hand, a trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led, or by the
highest trump if any is played. There is no obligation to follow suit or to trump. The trick is taken by the
winner and, once turned face down in front of her, should not be looked at again. The winner scores the
point value of the two cards in the trick, as per the table above. It is important for the players to try to
remember how many points they have taken; these scores may not be written down or otherwise
recorded, nor are the players allowed to look back at previous tricks to check how many points they have
taken. After the trick is played, the winner of the trick takes the top card of the stock to replenish her
hand, after which the loser does the same. The winner of the trick leads to the next.
The Trump Jack

As in many Central European Ace-Ten games, the holder of the lowest trump card (in this case the Jack)
may exchange it for the trump turn-up. This can only be done by a player who has already won a trick.
The exchange does not have to be made at the first possible opportunity - the holder of the trump jack
can wait and exchange after any trick as long as cards still remain in the stock, and the stock has not been
closed. The exchange must take place after both players have played to the trick, but before a card is led
to the next trick; you can't exchange in the midst of a trick. Once the stock has been closed or exhausted,
the trump jack cannot be exchanged.
Marriages
A marriage (the matched King and Queen of any suit) may be melded at any time by leading one of the
two to a trick; the other of the pair must be shown simultaneously. This scores 20 points (for a plain

marriage) or 40 points (for a royal marriage, i.e., a marriage in trumps). However, while a marriage can
be melded at any time, the score does not count until the melder has taken a trick. So for example, a
player may meld a royal marriage for 40 potential points on the opening lead, but if she doesn't take a
trick by the end of the hand her score is zero.
Once the stock is closed or has been exhausted, no marriages may be melded.
Exhausting the Stock

If no one closes, eventually the last two cards of the stock are drawn - the last face-down card goes to the
winner of this trick and the face-up trump to the loser. After this the rules of play change and become
more strict. Players must follow suit; also, subject to the requirement to follow suit the second player
must beat the led card if possible. This means that if your opponent leads a non-trump:
1. you must play a higher card of the same suit if you can;
2. failing this you must play a lower card of the same suit;
3. if you have no card of the suit that was led you must play a trump;
4. if you have no trumps either you may play anything.
If your opponent leads a trump:
1. you must play a higher trump if possible;
2. if you have no higher trump you must play a lower trump;
3. if you have no trumps at all you may play anything.
After the stock is exhausted, no more marriages may be melded. This means in particular that you cannot
meld a marriage using the card you drew on the trick on which the stock became exhausted.
It is worth noting that among experienced players it does not often happen that the stock is exhausted;
usually the stock is closed.
Last Trick
The player taking the last trick gains an extra ten points. However, this bonus is only obtained if the
entire deck has been played out and no-one closed.
Closing
At any point, when it is her turn to lead, either player may close the stock, by flipping over the trump
turn-up and placing it face-down on the top of the stock. (The opponent gets a chance to exchange the
trump Jack.) The stock can be closed either before drawing replacement cards or after, so the final hand
may contain either four or five cards apiece.
Once the stock is closed, the rules are as for when the stock is exhausted: follow suit and head the trick if
possible, otherwise trump, otherwise renege, and no marriages. The remaining cards are played out.

Going Out
A player who believes she has 66 or more points can declare this fact, claiming to have won the hand.
Play ceases immediately. Typically this happens when a player has just won a trick, but it may happen
just as a player declares a marriage (and hence before the opponent has a chance to play her card -- even
if the opponent does manage to play her card in this case the trick doesn't count towards the score).
At this point there are two possibilities: the player claiming to be out is right, or she is wrong. If she is
right, she scores points toward game as follows:
one game point, if the opponent has made at least 33 points;
two game points, if the opponent has made fewer than 33 points, but has made at least one point
(opponent is said to be Schneider);
three game points, if the opponent has made zero points (opponent is said to be Schwartz).
If she is wrong, the opponent scores two points toward game, or three if the opponent has taken no tricks.
If a player closes and subsequently fails to reach 66, the penalties are the same.
If neither player went out, i.e., play continued to the very last trick, the winner is the player with more
points. If the players are tied above 66, the game point goes to the winner of the next hand. A draw at 65
is possible, and scores no game points.
To determine the correctness of a claim, both players' points are counted up by recalling points for
marriages and going through the cards won in tricks, though if both players agree on each other's scores
this step can be skipped. (It's no insult to ask for the points to be counted.)
When settling a claim, it may sometimes turn out that the player who did not claim actually had 66 or
more points. This does not affect the score - as long as the claim was correct, the claiming player wins,
however many points the opponent had. The opponent should have kept better track of the score and
claimed earlier.
Game
A game is won by the first player to reach seven game points.
Comments on Strategy
Nearly every card in Schnapsen counts. There's almost no deadwood, so you have to think carefully
about what you want to do with each card. Aces and Tens are worth a lot of points, but you can't safely
lead them in the first half because your opponent is likely to trump them. You want to hold on to Kings
and Queens because of the potential for marriages, but of course your opponent is probably holding the
mates so you will need to discard them eventually. This leaves only three Jacks that you can throw off to
tricks without pain (the trump Jack you probably want to keep for the exchange). Of course you'll be
forced to break these rules on occasion. You might pull trump with Aces or Tens when holding a long
non-trump suit. It can be advantageous to not have the lead in the first half, so that you can win tricks
with Tens and Aces to gain points, but you need to be able to get the lead back in order to meld

marriages. But there are so few cards in your hand, and the stock runs out so quickly, that you usually
can't manage to make plans like these work.
Closing at the right time is the key tactic of the game. You need to count your points, and always keep a
count of the sure points that you could win if you closed, along with the average points you'd gain from
your opponent. The minute you have a sure (or likely) 66, you should close and rake in your game points.
You also need to count your opponent's points, so that you can change your strategy when you think she's
about to close (quickly using your trump to be sure to cross the Rubicon of 33 points, for example). A
risky close might be indicated if your opponent can be made Schneider or Schwartz.
Don't be put off your stride by a few bad hands; Schnapsen allows exciting come-from-behind wins.
There's nothing like winning the game after your opponent is ahead 6-0!
Variants
Bauernschnapsen (Farmer's Schnapsen) - an elaborated four-handed partnership version of Schnapsen -
and Talon-Schnapsen - a version of Schnapsen for three players - are described on a separate page.
Sechsundsechzig
The German progenitor of Schnapsen, Sechsundsechzig ("Sixty-Six"), is played exactly the same way,
except that a 24-card pack is used, including the Nines, which count zero points in tricks, and six cards
are dealt, rather than five. The Nine of trumps is used for the exchange. Schnapsen is a tighter game by
virtue of the elimination of the Nines.
Gaigel
Gaigel is a four handed partnership version of Sechsundsechzig, played with a double 24-card pack. It's a
fun game but lacks the strategic element of closing.
References
Helmuth Gugl. Meister Schnapsen. Vienna: Ferd. Piatnik and Sons, 1971.
David Parlett. The Oxford Guide to Card Games. Oxford: The University Press, 1990.
David Parlett. Card Games for Two. Teach Yourself Books. Sevenoaks, Kent, UK: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1978.
Johannes Bamberger. Sechsundsechzig. Perlen-Reihe Band 639, Franz Deuticke Verlag, Wien,
Austria, 1998.
Other Schnapsen WWW Pages and Software

In Austria, an national Schnapsen championship is held each year. Some details of this can be found on
the Millionen-Schnapsen web page.

The Schnapsen97 computer program and the more recent Schnapsen32: Edition 2000 computer program
(which also plays Bauernschnapsen) are available from KEC Austria (Triangle productions).


Rules of Card Games: Ninety-eight
Ninety-eight / Ninety-nine / One Hundred

This page is based on a contributions from Chris Jepson, Anita Hollister, Alan Orcutt, Brad Wilson and
Nicholas Cheung.
Introduction
98
99 and 99 variations
100
Other 98 / 99 / 100 pages
Introduction
These are adding games, in which the values of the cards are added together as they played in a single
pile, the object being to avoid taking the total above the target score (98, 99, 100 respecively). Note that
there are also other, quite different card games called 99 and 100. There is Ninety-nine, the three-player
trick taking game invented by David Parlett, and the Chinese partnership trick-taking game of Hundred.
Ninety-eight
This is a fairly simple drinking game for 2 or more players, using a standard 52 card deck.
Deal out four cards to each player and place the remainder face down to form the stock. The player to the
dealer's left begins and play continues in clockwise order. Players play their cards on the table to form a
face-up pile alongside the stock.
At your turn you play one of your four cards to the face up pile, call out the new value of the pile, and
then draw the top card from the face down stock to replace the card you played.
At the start of the game there are no cards in the pile and its value is zero. Played cards affect the value of
the pile as follows:
ace to nine .... increase the value of the pile by the pip count of the card
ten .... reduce the value by ten
jack, queen .... the value stays the same
king .... the value is set to 98
The aim is to avoid taking the value above 98. The first person who makes the value of the pile more
than 98 loses, and has to take a drink.
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Example. The first player plays an 8 and says 8; the next player plays a 6 and says 14; the next player
plays a king and says 98; the next player plays a jack and says 98; the next player plays a ten and says
88; the next player plays a 7 and says 95; the next player's four cards are 4, 5, 6, 9 - this player must lose.
Ninety-nine
Note: This game should not be confused with David Parlett's Ninety-nine, which is a trick-taking game
in which the cards discarded define the bid.
Each player begins the game with 5 pennies (or chips). Deal out 3 cards to each player from a standard
52 card deck (if more than 4 people are playing use 2 decks and give each player just 3 pennies). The
undealt cards are placed on the table to form a face-down stock.
The player to the left of the dealer starts and the turn initially passes clockwise. On each turn you play
one of your three cards face-up to the centre of the table, call out the total value of the face-up pile (as
per the table below), then draw the top card from the stock. When the face-up pile is empty the count is
zero. For each card played add the pip value of the card played to the total value of the pile. Jacks and
queens count as 10. The following cards cause special effects:
Ace - increases the value of the pile by one or eleven, at the player's choice.
Four - the value of the pile remains the same but the direction of play reverses.
Nine - counts as zero - the value of the pile remains the same and play passes to next player in
turn.
Ten - increases or reduces the value of the pile by ten, at the player's choice.
King - the value of the pile is set to 99.
If you cannot play without taking the value of the pile over 99, you lay down your hand. The play ends,
and you toss one penny into the center; players who have no pennies left drop out of the game. After
each hand, the deal passes to next player to the left of the previous dealer who is still in. Hands continue
till only one player has any pennies left, and that player is the winner.
When someone plays a nine or a four they repeat the value of the pile, calling out "pass to you #" or
"back on you #" respectively. For example here is part of a four-player game; play is currently running
clockwise. Player 1 plays a King and says "99". Player 2 plays a nine and says (looking at player 3) "pass
to you 99". Player 3 plays a four and says (looking at player 2, since play order will now run
counterclockwise until another four is played) "back on you 99". Player 1 plays a ten and says "89".
Player 4 plays a eight and says "97". Player 3 plays a four, looks at player 4 and says "back on you 97"
(now we're back to clockwise), and so on.
This game should be played very rapidly. It is easy to forget to draw a replacement after you play a card.
If that happens it cannot be corrected afterwards - you must get by with just two cards for the rest of the
hand.

99 Variations
The number of coins players have at the start of the game can be varied, as can the number of cards in
each player's hand. For example Alan Orcutt reports a variation in which everyone starts with 4 nickels
and five cards are dealt to each player.
Some play that after a player goes over 99 and loses a coin, the pile is taken away and the other players
continue to play with the cards they have in their hands, starting a new pile from zero. If the stock runs
out, the played cards are shuffled to form a new stock pile, but the running total of the pile is preserved.
Brad Wilson describes a verion with the following differences:
The card which reverses direction without changing the value of the pile is the 8, not the 4.
The king has no special property - it is just worth 10 card points.
You lose a game point when you play a card which causes the value of the pile to cross any of the
three borders 33:34, 66:67 and 99:100. When the score exceeds 99 the play ends and a new hand is
dealt. Therefore a total of three game points are normally lost on each hand, as the three borders
are crossed, but it is possible to lose extra points by using tens to go backwards - for example if the
pile is 75 and you play a ten as -10 you will lose a game point as you take the total down to 65.
Each player starts each hand with three game points. Whatever game points you have left at the
end of the hand are added to your cumulative score. When (over several hands) anyone achieves a
score of 15 game points or more, the player with the highest score wins.
One Hundred
This section is based on a description posted to rec.games.playing-cards by Nicholas Cheung.
Note: this game is not to be confused with the Chinese game of Hundred (Da Bai Fen) in which the aim
is to win kings, tens and fives in tricks.
One normal deck of 52 cards is used for 3 to 6 players. If there are 7 or more players 2 decks are used.
Each player begins with three chips and the object of the game is to be the last player to have any chips
left.
Three cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, and the remaining cards are placed face-down on the
table to form a stock. The cards put down by the players will form a face-up pile beside the stock. At the
start of the game there are no face-up cards and the value of the (empty) pile is zero. The player to the
left of dealer begins and the initial direction of play is clockwise. At your turn you put down one card
face-up on the pile, say the new value of the pile, and draw the top card of the stock to replace the card
you played.
Most of the pip card are worth their face value, which is added to the value of the pile. Queens other than
hearts are worth ten. So for example the first player might play a nine, saying "9" and the next player
might put a six on it saying "15", and so on.
Certain cards have special effects as follows:
Black Aces The player can set the pile value to any number from 0 to 100.

Doubles the previous value (for example if the previous player made the pile 36,
Two of Spades
adding the 2 will make the new value 72)
Fours The pile value is unchanged but the direction of play is reversed.
Red Fives Deduct 5 from the previous pile value (i.e. red fives are worth -5).
Tens Set the pile value to 100.
Jacks Deduct 10 from the previous pile value (i.e. jacks are worth -10).
Queen of Hearts Set the pile value to zero.
Kings The pile value is unchanged (i.e. kings are worth zero).
The aim of the game is not to be the player who takes the value of the pile over 100. If you are unable to
play a card keeps the value to 100 or less, you lose one chip. A player who has lost all three chips is out
of the game. The last player who has any chips left is the winner.
Example: if the player before you makes the pile value 100, the only cards you can play are black aces,
fours, red fives, tens, jacks, the Q and the kings.
Other 98 / 99 / 100 WWW pages

Here is Brad Wilson's Ninety-nine page.
On the Drinking Games site there is an incomplete description of Beer 99.


Rules of Card Games: Ninety-Nine
Ninety-Nine
An original card game for 3 players (with variants for 2, 4, 5), invented by David Parlett.
Contents
Ninety-nine for three players
Ninety-nine for four players
Ninety-nine for five players
Ninety-nine for two players
Other Variations
Ninety-Nine Software
Ninety-Nine for Three Players

Ninety-Nine was developed in 1968 in response to the need for a skilled but easily learnt plain-trick
game for three players. It was first published in 1975 and has since appeared in card-game books in
various countries including Germany, Hungary, Japan and Argentina.
David Parlett has contributed the following description of his game, the rules of which he revised in
1990. He says he now wishes he had originally called the game 'Sphinx'.
Note: There is another card game called Ninety-Nine, an adding game, sometimes played as a drinking
game in which the object is to play cards without taking the total value of the pile above 99. This has no
connection with the game described here.
Deal
Three players each receive 12 cards from a 36-pack ranking A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 in each suit. The turn to
deal and play passes always to the left.
Objective
The players each lay aside three bid-cards and play the remaining nine cards to tricks. Each player aims
to win exactly as many tricks as indicated secretly and in code by their bid-cards. For this purpose, the
suits of the bid-cards represent numbers of tricks bid as follows:
= 3 tricks = 2 tricks = 1 trick = 0 tricks
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Example: Bid nine tricks by laying aside (3 + 3 + 3 = 9), none by laying aside (0 + 0
+ 0 = 0). Three may be bid (3 + 0 + 0), (2 + 1 + 0) or (1 + 1 + 1). And so
on.
Premium Bids
Normally, bid-cards are left face down and remain unseen until exposed at the end of play to claim a win.
For a premium, however, a player may offer to 'declare' by turning his or her bid-cards face up at the start
of play, thus declaring their target and revealing more information about the lie of cards. For a higher
premium, a player may offer to 'reveal' by not only turning their bid-cards up at start of play but also then
playing with their hand of cards exposed on the table before the opening lead. Only one player may
declare or reveal. If more than one wish to declare, priority goes to the player nearest the dealer's left,
dealer having least priority. An offer to reveal overcalls an offer to declare regardless of position - but if
two or more wish to reveal, the same priority applies.
Trumps
The first deal is played at no trump. Each subsequent deal is played with a trump suit determined by the
number of players who fulfilled their previous contract. The trump suit is clubs if all three succeeded,
hearts if two, spades if one or diamonds if no-one fulfilled their contract.
Play
The player at the dealer's left leads first. Normal rules of trick-taking apply (Any suit may be led. Players
must follow suit if possible, otherwise may play any card. A trick is taken by the highest card of the suit
led or by the highest trump if any are played. The winner of each trick leads to the next.)
Claims
Whoever claims to have fulfilled their contract must face their bid-cards to prove it, but no-one who fails
need show them. The true bid is always the number represented by the bid-cards.
Score
Each player's score for the deal consists of two or three components, namely
Trick score
1 point per trick taken, regardless of bid.
Contract score
For fulfilling one's contract, 10 points if all three succeeded, 20 if only two players succeeded, 30
if only one player succeeds.
Premium score
A successful premium bidder scores an additional 30 for a declaration or 60 for a revelation. In the
event of failure each opponent scores the relevant premium, independently of their own success or
failure.

Game
Game is 100 points - one more than the highest score achievable in a single deal. A premium of 100 is
added to the score of any player who reaches 100 or more in play, as the winner is bound to do. A rubber
is the best of three games, each in turn dealing first to a new game.
Ninety-Nine for four

Deal 13 cards each from a 52-card pack. Use three bid-cards to bid up to 10 tricks. A bid of three
diamonds represents either 0 or 10 tricks, and either number of tricks taken fulfills the contract. The
contract score is 30 if one player succeeds, 20 if two, 10 each if three, zero if all four either succeed or
fail their contract. If all four succeeds, the following deal is played at No Trump, otherwise the trump suit
is determined as the three-handed game. The premium score is 30 or 60 as before. A rubber is the best of
four games.
Ninety-Nine for five

Five players receive 12 each from the Australian 'Five Hundred' pack including Elevens and Twelves
(but ignoring the Thirteens) and lay aside three cards to bid up to nine. The contract score is 10 if all five
succeeds, 20 if four, 30 if three, 40 if two, 50 if only one. No-one may reveal, but any number of players
may declare for a premium of 50 points if successful or minus 50 if not. If four or five players succeed,
the next deal if played at No Trump. A rubber is the best of five games. For a shorter game, play up to an
agreed target score, such as 500 or 250 points.
Ninety-Nine for two

This is played exactly like three-handed Ninety-Nine but with a dummy third player.
Deal three hands of 12 cards each face down. Separate the top three cards of the dummy hands as its
'bid'. These remains face down and unseen till end of play. Each player bids in usual way. Either or both
players may declare, but neither may reveal.
After the bids and any declaration have been made the dummy is turned face up and sorted into suits. The
first deal is played with clubs trump; thereafter, the trump suit is determined as in the three-handed game.
Non-dealer leads to the first trick, waits for the second to play, then plays any legal card from dummy. If
a live player wins the trick, he leads first from hand and third from dummy. If the dummy wins a trick,
the person who played from it then leads first from dummy and third from hand.
At end of play, the dummy's bid-cards are turned up and all three players score as in the three-handed
games. If one player declares and fails the other two score the premium of 30. If both declare and fail,

neither gains a premium but the dummy scores 60 extra.

If the dummy wins, the game is a tie as between the live players. If it beats or ties with one live player,
the winner carries an extra 100 points forward, or, if playing for hard score, wins double.
Other Variations
Original 99
The older version of three player 99, originally published in 1975 and probably still played by many
people, differs only slightly from the revised version described above:
To the 36 card pack a joker is added. 12 cards each are dealt and the last card is turned up to
designate the trump suit. If it is the joker or a nine, the hand is played at no trumps. If the joker is
dealt to one of the players, then it represents a duplicate of the turned up card for the purposes of
bidding and play.
A rubber consists of exactly nine hands, the players' cumulative scores determining who has then
won, and by how much.
Nines as trump
Nicholas Tallyn reports a variation in which a player who declares or reveals is also allowed to choose
the trump suit. This player can choose one of the four suits, or can call nines as trumps. When nines are
trumps, the four nines are a suit of their own containing just the four nines, ranking from high to low:
9, 9, 9, 9.
Unbidden Ninety-Nine
This variation for three players has been proposed by Charles Magri.
Instead of putting aside their bid cards at the start of play, the players simply play with hands of twelve
cards. After nine tricks the play ends, and the three remaining cards held by each player determine their
bids.
The premium bids in this variant could be somewhat different from those of the standard game. Some
possibilities are:
a player states a number of tricks and must arrange to bid and make that number;
a player exposes all twelve cards and must arrange for the number of tricks won to correspond to
the bid;
a player exposes all twelve cards and states a number of tricks.

Ninety-nine Software
A Ninety-Nine computer program written by Patrick Coscas is available from his Recreasoft web site.


Rules of Card Games: Five Hundred
Five Hundred
Introduction
Australian Four-handed Five Hundred
Players and Cards
Deal
Bidding
Play
Play of the Joker
Scoring
End of the Game
Variations
The play of the joker
The bidding process
Misere
Scoring by contractor's opponents
New Zealand Five Hundred
Other Numbers of Players
Three players
Five players
Six players
Two players
American Five Hundred
Four-handed Five Hundred - St Paul West 7th St Rules
Tournament Play - St. Paul Midway rules
Youngstown, Ohio Rules
Other 500 WWW pages and software
http://www.pagat.com/euchre/500.html (1 de 13) [04/05/2001 9:45:42]

Introduction
Although Five Hundred is now the national card game of Australia, it was in fact invented in the USA,
and promoted by the US Playing Card Company, who copyrighted the rules in 1904. The game is called
500 because the first team (or player) to reach a total score of at least 500 points wins. It is an extension
of Euchre, in which the following elements have been added:
each player is dealt 10 cards instead of 5
trump is not turned up, but is chosen by whoever is willing to contract for the greatest number of
tricks;
the size of the pack is adjusted, so that all the cards are dealt to the players except for a kitty of
three cards, which can be used by the highest bidder.
From the outset, special expanded decks with extra pip cards were made to allow the game to be played
by six people. Arnetta Lee reports that she purchased a 61 card deck of "BIJOU" playing-cards made by
the US Playing Card Co. Cincinnati, U.S.A, including a joker and 11-spot and 12-spot cards in all suits,
and bearing a patent from June 30, 1896. She was advised by the US Playing-card Museum that the
61-card deck was first patented in 1881. In 1897 13's were added to the red suits to make a 63-card pack;
before that the 6-player version of 500 was presumably played with a kitty of only one card.
In Australia, 500 is normally played by four people, two playing against two in fixed partnerships; a
similar version of the game is played in New Zealand. The antipodean four-player versions of 500 will be
described first, followed by versions for other numbers of players.
500 is still played in North America as well, but the standard American rules are rather different from the
Australian game. Also included on this page are two specific American variations from St Paul,
Minnesota, contributed by Ben Butzer, and from Youngstown, Ohio, contributed by Carol Bott.
I have been told that 500 is also popular in the Shetland Islands (to the north of Scotland). As yet I have
no details of the version that is played there.
Australian Four-Handed Five Hundred

Players and Cards
There are four players, with partners sitting opposite. A pack of 43 cards is used, consisting of
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 in the red suits;
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 in the black suits;
one joker, also called the bird, because in the Australian 500 pack it depicts a Kookaburra instead
of a Jester.
When there is a trump suit, the highest trump is the joker, followed by the jack of the trump suit (right
bower), the other jack of the same colour (left bower), then Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, etc. down to 5 or 4.
For purposes of following suit, etc, the joker and left bower behave in all respects as members of the
trump suit. The other three suits rank in the usual order from ace (highest) down to 5 or 4, but the suit

which is the same colour as trumps has no jack.

When there are no trumps all the suits rank in the usual order from ace (high) down to 5 or 4 (low), and
there are special rules governing how the joker is played.
Deal
Deal, bidding and play proceed clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal
rotates clockwise after each hand. The cards are shuffled and cut and the dealer deals 10 cards to each
player and three face down in the middle of the table to form the kitty. The cards are usually dealt as
follows: a batch of 3 to each player; one to the kitty; 4 to each player; one to the kitty; 3 to each player;
one to the kitty.
Bidding
The bidding begins with the player to dealer's left and continues clockwise. The possible bids are:
1. a number of tricks (minimum six) and a trump suit - for example a bid of "eight diamonds"
undertakes that the bidder, with partner's help, will try to win at least eight tricks with diamonds as
trumps;
2. a number (minimum six) of "No Trumps", (also known as "No-ies") offering to win at least that
number of tricks without a trump suit;
3. Misere (pronounced "miz-air"), which is a contract to lose all the tricks, playing alone (partner
drops out of the play);
4. Open Misere, which is like Misere, but the contractor's hand is laid face-up on the table after the
first trick.
A player who does not wish to bid can pass. If all four players pass the cards are thrown in.
Once someone has bid, each subsequent bid must be higher than the previous one. Higher means either
more tricks, or the same number of tricks in a higher suit. For this purpose No trumps are highest,
followed by Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades (lowest). Thus the lowest possible bid is Six Spades
and the highest is Ten No Trumps.
Misere is higher than any bid of seven and lower than any bid of eight, but Misere can only be bid after
someone has bid seven - Misere cannot be bid directly over a six bid.
Open Misere is higher than Ten Diamonds but lower than Ten Hearts. You do not have to wait for the
bidding to reach any particular level - Open Misere can be bid over any lower bid, or even as the first bid
of the auction.
Note that some players rank Misere and Open Misere differently - see variations.
A player who has once passed cannot bid again in that auction. The bidding continues clockwise for as
many rounds as necessary, until all players except one have passed. The highest (and last) bid becomes
the contract which the bidder (contractor) has to make, with the named suit (if any) as trumps.

Play
The contractor begins by picking up the three cards of the kitty (without showing them to the other
players), and discarding any 3 cards face down in their place. The cards discarded can include cards
which were picked up from the kitty.
If the contract is Misere or Open Misere, the contractor's partner does not take part in the play, but puts
his cards face down on the table.
The contractor leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can. A player with no card of the
suit led may play any card. A trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if no trump is played by the
highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
If the contract is Open Misere, after the first trick has been played, the contractor arranges his cards face
up on the table for all to see, and plays the rest of the hand with his cards exposed.
Play of the joker
If there is a trump suit, the joker counts as the highest trump, as stated above.
In No Trumps, Misere or Open Misere, the joker may be used in one of two ways:
1. A contractor who holds the joker can nominate which suit it belongs to. It then counts as the
highest card of that suit.
2. If the contractor does not hold the joker, or holds it and does not nominate a suit, then the joker
belongs to no suit. It is the highest card in the pack, and wins the trick to which it is played, but
there are restrictions on when it can be played:
if someone else has led to the trick, you can only play the joker if you have no cards of the
suit led;
if the contract is a Misere or Open Misere, you must play the joker if you have no cards of
the suit led, but in a No Trump contract you are not obliged to play the joker in this situation
- you may discard from another suit instead if you wish, and play the joker on a later lead of
this suit or another suit in which you are void;
you may lead the joker and nominate a suit which the others must play if they can, provided
that this suit has not previously been led;
once all four suits have been led, it is illegal to lead the joker, except to the last trick.
Note that in some games the rules for playing the joker in No Trumps are different from the above - see
the variations section.
Scoring
A cumulative score is kept for each team, to which the score for each hand is added or subtracted. The
scores for the various contracts are as follows:
Tricks Spades Clubs Diamonds Hearts No Trumps Misere
Six 40 60 80 100 120
Seven 140 160 180 200 220

Misere 250
Eight 240 260 280 300 320
Nine 340 360 380 400 420
Ten 440 460 480
Open Misere 500
Ten 500 520
In a suit or no trump contract, the contractors win if they take at least as many tricks as they bid. The
contractors then score the appropriate amount from the above table, and their opponents score 10 points
for each trick they manage to win. There is no extra score for any additional tricks the contractors may
make in excess of their bid, except when they win every trick, which is called a slam. If the contractors
make a slam, and their bid was worth less than 250 points, they score 250 instead of their bid. If the bid
was worth more than 250 (8 clubs or more) there is no special score for a slam - if the contractors win
every trick they just win the value of their bid as normal.
Note: I am not sure whether the score of 250 for slam is universally played. If you play a version of
Australian 500 without this rule, please let me know.
If the contractors do not take enough tricks for their suit or no trump contract, they score minus the value
of the contract, and their opponents still score 10 points for each trick they won.
If the contract was Misere or Open Misere, the contractors score the appropriate amount (250 or 500) if
the contractor succeeds in losing every trick, and minus that amount if the contractor wins a trick. The
opponents score nothing in either case.
End of the Game

The game ends when a team wins by reaching a score of 500 points or more as a result of winning a
contract.
The game also ends if a team reaches minus 500 points or worse, and thus loses the game. This is called
"going out backwards" or "going out the back door".
Reaching 500 points or more as a result of odd tricks won while the other side are playing a contract is
not sufficient to win the game. If this happens, further hands are played until one team wins or loses as
described above.
Variations
As far as I know, there is no official and universally accepted set of rules for 500. There are four major
areas of dispute that I know of: the play of the joker, the bidding process, Misere and the scoring by
contractor's opponents. If you are starting a serious game with unfamiliar players, it would be advisable
to discuss and agree on your interpretation these rules in advance, to avoid arguments during the game.
1. Play of the Joker in No Trumps
Many people play that in No Trump contracts the Joker cannot be played on a lead of a suit on
which you have previously reneged (shown void). For example, if you have previously thrown
away a spade on a lead of a diamond, you cannot subsequently "trump" a diamond lead with the

joker. If you are left with the joker as your last card, and a suit is led on which you have previously
thrown away, your joker loses its power and the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
Some play that in No Trumps, the joker cannot be nominated in advance as belonging to a suit.
Such a nomination is, however, still possible in Misere.
Some people play that you can lead the Joker to any trick and call for any suit on which you have
not previously reneged. It does not matter whether this suit has been led before.
Matthew McNabb reports a version where in No Trumps, the joker can never be led, except to the
last trick. It can only be used to "trump" a suit led by another player when you have no cards of the
suit.
Roger Gadd reports a version where in No Trumps and Misere you play the joker (without
previous announcement) as either the first or last card you play of any suit. The consequences of
this are that:
You can lead the joker and nominate a suit in which no tricks have previously been played,
and the other players must then follow in that suit.
You can use the joker to follow to a suit led by another player in which no tricks have
previously been played (even if you hold other cards of that suit).
You can play the joker on a lead of a suit of which you have no cards provided that you
have not previously reneged (shown void) in that suit.
You can lead the joker and nominate any suit where you hold no cards provided that you
have not previously reneged (shown void) in that suit.
2. The bidding process
In the rules above I said that a player who has passed cannot bid again. Some play that you are
permitted to bid after passing, and that the auction continues with all four players speking in turn
until there are three passes in succession.
In the rules above I said that when all players except one have passed, that one player is the
contractor, playing the contract of the final bid. I believe that the most widespread rule is that as
soon as the other three players have passed, the contract is fixed as your last bid and cannot be
altered. However, some people play that after the other three players have passed, the contractor
can bid again, naming a higher contract (higher suit or more tricks in any suit). There are some
further variations around this:
Most play that if no one else has bid in the auction at all, you cannot increase your bid after
everyone has passed. Raising your own bid when the others have all passed is only allowed
if more than one player took part in the bidding.
If you raise your final bid after everyone has passed, there is the question of whether the
other players should now be allowed another chance to bid. A common ruling is that if in
raising the bid, the contractor changes the suit (or no trump), the other players have another
chance to bod. If the contractor simply raises the bid to a greater number of tricks in the
same suit (or no trumps) the other players cannot speak again.
3. Variations in the ranking and scoring of Misere contracts
Some players do not allow Misere bids at all.

Some people allow Misere to be bid may be allowed even though no one has yet bid seven tricks.
On the other hand, some play that Open Misere can not be bid until someone has bid at least eight
tricks.
Some play that Open Misere ranks between 9 No Trumps and 10 Spades in the bidding; others
play with Open Misere as the highest bid of all, sometimes giving it a score of 520 rather than 500.
Some play that it ranks equally to 10 Hearts in the bidding - whichever is bid first excludes the
other.
Paul Pinn reports a variation in which Misere ranks in the bidding above 8 spades and below 8
clubs - that is in the place you would expect, according to its score.
4. Variations in the points scored for tricks by the contractors' opponents
Everyone agrees that you cannot win the game as a result of the points scored for winning odd
tricks against the contractors - to win you have to win a bid which makes your total score 500 or
more (or you can win if the opponents go out the back door). Some play that when your score
reaches 490, you actually score nothing for tricks taken against the contractors - you just stay at
490 until you bid. Some reduce this threshhold to 460 - which makes no difference to the fact that
any successful bid will win you the game, but does make a difference if having hit 460 you then
lose some points for an unsuccessful contract. One player reported a variation in which the 10
points per trick cannot be counted by a team whose score is 400 or more.
A few players have dispensed with the score of 10 points per trick for the opponents altogether -
only the contractors' team scores. Others allow the score of 10 per trick only if the contractors lose;
if the contractors win their contract the opponents score nothing for the tricks they take. I think
these versions are uncommon - most people give 10 points per trick to the opponents always.
New Zealand Five Hundred

In some previous editions of this page I tried to identify some of the variations above as specific to New
Zealand rather than Australia. From information I have since received, it seems that by and large the
same verions of 500 are played in both New Zealand and Australia.
Variations - other numbers of players

The deal is always 10 cards to each player and 3 in the kitty. Therefore the size of pack varies with the
number of players.
Three players
A 33 card pack is used, the lowest card in each suit being the seven. The highest bidder plays alone, with
the other two players forming a temporary partnership.
Each player's score is kept separately. The game is won by a player whose score reaches 500 or more as a
result of winning a contract, or lost by a player whose score reaches minus 500 or worse.

Five players
Use a full standard pack plus a joker - 53 cards in all. If the contract is a suit or no trumps, the contractor
may choose either to play alone (one against four) or to play with a partner (two against three).
When playing with a partner, after discarding the kitty the contractor nominates any specific card other
than the joker or a bower. The player who holds that card is the contractor's partner but must not say
anything to reveal who they are. The identity of the partner becomes clear when the nominated card is
played.
A contractor who wishes to play alone should say so, instead of nominating a card.
If the contractor calls a partner, they each win or lose half the value of the contract. A contractor who
chooses to play alone wins or loses the full contract value alone. Misere and Open Misere are always
played alone against the other four players.
The winning and losing conditions are as in the three and four player games. If two players
simultaneously reach 500 or more by winning a contract they both win. Similarly, two players could lose
at the same time.
In the books, I have seen two other variations as to how the partner is chosen - I do not know whether
either of these methods is commonly used:
1. The contractor nominates a specific player as a partner.
2. After discarding the kitty, the contractor nominates a card, and the holder of the card immediately
says who they are.
There are also variations in the restrictions as to which card can be nominated. Some do not allow any
trump to be nominated; on the other hand, some allow any card to be nominated except the joker.
In some circles, if you wish to play alone, rather than announcing this you are allowed to do this secretly
by nominating a card which you hold yourself or have discarded. In this case your opponents may not
realise that you are playing alone until you play the nominated card, or until the end of the play if you
have discarded it.
It is a problem with 500 that Misere is too easy to win, compared to its scoring value. This problem is
worse in five-handed 500. Brent Easton recommends the following house rules:
Misere - Banned
Open Misere - Worth 230 points.
Super Open Misere - (If you're really desperate!) - Worth 430 points. The opponents not only get
to see your cards, but they get to play them for you as well!
Six players
There are two partnerships of three players, with partners sitting alternately. A special pack of 63 cards is
used, having 11's and 12's of all suits and 13's of the red suits, ranking above the 10 and below the
pictures. I am told that in Australia it is normal to use this pack for 500 (leaving out the extra cards), even
when the game is played by fewer than six people. The rules are as in the four player game. In a Misere
or Open Misere, both partners of the contractor put down their cards and take no part in the play.

If you want to play six handed but don't have the special pack, you can add the 2's, 3's and red 4's from a
second deck. If two of the same card are played on the same trick, the first played beats the second.
Two players
This version was contributed independently by Megan Corino and Barry Rigal
The two player game is played with the standard 43 card deck as used for 4 players. Each player is dealt
a hand of ten cards, plus five separate piles of two cards on the table, each pile consisting of a face down
card with a face up card on top of it.
The dealing procedure is as follows. First place 3 cards in front of your opponent to start 3 piles (each
with 1 card face down), then the same for yourself, then a packet of 3 cards to the opponent's hand and 3
to your own hand and 1 in the kitty. Next deal 4 cards to your opponent - 2 face down to start two new
piles, making a total of 5 piles and the other 2 face up on top of any two of these piles; then repeat this
for yourself; then deal a packet of 4 cards to your opponent's hand, a packet of 4 to your own hand and a
second card to the kitty. Finally, place 3 face up cards to complete your opponent's remaining piles, do
the same for yourself, and then deal a packet of 3 cards to your opponent's hand, 3 to your own hand, and
the last card goes in the kitty.
The bidding is as in normal 500, except that Open Misere can not be played. In practice, No Trump and
Misere contracts are rarely bid. There is no rule that a 7 call must be made before you call Misere. (In
Barry Rigal's version, Misere calls are not allowed at all).
Each trick consists of four cards: one hand card and one face up card from each player (this applies also
in Misere). As usual a trick is won by the highest trump in it, or the highest card of the suit led. For the
first trick, the contractor always begins by leading a card from hand, the opponent follows from hand,
then contractor plays one of their face up cards (following suit if possible) and finally the opponent plays
one of their face up cards (following suit). Where the trick is won determines the lead of the next card:
If the trick is won by one of the face up cards, the player who won the trick leads a face up card to
the next trick and the other player follows with a face up card, then the leader plays a card from
hand and finally the other player plays from hand.
If the trick was won by a card from one of the players' hands, the winner of the trick leads to the
next trick from their hand, then the other player plays from hand, then the player who led plays a
face up card from the table, and finally the other player plays from the table.
Each time a face up card is played, if there is a face down card under it, it is turned over at the end of the
trick and can be used in a future trick.
The scoring is as in normal four handed Five Hundred.
American Five Hundred

The standard version of American 500, as promulgated by the US Playing Card Company and described
in various books, differs from the Australian game in a number of ways.
The book descriptions always start with the three player version, which might suggest that in America,

500 is more often played by three players than by four, but this does not seem to be true. The descriptions
I have received, from players in Minnesota and Ohio, agree that 500 is normally played by four players.
The kitty is called the widow. The deal is 3-widow-4-3.
There is only one round of bidding - each player has just one opportunity to bid.
The Misere contract is called Nullo. Some do not allow it at all. If it is allowed, it ranks in the bidding
above 8 spades and below 8 clubs.
In No Trump and Nullo contracts the joker cannot be announced as belonging to a suit. It is in a suit by
itself and always wins the trick to which it is played. The joker can only be played to a trick when the
holder is void of the suit led, but it is not compulsory to play it then. In these contracts the joker can be
led to any trick, and when leading the joker, you nominate a suit which the other players must follow.
You are not allowed to nominate a suit in which you have previously shown void - for example if you
have previously discarded a diamond on a spade lead by someone else, you cannot later lead the joker
and call it a spade.
Irrespective of whether or not the contractors make their contract, the opponents score 10 points for each
trick taken. In the three- and five-handed games, each individual opponent scores 10 points for each trick
taken. In a Nullo, all the opponents of the contractor score 10 points for each trick taken by the
contractor.
The game is won by the first player (or team) to reach 500 points or more. A game can be won by an
opponent of the contractor by means of the 10 points scored for each trick taken. If the contractor and an
opponent reach 500 or more in the same deal the contractor wins. In the three or five player game if two
opponents of the contractor reach 500 in the same deal but the contractor does not, the first opponent
who reached 500 wins (considering the opponents' tricks to be scored as they are taken). A player or
team who reaches minus 500 points or worse loses the game.
When five people play, many people play that the bidder chooses a partner by naming a specific player,
not by calling a card.
It may be agreed that if everyone passes, the cards are not thrown in, but the hand is played in no trumps,
with each player (or team) scoring 10 tricks for each trick taken.
It is possible to play without the joker, in which case there are only two cards in the widow.
Four Handed Five Hundred - West Seventh Street

Rules
Ben Butzer has contributed the following version of American 500, played in St Paul, Minnesota. West
Seventh Street in St. Paul contains the old ethnic neighborhoods where Germans, Austrians, Hungarians,
Czechs, Irish, and Italian peoples settled around their respective Catholic Parishes.

The Players and Deck

There are 4 players, in partnerships, partners sitting opposite. A 45 card pack is used - a standard pack
without the twos and threes but including a joker.
The Deal
Players take turns drawing from the top of the deck until one draws a jack. That player becomes the
dealer.
Each player is dealt 10 cards as usual, and the 5 remaining cards are called the middle (rather than the
widow or kitty). Dealing goes 3 each - 3 to the middle - 2 each - 2 to the middle - 3 each - 2 each.
Bidding
If you have exactly one ace, but no jacks, queens, kings or joker, then at your turn to bid you may
announce "Ace - no face", which is a proposal to abandon the deal. Partner may agree or disagree. If
partner agrees, the cards are thrown in and the cards are re-dealt - the bidder's opponents have no say in
the matter. If partner disagrees, the bidding and play continue, but the team which said "Ace - no face"
are not allowed to play Nullo or Grand Nullo.
A bid of 6 is called an inkle. For example "inkle diamonds" is a bid of 6 diamonds. Only the first two
bidders are allowed to inkle (i.e. bid 6) to their partners. The inkler's partner must either bid higher than
6, or pass. If no one bids, or no one bids higher than 6, the cards are thrown in and re-dealt by the same
dealer.
The first two bidders have two alternative ways of bidding no trump, thus conveying extra information to
their partners. They can either bid a number of "No Trump" or just a number of "No" - for example
"Seven No Trump" or just "Seven No". Using the full expression "No Trump" is the standard no trump
bid. Bidding a number of "No" indicates in addition that the bidder has either the joker or split bowers.
Having "split bowers" means that you have two jacks of opposite colours, which guarantees that you
have a high trump, whatever the trump suit may be.
Combining the above rules, either of the first two bidders could bid "Inkle No", a bid of 6 No Trumps
including the joker or split bowers.
"Nullo" is only allowed if agreed before the game commences. In the four handed game it is played such
that the bidder plays alone. The bidder's partner places his hand face down upon the table and does not
play. The bidders opponents play two versus one. The 250 score of the Nullo bidder is still shared by the
team.
"Grand Nullo" (or "Granola") is a team variation of Nullo. For bidding purposes it is worth 510 points.
So it beats a ten heart bid, but is beaten by a ten no-trump bid. Grand Nullo can only be bid if the bidder's
partner had opened with Nullo. In Grand Nullo, the bid winner picks up the middle and adds, it to his
hand and discards any five of his 15 cards. The bidder's partner (the original Nullo bidder) then picks up
the five discards, adds them to his hand, and discards any five cards. The Granola bidder leads to the first
trick. The bidders win if neither of them takes a trick. If either of them wins a trick they lose and their
opponents score ten points for each trick taken by the bidders.

Game
The usual American rules apply. A team which loses the game because their point total has reached
minus 500 or worse is said to have "gone out the back door".
Tournament Play - St. Paul Midway rules

Five Hundred Tournaments are held in the St. Paul Midway area. They use the West Seventh street rules
except for the following:
Nullo and Grand Nullo are not permitted.
Six to Ten rounds of 500 are played. The number of rounds played is the number of participants in
the tournament divided by 4. Thus forty players will play ten rounds. A round consists of four
hands, with each player at the table dealing one time.
There is no game target of 500. The total score for a team can be larger than 500 or less than minus
500 for the four hands.
After four hands, the low scoring team gets up and sits at the next table. The former partners must
now oppose each other. The high scoring team remains at the same table, but now those players
must also oppose each other.
Each player keeps a record of the number of points scored. At the end of the tournament, the
player with the highest point total is the overall winner.
Youngstown, Ohio Rules

Carol Bott contributed this description of the version played in Youngstown, Ohio.
It is similar to the St Paul Midway tournament style described above. A session consists of 10 rounds of
4 hands each. During a round you can score any number of points more or less than 500. The total is than
added after all ten rounds. The winner usually has between 5000 and 6000. A session usually involves 5
or 6 tables of 4 people each.
There are no Nullo bids and the Ace - No Face rule is not used.
The scoring is standard except for one thing. If you bid anything less then 10 tricks, but make 10, then
you score an extra 100 points. For example, if you bid 8 clubs(which is 260), but took all ten tricks, then
you would get 360 (260 + the bonus 100). This means there is generally no point in bidding ten tricks
(except to outbid an opponent); you would get the same score with less risk by bidding 9 and making 10.
Six-bids are used as description bids for your partner. If you bid "6 no trump", it means you have the
Joker. If you bid "6 no", it means you have 2 aces. A six bid in a suit means you have the bower of that
suit. A bid of "7 no" means you've got better then 2 aces, but don't want the bid (for example you might
have 3 aces but no bowers). "7 no trump" means that you want to be contractor at no trump.
The bidding is competitive - it usually takes a bid of 8 red or 9 black to get the contract. This is why the
6-bid is used as a description bid. As in Minnesota, in the unlikely event that no one bids, or no one bids
higher than 6, the cards would be thrown in and re-dealt by the same dealer. Bids of 7 or higher are

played, so for example if you bid "7 no" and everyone else passes, you have to play the 7 no trump
contract.
Other Five Hundred WWW pages and software

Other Australian 500 WWW pages:
Bryce Francis's 500 site contains rules and extensive advice on bidding tactics for the Australian 4
handed game.
Other WWW pages with descriptions of the American game:
Dave Barker's Rules for Five Hundred.
Craig Smith's Five Hundred page.
Garry McKay has written a Five Hundred computer program for Windows. It is available from Garry
McKay's home page and from his 500 Card Game Page.
Game TV offers an on-line 500 game.


Rules of Card Games: 500 Rum
500 Rum
This description is partly based on a contribution from Kris Huston
Introduction
The Players and Cards

The Melds
The Deal
The Play
Drawing from the Discard Pile
Calling "Rummy"
The Scoring
Variations
Software
Introduction
500 Rum is a variation of rummy in which points are scored for cards melded, and lost for unmelded
cards remaining in a player's hand when someone goes out. The game is won by the first player to reach
a cumulative score of 500 or more over a series of hands. In this game you are not restricted to taking
only the top card of the discard pile - more than one card can be taken in order to reach a card lower
down which you can use in a meld.
I have been told that some players call this game Gin Rummy, which is confusing as this is also the name
of a different game.
Players and Cards

500 Rum is played with a standard 52 card deck plus two jokers, 54 cards in all. The game is possible for
any number of players from 2 to about 8. When 5 or more people play, two decks shuffled together (108
cards) should be used.
The cards have point values as follows:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 --- face value (2 for a two, 3 for a three, etc.)
Jack, Queen, King --- 10 points each
Ace, Joker --- 15 points each
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Exception: An ace melded with the 2 and 3 of the same suit as part of a sequence meld (see below)
scores 1 point instead of 15.
The Melds
As in basic rummy, a meld is a combination of cards from your hand which you place face up on the
table, where it stays until the end of a hand. There are two types of combination which can be melded:
1. A group consists of three or four cards of the same rank, such as J J J. When more than
one deck is used, the cards of a group must all be of different suits. 6 6 6 is not a valid
group.
2. A sequence consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 5 6 7. An
ace can count as low or high but not both at the same time. So A 2 3 4 and Q K
A are both valid sequences, but K A 2 is not valid.
As well as melding complete combinations, players are allowed to meld cards which extend
combinations which are already on the table. This is called laying off. The fourth card of the same rank
can be added to a group of three, or extra consectutive cards of the same suit can be added to a sequence
at either end. For example, if 5 6 7 is already on the board, any player on their turn can add the
4 or 8 or both.
Sometimes, when laying off a card, there is more than one meld it could be attached to. In this case the
player laying off must choose which meld to extend. For example, if there is a sequence 7 8 9
and a group 10 10 10 on the board, and you have a 10 in your hand, you can choose whether to
add your 10 to the sequence or the group, but once it is played, it cannot be moved.
Example: A has put down 5- 6- 7, B has put down 9- 9- 9. B can lay off the 8 on A's
sequence. C can now put down the 9 and must announce whether it is being added to the hearts run or
to C's set of nines. If C added the 9 to the heart run, D can now extend the run further by laying down
the 10. If C had announced the 9 as belonging to the set of nines then of course it would not be legal
to lay down the 10 as an extension of the run, which is still only 5-6-7-8.
Jokers are wild, and can stand for any card in a meld, even a duplicate of a card that has already been
melded by the same or another player. A player melding a joker must make it clear which rank it
represents, and this cannot subsequently be changed. For example, you might meld 6 7 joker as a
sequence, and by putting the cards down in this arrangement you are specifying that the joker represents
the 8. Later someone may lay off the 5 or 9 on this sequence, but they are not allowed to change
the joker to a 5 so as to lay off a 4.
If you were to meld 9 and two jokers you would have to state whether it was meant to be a group of
nines or a sequence. If it was a sequence, you would have to choose whether the sequence was 7-8-9,
8-9-10 or 9-10-J. On the other hand, if it was a group, you would not need to specify the suits
represented by the jokers. Any player could subsequently lay off a different nine, completing a group of
four nines.

Note that a joker does have to represent some specific card. It is therefore not possible to meld a group of
(for example) four kings and a joker, because there is no fifth king that the joker could represent. Even if
you are playing with two packs, it is a rule that the cards of a group must all be of different suits, so there
is no fifth king that can legally be included in the meld.
The Deal
The dealer deals the cards one at a time, clockwise, starting with the person to dealer's left, until
everyone has seven cards. The remaining cards form the stock pile; they are placed face down in a
position accessible to every player. The top card of the stock is flipped over and placed face up alongside
it. This is the first card of the discard pile. The players look at their cards, and may organize the cards in
their hand according to suit or number.
The Play
The person on the dealer's left begins. The turn to play passes clockwise. A turn consists of three parts:
1. The Draw
You must either draw the top card from the stock, and put it in your hand without showing it to the
other players, or draw one or more cards from the discard pile. It is always legal to draw the top
card from the stock or the top card from the discard pile (but see the variations below). You may
take a card from lower down in the discard pile only provided that:
1. you immediately meld the card - either in a new combination or by laying it off on an
existing meld, and
2. you also take all the cards above (i.e. discarded since) the card you meld.
2. Melding
If you wish, you may meld any valid combinations in your hand by placing them face up in front
of you. You may also lay off cards on your own or other players' existing melds. As all melded
cards score for the player who melded them, when laying off a card on another player's meld, you
place the card in front of yourself, rather than alongside the existing meld.
3. The Discard
Unless you managed to meld all the cards in your hand (in which case the play has ended - see
below), you must discard one card from your hand face up on top of the discard pile. If you drew
just the top card of the discard pile you must discard a different card. The cards on the discard pile
are overlapped, so that previous discards can be identified.
The play continues until one of the following things happens:
1. A player has no cards left in hand. This can happen either when a player melds all their cards or
when they meld all but one and then discard their last card.
2. There are no cards left in the stock, and the person whose turn it is does not wish to draw from the
discard pile.
As soon as either of these conditions is reached, the play ends and the hand is scored.

Drawing from the Discard Pile

It is very important to understand how to use the discard pile for your advantage. Suppose that the
discard pile is as follows:
You have these cards in your hand: 2 4 5 8 J K K
You want to take the 4 and 4 from the discard pile to go with your 4 to make a group. To get
these cards, you must take all the cards from the 4 onwards, leaving only the 6 in the discard pile.
You can then meld the 4 4 4, and you have the following cards left in your hand: 2 5 7
8 J Q K K A. You discard something you don't need such as the 2 and the discard pile
is then:
If you had taken the 7 only, you would have been allowed to keep it in your hand and not meld it.
Since you took the cards from 4 onward, you must meld the 4.
Calling "Rummy!"
If a player discards a card which could have been melded, or leaves the discard pile in a state where it
contains cards which can be melded without requiring any further cards from any player's hand, then
before the next player draws any other player may call "Rummy!" and take the discard pile, as far as the
relevant card. This player then completes their turn by melding this card and any others they wish to, and
discarding one card. The turn to play then passes to the player to the left of the one who called
"Rummy!" and continues clockwise from there.
For example, if there is a 7 8 9 on the board and someone discards a 6 or 10 without

realizing it, any player can call "Rummy!", take the card and meld it.
Here is another example. Suppose the discard pile is:

and a player discards a J, not noticing the K and Q in the discard pile. Any player in the game
who notices this mistake can yell "Rummy!" and take all the discards from K onward.
A third example: suppose the discard pile is the same as above, and you have 5 and 6 in your hand,
among other cards. It is your turn and you draw 4 from the stock. If you meld your 4- 5- 6 now,
any other player can call "Rummy!" and take the top four cards of the discard pile to add the 3 to your
meld. Note that you cannot call "Rummy!" yourself in this case (immediately after your own turn) - you
would have to wait until the next player had had their turn, and you could then call "Rummy!" in the
unlikely event that no one else had meanwhile taken the 3 from the pile. For this reason you would
generally choose not to meld your 4- 5- 6 yet, but wait until your next turn, when you could use
them to take the 3 if it is still there.
Note that it is not possible to call "Rummy!" after the game has ended. If someone melds all their cards
or discards their last card, the game ends immediately and is scored. When ending the game, the player is
allowed leave the discard pile in a state where some of the cards in it could be melded, and the other
players can no longer claim these cards, because play stops as soon as a player has got rid of all the cards
in their hand.
The Scoring
When someone has no more cards left in their hand, or there are no cards in the stock when someone
wants to draw from it, the game is over. All the players count the total value of the cards they have
melded, and subtract the value of the cards they have left in their hands. Each player's result is added to
their cumulative score.
Note that as soon as the play ends, no further cards can be melded. Any cards that players still have in
their hands count against them, even if these cards could have been melded.
If the cards left in your hand total more than the cards you have melded, your score for that hand is
negative. It is also possible for your cumulative score to be negative - for example if you make a negative
score on the first hand.
Further hands are played until one or more players' scores exceed 500. At this point the session ends and
the player with the highest score wins. In the event of a tie, further hands are played until there is a single
winner.

Variations
Playing without jokers
500 Rum can be played (and originally was played) without jokers.
Card values
Some players count the pip cards 2 to 9 as all worth 5 points. The tens and face cards J, Q, K still count
10 and jokers are 15. The ace counts as 5 points instead of 15 if it is used as a low card in a sequence
such as A-2-3.
Card taken from discard pile must always be melded

Most card game books give the rule that in order to draw from the discard pile you must meld. You can
take a card you need for your meld plus all the cards on top of it. This rule applies even in the case where
you only take the top card from the discard pile - in that case you must meld this top card. If you are not
going to meld, you must draw from the stock.
Discard required when going out

Many players require a player who goes out to keep one card so that they can discard at the end of their
turn. In this version of the game you are not allowed to meld all your cards, leaving yourself nothing to
discard.
There is a further variation of this called floating. In this version you are allowed to meld all your cards,
but as you have no discard the play does not end, but continues around the table while you "float". When
the turn comes back to you (if no one else has gone out meanwhile), you can:
1. draw a card from the stock and discard it, which ends the game, or
2. take several cards from the discard pile and meld all but one of them, which you discard, ending
the game, or
3. meld the card you draw from the stock or all the cards you draw from the discard pile, and float
again for another round, or
4. draw cards from the discard pile, meld some, discard one, and still have at least one card in your
hand, in which case the game is back to normal.
End of the game

Some play that you can only win the game if you go out and achieve a cumulative score of 500 or more.
If you do this you win even if other players have higher scores. You cannot win on a hand on which
another player goes out, however large your score is.

Software
Special K Software's 500 Rummy program is available from http://www.dezzanet.net.au/~gmckay and
from http://www.geocities.com/heartland/forest/8063
A shareware 500 Rum computer program can be downloaded from MeggieSoft


Rules of card games: Tarocchi Bolognesi: Ottocento
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Tarot Games
Tarocco Bolognese: Ottocento

This page is based on a description that was contributed by Alan Trangmar, which in turn relies heavily
on research by Michael Dummett, as published in his book The Game of Tarot (Duckworth 1980). Some
corrections have been made based on comments from Mauizio Barilli. Links to some Italian web sites
about this game are included at the end of the page.
Introduction
Players
Cards
Rank of Cards
Identification of Cards
Card Points
Playing Procedure
Deal
Declarations
Play
Signals
Combinations
Cricche
Sequences
Scoring
Hints on Play
Substitute Pack
Other Tarocco Bolognese WWW pages
Introduction
Ottocento is a Tarot game for 4 players which comes from Bologna. Tarot games have been played in
that city for over 500 years, and the game of Ottocento as currently played preserves distinct
characteristics (both of the games and of the pack of cards) which go back at least to the 16th century.
Ottocento is a point-trick game, with trumps. The cards have point values individually (as in other Tarot
games) but also score in combinations. There is no bidding, but players can score by declaring card
combinations held in their hands at the start of play, as well as for combinations taken in tricks.
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Players
There are four players, two against two in fixed partnerships. Play is anticlockwise.
Cards
The pack is known as the Tarocco Bolognese - the version of the Tarot pack which has been used at
Bologna since the 16th century. This pack is produced and sold by the main Italian playing-card
manufacturers. It is somewhat similar to other Italian-suited Tarot packs, but omits the 2 to the 5 of each
plain suit, and has other peculiarities found only at Bologna.
Rank of Cards
There are 5 suits: 10 each of swords, batons, coins and cups and 21 trumps. One card, the Matto, belongs
to no suit, making a total of 62 cards. The rank of the cards from hoghest to lowest is:
in swords and batons: King, Queen, Knight, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, Ace
in cups and coins: King, Queen, Knight, Jack, Ace, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
in trumps: Angel (Angelo), World (Mondo), Sun (Sole), Moon (Luna), 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9,
8, 7, 6, 5, the four Moors, Bgato
The Angel, World, Bgato and Matto are also known as the tarocchi.
The Matto has no rank and is played according to a special rule, see Play.
All the numbered trumps also have pictures on them, for instance the 16 is the Star, the 15 is the Tower,
and so on, but the numbers are the simplest way to identify them.
In play the four Moors count equally (although they are not all visually identical - see below). If two or
more Moors are played to a trick and no higher trump is played then the last Moor played wins.
(It is interesting to note in passing that this means there are 5 trumps ranked below the 5, and only 4
above the 16, so the numbers are not "correct". The most satisfying explanation of this is that the trump
sequence was already established before the numbering was introduced and the numbers were chosen to
retain the association of 13 with the death card).
Identification of Cards
At first sight, some of the cards in the pack may be hard to identify for those not familiar with them. In
fact the pack is perfectly practical to play with (as 5 centuries of use have demonstrated), and after a little
practice the designs are easy to recognise.
Numbered trumps: If there's a number on it then its a trump (whatever the picture may look like). In
practice the most confusing one is the 8 of trumps (Justice) which shows a woman carrying some scales
and a prominent sword, which might cause you to mistake it for a court card of the swords suit. You can
tell it is in fact a trump from the fact that it has a figure 8 on it.

Unnumbered trumps: These are the most important cards in the pack: learn them and wake up if you
see one!
The top four trumps are the

angel, the world, the sun and
the moon. The angel blows a
trumpet, the world is round,
and the sun and the moon have
fairly obvious pictures of these
heavenly bodies.
Immediately below the 5 of

trumps come the four Moors.
Two look the same, the other
two look different, but all have
equal rank during the play.
The Bgato is standing behind a table. He is the lowest trump, and is valuable as a
counting card, as one of the tarocchi, and for his role in sequences.

The Matto is not a trump. He beats nothing but a drum (see rules of play).
Here are the four Kings, of

swords, batons, cups and
coins. They all have crowns;
two of them have beards, and
the other two have their heads
tilted to one side.
Here are the Queens of

swords, batons, cups and
coins. They have crowns and
most of them look reasonably
female

The Knights of swords,

batons, cups and coins all ride
horses.
The Jacks of swords, batons,

cups and coins are the ones
with no crowns and no horses
Here is a selection of pip

cards. These can usually be
identified by spotting the suit
symbol and counting. Cups
look rather like Christmas
crackers. Swords on pip cards
are curved while batons are
straight; though most swords
on court cards are straight.
Swords and batons may have
one or two symbols vertical or
horizontal through the middle,
separate from the other
symbols. Illustrated here are
the 10 of swords, 7 of batons,
7 of cups and 6 of coins. The
10 of swords has eight curved
swords, a long straight vertical
sword and a short straight

horizontal sword.
Here are the aces of swords,
batons, cups and coins. Note
that the monochrome card with
the blank circle is the ace of
coins. The blank circle
originally held the tax stamp
but this is no longer required.
The funny looking card with
two circles connected by a bar
is the ace of swords. The circle
is actually the handle of the
sword - the blade disappeared
and the handle was duplicated
when the cards were made
double-ended.
Card Points:
The basic values are as follows:
Tarocchi (Angel, World, Bgato, Matto) 5 each
Kings 5 each
Queens 4 each
Knights 3 each
Jacks 2 each
All other cards 1 each
In addition there are 6 points for the last trick.
Cards are counted in pairs, deducting one point from the value of each pair. (Because each trick contains
4 cards the number of cards captured by each side must always be even.) Of course this is the same as
deducting half a point from each individual card value, so for instance a King is worth as much as 9 other
cards (4.5 to 0.5).
The total number of points in the pack, including the last trick, is 93.
Playing Procedure
The game is played anticlockwise. Partnerships remain fixed until a rubber is completed (800, hence
Ottocento). The deal for the first hand of each rubber is decided randomly, after that the deal passes to
the right after each hand.
The sequence of events on each deal is:

Deal
The dealer shuffles and gives the cards to the payer on his left to cut. The cards are then dealt out in
packets of five cards, starting with the player on dealer's right. This means the dealer is left with 7 cards
for himself at the end. Everyone picks up their cards and the dealer discards two cards to reduce his hand
to the same number of cards (15) as everyone else. These cards count towards his side at the end of the
hand as if they had been won in tricks (however they are lost if dealer's side loses every trick). Dealer
may not discard 5-point cards (Tarocchi and Kings). He may discard other trumps (this differs from the
custom in most other Tarot games).
Declarations
During the first trick, players may declare combinations of cards which have special scores: see
Combinations. Note that the score is doubled only if three or more combinations of the same type are
declared by the same player - it is not enough if the partnership declare three between them.
Each player makes any declarations he wishes to immediately before playing his card to the first trick.
Combinations are declared by placing all the relevant cards face up on the table. After declaring, the
player then plays to the first trick and picks up the cards displayed (if any); then the next player declares
and plays, and so on.
Declarations are not compulsory, and it is even allowed to make a declaration which is less than the
maximum possible - for instance to declare a sequence of 4 swords when 5 could be declared.
The dealer cannot include the cards that she discarded in declarations.
The Play
Any card may be led. Other players must follow suit if they can. If they have no cards of the suit led then
they must play a trump. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, unless it contains a trump in
which case the highest trump wins. The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick. Thereafter the
winner of each trick leads to the next.
The Matto is an exception: it may be played to any trick regardless of whether or not the player has any
cards in the suit led. When it is played, it is always retained by the side that played it. If the other side
win the trick then the side that played it give them a worthless card in exchange. This can be any card
they have previously taken in tricks, but if they have not yet taken any card of sufficient worthlessness
they are allowed to wait until they do. In this case the Matto can be left face up as a reminder. Remember
that many cards have some potential value, either in themselves or in combinations: usually a pip card
from a suit is chosen to give in exchange, or a low numbered trump can be given once the trump
sequence is known to be stopped (see Sequences). At the end of the hand, if no earlier, they must give a
card in exchange; if they have taken no tricks at all then the Matto would be lost (this hardly ever
happens).
If the Matto is ever led then the second player determines the suit of the trick.

Signals
There are three signals which a player can make to her partner at the same time as leading to a trick:
volo: toss the card in the air: "This is my last card in this suit"
busso: strike the table with the fist: "Please play your highest card and, if you win, return the same
suit"
striscio: scrape the card along the table: "Please lead trumps"
It is possible to make two signals at the same time. If volo is given without busso this would normally
imply a request not to return the suit.
It is strictly forbidden to use any other signals (though there were many more in the nineteenth century).
It is not compulsory for the partner to do as requested.
See Hints for some comments on when these signals could be used.
Combinations: Cricche and Sequences

Combinations can be scored in a player's hand at the start (see Declarations) or at the end of the hand, in
cards captured in tricks. In either case the scoring combinations are the same.
Cricche
These are combinations of three or four cards of a kind. Scoring is:
All 4 cards Any 3 cards
Tarocchi (Angel, World, Bgato, Matto) 36 points 18 points
Kings 34 points 17 points
Queens 28 points 14 points
Knights 26 points 13 points
Jacks 24 points 12 points
If three or more different cricche are scored at the same time (for instance 3 tarocchi, 4 kings and 3
jacks) then the total score for cricche is doubled.
Sequences
These are combinations of 3 or more cards and score according to the number of cards in the sequence:
3 cards (minimum) 10 points
each additional card 5 points
If three or more different sequences are scored at the same time (for instance Swords, Aces and Moors)
then the total score for sequences is doubled.
All sequences have a minimum condition to establish the sequence; once established, additional cards
may be added under less restrictive conditions.

The Matto and Bgato are wild cards (contatori) which can be used in place of some of the cards which
would normally be required in sequences. If not needed to establish the sequence they can always be
added to the length (and hence the score), even if all possible "real" cards are already present. Each wild
card held can be used in every sequence.
Trump sequence:
The Angel, which must be real (that is, it cannot be substituted by a wild card), and at least two of
the next three trumps (World, Sun, Moon), at least one of which must be real. Once established,
further trumps can be added in sequence from the 16 on down until there is a missing trump. Wild
cards can be used in place of numbered trumps, and the sequence can continue, but:
each wild card can be used only once in each sequence. In particular, if it has been used to
replace the World, Sun or Moon it cannot be used again to replace a numbered trump.
two adjacent wild cards end the sequence; they cannot be used cosecutively to fill two gaps
in the middle of the sequence.
Suit sequence:
The King, which must be real, and at least two of the next three cards (Queen, Knight and Jack), at
least one of which must be real. Once established, the ace can be added.
Moors sequence:
At least three Moors, at least two of which must be real.
Aces sequence:
At least three Aces, at least two of which must be real.
Examples:
Angel, World, Moon, 16: trump sequence of 4, worth 15 points
Angel, Matto (for the World or Sun), Moon, 16, 15, Bgato (for the 14), 13, 12: trump sequence
of 8, worth 35 points. Note it is not necessary to replace both the World and the Sun with wild
cards.
Angel, World, Sun, Moon, 16, Matto, Bgato, 13: trump sequence of 7, worth 30 points. Note
this is not a sequence of 8: both the 15 and the 14 are missing, the gap of two stops the sequence,
and the 13 cannot be added.
Angel, World, Bgato, Matto, 15, 14: trump sequence of 4, worth 15 points. The contatori can be
counted, but they cannot be used to connect the 15 to the sequence, because one would have to
represent the Sun or Moon and the other the 16, making them adjacent.
Angel, Matto, Sun, Bgato, 15, 14: trump sequence of 6, worth 25 points. This differs from the
above only in having the sum instead of the world. But now we can use the Matto to represent the
world, separating the wild cards and enabling the 15 and 14 to be included in the sequence.
King, Matto, Bgato, Ace: Not a sequence (at least one of the queen, knight, jack must be real)
King, Knight, Jack: suit sequence of 3, worth 10 points
King, Queen, Bgato (for Knight or Jack), Ace: suit sequence of 4, worth 15 points
King, Queen, Knight, Jack, Ace, Matto: suit sequence of 6, worth 25 points.
Two Moors, Bgato: sequence of 3, worth 10. Note that in this case the other side also holds a
sequence of Moors: Two Moors and the Matto.

Four Aces, Bgato, Matto: sequence of 6, worth 25 points
Scoring Procedure
The scoring in the present-day game is fairly complex (each hand ends by laying out most of one side's
cards on the table) but is in fact a simplification of an earlier game which had another level of scoring on
top of the one which is used today.
As already stated, combinations announced during the first trick are scored at that time.
All other scoring is at the end of the hand: card points for cards captured, points for the last trick, and
points for combinations of cards captured. The usual way of doing this is:
1. take one side's pile of cards captured (including dealer's discard if this side were dealer) and lay
them out on the table so as to show all the significant cards of each suit (Kings, Queens, Knights,
Jacks, Aces, in a matrix of suit by rank), and all the significant trumps, and Moors. (It is best to
choose the smaller pile of the two!).
2. score for cricche. Do this first for the side whose cards are on the table and then for the other side
(spotting the gaps: for instance if only one King is visible then the other side must have a cricca of
three Kings). Remember to double if three or more cricche are scored by a side.
3. score for sequences. Do this first for the side whose cards are on the table and then for the other
side (spotting the gaps). Remember to double if three or more sequences are scored by a side.
4. count the cards, putting one 1-point card on top of each 2- 3- 4- or 5- point card and scoring the
value (see card points above), then counting the remaining 1-point cards in pairs, scoring 1 for
each pair, and then adding 6 for the last trick if this side won it. The other side's card points are
then worked out by deducting from 93.
The rubber is won by the first side to reach 800. If both sides reach 800 on the same deal then the side
that goes further beyond 800 wins. If one side goes beyond 800 during the declarations during the first
trick then they win immediately.
Hints
Alan Trangmar writes: The following represents my suggestions based on experience of playing the game
in the UK, but I have not played the game in Bologna - and it is probable that no one outside Bologna is
a really skilled player of Ottocento. So make up your own mind!
The first thing to notice is that the big swing on most hands is on sequences: if one side fails to reach 3
sequences then they lose by a big margin. The biggest influence on sequences is the wild cards, the Matto
and Bgato, both of which also score in other ways. The Matto cannot be captured in play, but the Bgato
can. Therefore the most important event in the play of the hand is capturing or saving the Bgato.
The player holding the Bgato will be thinking about the safest time to play it. If he has long trumps (say
7 or more) then there is no great urgency, a chance will probably appear. But if not, something may need
to be done quickly. The safest way is to play it under partner's Angel - if they hold it. If the holder has a
void or singleton it may be possible to use it to trump a side suit. This is satisfying (it may capture a

King) but not entirely safe, especially if the dealer has yet to play to the trick (dealer often gives herself a
void with the discard).
In this, as in all the play, players should remember the information they gained from the declarations on
the first trick. If the partner is known to hold the Angel then it is safe just to lead the Bgato. If the only
player yet to play to a trick in a side suit has shown cards in that suit (a sequence, or a card in a cricca)
which they haven't yet played, then of course it is safe to play it.
If the holder of the Bgato knows or hopes his partner holds the King of a suit in which he has a
singleton then he may lead the singleton and give the signals for 'this is my last card' and 'please win and
return the same suit', hoping to be able to trump the second trick in the suit with the Bgato. But he must
watch out for indications and be prepared to abandon the plan if he suspects the last player to play may
also be void. For the same reason the partner should not return the suit if he holds too many cards in it:
say more than 4.
With 10 cards between 4 players it is most common for the first round of a side suit not to be trumped
(except possibly by dealer, who made a discard), and for the second round of a suit to be trumped by at
most one player, but neither of these is certain! It is often useful to count the cards in a side suit to help
estimate when other people will run out, but remember dealer's discard can throw out the calculation.
The other significant cards are the Kings, which are worth much more than the other side suit cards as
they determine the suit-sequence as well as counting in cricche and being worth 5 points. The play in the
side suits resembles other Tarot games. It is usually best not to lead away from a King. The compulsory
trumping rule means that if a suit is going to go round (not be trumped) then it will do so however late in
the hand it is played. If the suit is being trumped by an opponent then all is not lost, provided the King
has not already been played: don't forget the Matto can be a way to avoid playing a King. One possibility
is that this opponent may run out of trumps later in the hand. Or if the right hand opponent and partner
are both trumping but the left hand opponent is not, it is often good to lead the King: it is lost if the right
hand opponent holds the top trump, but otherwise they may play a high trump which can be captured by
leader's partner. Other court cards can also usefully be led in this situation (but do count cards to avoid
partner's high trump being captured by the left hand opponent suddenly trumping as well). But having
said all that, if a suit is led and the player with the King does not hold too many cards in the suit
(certainly up to 3, perhaps even with 4 or 5), the best chance is usually to play it on the first trick.
The Angel and Matto have a big effect on the score but cannot be captured in tricks. Other cards which
can take part in sequences and cricche are all worth something. It is possible to keep a mental track of all
the cards played in the hand, and know which side is trying to get each possible sequence, but this is not
essential for beginners! In general every one of the significant cards will be worth something, either to
add to one's own sequences or cricche or to deny them to the opponents. Don't get fixated by the Moors:
they are interesting cards which are unique to the Taroccho Bolognese pack, and form a sequence which
may be important, but they only score 1 card point each and (unlike Aces) don't normally contribute to
any other sequence. Court cards are more valuable.
The trump sequence can be high-scoring. If a side believe the other side hold the bulk of the high trumps
and also have one or both wild cards then they should aim to block the sequence; this is best done with
the 16 and 15, or the highest numbered trumps which are held, which are more effective than the Sun or
Moon. (The World is not very good at blocking the trump sequence but does take part in the cricca of
tarocchi, and scores 5 points; anyway the holder of the World will usually be aiming to capture another

big trump with it).

Players can make deductions from the declarations, as well as just observing the cards displayed. For
instance a cricca of 3 Queens, apart from implying this player will not be trumping many suits on the
first round, also implies that he probably does not hold the Queen of the fourth suit. Any sequence will
normally have both wild cards added to it if they are held, so if they are not shown, they are probably not
held. (In theory a player with the Bgato and very short trumps might make a declaration without adding
the Bgato, to hide it; but she must remember her partner will remain ignorant and could start leading
trumps!). And if three players are known not to hold the Bgato, the third must do so: remember dealer
may not discard 5-point cards.
A player with a strong trump holding may lead trumps, and / or encourage their partner to do so (see
Signals). This is particularly promising if they do not hold the Bgato, but can be generally useful in
preventing the other side from trumping Kings or getting their scoring trumps home on tricks in side
suits. Partner is not obliged to comply with a request to lead trumps but will normally do so if possible,
unless they have a good reason not to: the strongest reason would be if they have the Bgato and short
trumps - unless they know partner holds the Angel.
It is possible, as in other Tarot games, to persistently lead a long side suit to draw the other side's trumps.
This can be sensible play, but be aware that it may allow them to save the Bgato without any difficulty,
and allows them to choose which of their significant trumps to save. This strategy brings most benefits if
the other side are leading trumps themselves.
Substitute Pack
If you cannot find a correct pack then it is theoretically possible to play the game with another Tarot
pack, for instance a cut-down Tarot de Marseille or Tarocco Piemontese, but a number of subsitutions
would have to be made in trumps:
XX used for the Angel (highest trump)
XXI for the World (note that the XX beats the XXI)
XIX for the Sun
XVIII for the Moon
XVII for the 16 (!) (Star)
...
VI for the 5
V, IIII, III, II for the 4 Moors (replaced by popes and emperors)
I for the Bgato
This is only recommended as a last resort since the individuality of the Bolognese cards is one of the
attractions of the game.

Other Tarocco Bolognese WWW pages

Here is the web site of the Accademia del Tarocchino Bolognese - an institute devoted to the promotion
and development of the game.
Maurizio Barilli's Tarocco Bolognese web site includes rules for Ottocento and for several closely related
games, including versions for 2 or 3 players.


Rules of Card Games: Yablon
Yablon
This game, known to most card game books as Yablon, is also commonly called Ace-Deuce, In
Between or Between the Sheets. American casinos have recently begun to call it Red Dog, which is
confusing, since since Red Dog was formerly the name of a different game.
Yablon is a banking game in which two cards are dealt face up, and the player bets on whether a third
card will rank between the first two cards. Detailed rules can be found in the FAQ of the newsgroup
rec.gambling.misc, where it is listed under the name Red Dog.
Another set of rules under the name Red Dog can be found at the winneronline.com site.
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Red Dog rules.
The Vegas Fever software package includes "Red Dog" (included as a poker variation) and other casino
games.

http://www.pagat.com/banking/yablon.html [04/05/2001 9:46:09]

Rules of Card Games: Agurk
Agurk (Cucumber)
This description was contributed by Jens Brix Christiansen.
Agurk is the Danish word for cucumber. The game was played extensively at DIKU in the 1970s. Even
before then, variants of it were popular with bridge players in Denmark and Southern Sweden. A similar
game, Ogorok (also meaning cucumber) is played in Poland.
Agurk is an kind of trick taking game, where the player to take the last trick of each deal receives a
penalty.
Procedure
Agurk is played with an ordinary deck of 52 cards. From 2 to 7 players participate. The cards are ranked
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, ..., 2; the suits have no significance. Cards are shuffled by the dealer and then dealt 7 at
a time, face down, clockwise, starting with the forehand (i.e., the player to the left of the dealer). Cards
not dealt are not disclosed.
Seven tricks are played. The cards played are simply placed on the table face-up in front of each player;
the cards are neither collected nor turned over after each trick. Any player may inspect any of the cards
played to previous tricks. Forehand leads to the first trick; the player to take a trick leads to the next trick.
Once a card is led, the remaining players follow to a trick in clockwise rotation.
The lead can be chosen freely. The other players in turn have a choice between:
1. playing any card whose rank is at least as high as the highest card so far played to the trick, or
2. playing their lowest ranking card.
The highest ranking card takes the trick; if there are several of these, the last of them to be played takes
the trick.
The turn to deal passes clockwise after each hand. If the player whose turn it should be to deal has been
eliminated from the game (see below), then the dealer is the next player in rotation who is still in the
game.
Scoring
The player who takes the last trick loses the deal and is penalized. Each player's score is the running total
of the penalties he has accumulated. The losing player on a deal receives as many penalty points as the
rank of the card taking the last trick (A=14, K=13, Q=12, J=11, spot cards according the number of
spots).
When a player's score reaches or exceeds 21, he loses a life; in the score, a cucumber is drawn to signify
this. He is then reincarnated with the highest score that any other player currently has accumulated. The
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second time a player's score reaches or exceeds 21, he loses his life permanently and no longer
participates in the game. Eventually, only two players remain; they continue to play until one of them
loses his second life. The sole survivor is the winner of the game.
If any other players play in the last trick a card of the same rank as the card played by the loser of the
deal, these other players are awarded a bonus of the same size as the penalty incurred by the loser. The
bonus is deducted from the players score. (Example: in the last trick of a six player game, the cards
played are 5, 9, 3, 9, 9, 7, in that order. The fifth player wins the trick with the last 9 and gets 9 penalty
points; the second and fourth players each have a bonus of 9 points subtracted from their scores).
Bonuses cannot lower the score below zero. For players on their second life, a bonus cannot lower their
score below a cucumber and zero. Bonuses are deducted only after the loser's score is added. Thus in a
two-person game where both players are at 18, and both players play a 10 to the last trick, the score for
the loser is first changed to cucumber and 18, after which the bonus changes the other player's score to 8.
The winner goes on to deal the first deal of the next game.
Strategy
The best possible hand is four aces, two kings, and a low card. As dealer, you can lead your four aces,
stripping all the other players of their four lowest cards, and continuing with your kings is bound to do
significant damage. A hand of twos and threes is a boring hand, that will not engage its holder much. A
hand of tens and jacks usually heralds catastrophe.
The simplest strategy is to try to survive each deal without taking the last trick. This is done by
estimating at what level the last trick is likely to be taken and playing to get rid of cards at or above that
level. To play this way is called to fimp. Fimping is an inferior strategy in the long run. Among seasoned
players, "fimp" is a derogatory word. Even so, with inferior cards, fimping is the only available strategy.
If all players fimp, the rank of the last trick will be low, and the loser will incur an insignificant penalty.
If, instead, the players with high cards (aces, kings, and with less than three players, maybe also queens
and jacks) consistently lead their high cards, the unfortunate players without high cards will be forced to
discard their low cards early in the game, thus raising the rank of the last trick. This is known as "playing
sharp" (no connotation of dishonesty intended). In deals played sharp, a number of players form an
alliance to ensure that someone is caught with a much higher card. The rationale behind this strategy is
that when someone else is penalized, it should be as severely as possible. Playing sharp with good cards
is a superior strategy in the long run; but you don't always hold good cards.
The game is often quite noisy. This means that alliances actually can be suggested orally during play.
This includes bluffing, of course. It is not obvious whether the talking makes any difference to the actual
play, since alliances are implicit anyway.
The two-person game, to which every game boils down, is quite different from the many-person game
and surprisingly difficult to learn to play well.
The winning strategy in the long run is to play sharp almost always but to defect from an alliance of
sharp players occasionally (when the cards are hopeless for sharp play). When played by experienced
players, the game takes on many of the characteristics of the prisoner's dilemma.


Last updated 5th November 1997

Rules of Card Games: Alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde is a variation of Brisca for 3 players, played with the 40 card Spanish pack. For a description of
how it is played in Puerto Rico, see Jos M. Carrillo-Muniz's page on Games with the Spanish Pack.

http://www.pagat.com/aceten/alcalde.html [04/05/2001 9:46:20]

Rules of Card Games: Alkort
Alkort
Translated by Anthony Smith from pages 140-142 of "Spilabk AB" by . Gumundsson, 1989,
Reykjavk. Clarification of "friufr" from "Islandsk-Dansk Ordbog", Reykjavk 1920-24.
The name "Alkort" has a foreign ring, yet it must have been among the oldest games on Iceland. Eggert
lafsson (1726-1768) said it was native. Here is laf Davsson's work describing the game, from his
writings on Icelandic amusements (slenzkar gtur, skemmtanir, vikavikar og ulur", lafur Davsson,
1887-1903, Copenhagen). Two sorts of Alkort were played, 4-man Alkort and 2-man Alkort. They are
very similar and we describe here the basic game, 4-man Alkort.
Number of Players and the Pack

As the name 4-man Alkort implies, this is a game for four, who play in two partnerships of two. An
ordinary pack of cards is needed but the 10s and 5s are taken out (leaving 44 cards).
The Ranking of the Cards

The ranking of cards in Alkort is very different from the usual ranking. The KD is highest (except when a
7 is led); then in order 2H, 4C, 8S, 9H, 9D. Next come the Aces, then the Jacks, the Sixes (pstarnir) and
the Eights (friurnar) except 8S.
The other cards are all useless rubbish which are not worth having, except that a player who leads a
rubbish card wins the trick if the other three cards played are also rubbish. The Kings (except KD) and
the Queens are however the lowest of all these, because you may take a King with a Two or a Queen
with a Two or a Three, provided no valuable card is played to the trick.
The Sevens (bsefarnir) have special status. When they are led no card can beat them, but on the other
hand they are utterly useless when following because they cannot beat any other card. You may not lead
out a Seven until you have taken a trick.
The Deal
Cut for partners and for deal. After shuffling and cutting each player is dealt 9 cards in batches of 3,
clockwise. The stock which is left over is placed face down on the table and no one may see it. It
contains 8 cards.
A player who is dealt no card which would be capable of beating one of the three low Eights (friurnar)
if a low Eight were led is said to be not friufr (not 8-capable). Such a player may show all his cards,
discard them all except one, and take up instead the 8 cards which form the stock.
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Rules of Card Games: Alkort
The Course of the Game

Before play begins, partners show each other their highest card. Forehand leads first and the others
follow in clockwise order. The highest card played takes the trick. If two or more equally high cards are
played (e.g. two jacks or two aces or two rubbish) then the one played earliest to the trick counts as
highest.
The goal of the game is to take as many tricks as possible - 5 or more to win. If a partnership takes 5
before the others take a trick then they "mk" or make them "mk". If they take more than 5 tricks before
their opponents win any they are said to have made a stroke. The stroke is called a 6-card, 7-card, 8-card
or 9-card stroke according to the number of tricks taken by the winners before the opponents take one.
Settlement
For a simple win, i.e. 5 or more tricks, but not the first 5 tricks, one point is scored.
For "mk", i.e. winning the first 5 tricks, five points are scored.
For a stroke, the winners score as many points as there are tricks in the stroke.

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Rules of Card Games: Aluette
Aluette
This page is based on information contributed by Thierry Depaulis.
Aluette (or la Vache, "The Cow Game") is played in Vende and the coasts of Brittany, using a 48 card
Spanish suited pack with special designs. Aluette is a very peculiar trick-taking game where suits are
irrelevant. Partners use mimics to signal their hands. The mechanism is similar to that of early games like
Truc / Trut and Put. The use of Spanish suited cards is surprising, but there is a theory that these suits
were originally used throughout France and were displaced in most of the country by French suits when
those were invented. Aluette may be an extremely old game: some late 15th-century records from the
South-West of France mention a card game called Luettes. However, Nantes clearly appears as the
modern cradle of the game: until c. 1700 there was in Nantes a large group of Spanish merchants, and
Spanish suited cards made in Thiers (Auvergne) were conveyed on the Loire river up to Nantes where
they were shipped to Bilbao and Navarra. The hypothesis of a late introduction (17th century?) through
Spanish merchants in Nantes is not unlikely.
Rules in English will be given here eventually. Meanwhile here is a link to an Aluette page in French,
with illustrations of some of the cards.

http://www.pagat.com/put/aluette.html [04/05/2001 9:46:24]

Rules of Card Games: Oh Hell!
Oh Hell!
This page is mostly based on a contribution from Carter Hoerr, rulekeeper for the OH HELL! Club of
America. I have added some common variations.
Oh Hell! is also known by many other names, including Blackout, Elevator (l'Ascenseur in France),
Oh Shit! and Bust (in Australia and New Zealand), Boerenbridge or 10 op en neer in the Netherlands.
Contents
Players
Cards
Sequence of Hands
Object of the Game
Deal
Bidding
Play
Scoring
Variations
Related Games
Other Oh Hell WWW Pages
Software
Players
From 3 to 7 people can play. The game is best when played with 4 to 6.
Cards
A standard 52 card deck is used. The cards in each suit rank (from high to low) A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
2.
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Sequence of Hands
The game consists of a series of hands. The first hand is played with 7 to 10 cards dealt to each player,
depending on the number of players:
3 to 5 players, 10 cards each;
6 players, 8 cards each;
7 players, 7 cards each
(due to the limit of 52 cards available). Each successive hand is played with one card fewer, down to a
hand of just one card each, then one card more per hand back up to the starting level.
Example: With 7 players, the hands are: 7 cards, then 6,5,4,3,2,1, then 2,3,4,5,6,7, for a total of 13 hands
to the game. A game should take approximately 45 minutes.
Object of the Game

The object is for each player to bid the number of tricks he thinks he can take from each hand, then to
take exactly that many; no more and no fewer. Points are awarded only for making the bid exactly, and
are deducted for missing the bid, either over or under (see scoring below).
The hook is that at least one player will fail on each hand, because the total number of tricks bid by the
players may not equal the number of tricks available on that hand.
Deal
To determine the first dealer, draw cards. The player with the highest card deals first. The turn to deal
rotates clockwise with each hand.
The cards are shuffled and cut and the dealer deals the cards singly until everyone has the appropriate
number of cards for the hand being played. The next card is turned face up and the suit of this card is the
trump suit for the hand. The trump suit beats any of the other three suits played in that hand. The
remaining undealt cards are placed in a face down stack with the turned trump on top of it.
Bidding
The bidding in each hand begins with the player to the left of the dealer, then continues clockwise, back
around to the dealer, who bids last. Each bid is a number representing the number of tricks that player
will try to take. Everyone must bid - it is not possible to pass, but you can bid zero, in which case your
object is to take no tricks at all. A bid may be changed only if the next player to the left has not yet bid.
Remember the hook: the dealer may not bid the number that would cause the total number of tricks bid
to equal the number of tricks available; a hand will always be "over-bid" or "under-bid". Keep in mind
when bidding that not all cards in the deck are in play in any hand.

Play
The play begins with dealer, who leads the first card. The lead may be any suit (including trump). Play
follows clockwise. Each player must follow the suit led, if he can. If not, he may play any other card in
his hand, including trump. The player who has played the highest trump card, or if no trump was played,
the highest card of the suit led, wins the trick. That player then leads to the next trick. Continue until all
tricks have been played and won.
Scoring
The scoring is simple: If a player makes his bid exactly, he gets 10 points for each trick bid and won. A
successful "zero" bid wins 10 points. If he misses his bid (over or under), he loses 10 points times the
number of tricks by which he missed his bid. The scorekeeper is designated prior to each game
according to house rules. The scorekeeper, needless to say, has a distinct advantage, and should be
monitored closely for "inadvertent" errors. The designated scorekeeper notes each bid and resulting
scores on a score sheet.
In case of a tie after the last hand, deal another hand(s) at that number of cards until a clear winner is
determined. Any player can win until the end!
Carter Hoerr has produced a specially designed scoresheet, with the rules of Oh Hell! on the back. These
are available as an MSWord file or as printed copies. To obtain them you can download the (zipped) file
or send e-mail to Carter Hoerr.
Here is Bryce Francis' scoresheet for the Australian game Bust (another zipped MSWord file).
Variations
Sequence of Hands
There are a lot of variations of this. Some people start from 1 card each, go up to the maximum number
of cards and then back down to 1. Some just go from the maximum down to 1 and then stop, or vice
versa. If there are four people the maximum number of cards dealt may be 13 rather than 10. Some
people go up to some other maximum, such as 7 cards.
Dan Strohm describes a version, called Devil's Bridge, in which the hand size increases and then
decreases. On the final 1 card hand, the players must each hold their card on their forehead, so each
player can see all the other player's cards but not their own.
Bryce Francis reports that in Australia, when playing Bust with 5 players, they add 13 low cards from a
second pack to make a 65 card pack, so as to deal 13 cards each on the first hand as with 4 players. When
there are six players they add a further 13 low cards, so that the bottom half of the pack is duplicated. If
duplicate cards are played to a trick, the second played beats the first.

Determining Trumps
Instead of turning up a card, some people go through the possible trump suits in a fixed sequence. This
sequence may or may not include "no trumps".
Brad Wilson describes a version called "Oh Shit!" in which Spades are always trumps.
Jean-Pierre Coulon reports a variation in which after the appropriate number of cards have been dealt to
the players, the next card is turned face up. If the rank of the turned up card is from 2 to 6, there are no
trumps for the deal; if it is 7 or higher, the suit of the turned up card is trumps.
Bidding
Some people play without the hook rule, so the dealer is allowed to bid in such a way that everyone can
win. There was a lively discussion in rec.games.playing-cards as to which version is more skilful, with
strong advocates of each. Some think that hands where the bids add up are too easy; but others say that
forcing the bids not to add up removes a tactical option from the dealer.
Adam Beneschan describes a variation with simultaneous bidding. When the players are ready to bid,
they put a fist on the table. When everyone's fist is out, the group says "One, Two, Three" while
bouncing their fists on the table. On Three, everyone must stick out some number of fingers (possibly
zero) to indicate how many tricks they will try to take. Of course, with this method, there's no restriction
against the total number of bid tricks being equal to the number of cards dealt. Since players cannot
adjust their bids based on the other players' bids, the total tricks bid can be wildly different from the
tricks available - for example it is not uncommon for three or four players to bid "one" when only one
card was dealt. Bryce Francis reports that simultaneous bidding is commonly used when playing Bust in
Australia.
Play
David Wuori (of Maine, USA) reports a variation in which a player who has no card of the suit led is
compelled to trump. Only if you have no cards of the suit led and no trumps can you discard from a
different non-trump suit. As far as I know, this version is not widespread.
Scoring
There are many alternative systems.
A common scoring method is that you win one point for each trick you take, plus 10 if you make
your bid exactly. There is no penalty for making the wrong number of tricks, other than that you
do not get the 10 point bonus.
Another system is that you win 5 points if you are right plus 10 for each trick taken, and you lose 5
points if you are wrong plus an extra 5 for each trick difference from your bid.
Yet another system: if you make your bid exactly you score 10 points plus the square of the
number of tricks you bid (i.e. 10 points for none, 11 for one, 14 for two, 19 for three, 26 for four,
etc.); if you fail you lose the square of the difference between the number of tricks you bid and the
number of tricks you took.

Related games
La Podrida is the equivalent Spanish game to Oh Hell!
Romanian Whist is a variation of Oh Hell!, played in Romania.
David Parlett's game Ninety-Nine is based on similar principles, but with an extra twist to the bidding.
Axel Brink describes a Dutch variation called 10 op en neer. The number of cards dealt per hand are: 1,
2, ..., 9, 10, 9, ..., 1. There is no hook rule. If a player makes his bid exactly, he gets 10 points plus his
bid. If he misses his bid (over or under), he gets 0 points. A computer program, that plays this game can
be obtained from Axel's 10 op en neer page (in Dutch).
Other Oh Hell WWW pages

Dave Barker's Rules for Oh Hell
Nicholas Cheung's Oh Hell page.
Brad Wilson's Oh Shit! page.
Campbell MacKinnon's Bugger Your Neighbour page has information about an Australian version
of the game, including rules and game statistics.
Jean-Franois Bustarret's page L'Ascenseur has rules in French.
Return to General Index of main Card Games site


Rules of Card Games: Basra
Basra
Introduction
Players and cards
Deal and Play
Capturing and the Basra
Scoring
Customs and Tactics
Variations
Basra in Lebanon
Introduction
Basra is a Middle Eastern fishing game, somewhat similar to the Western game Casino. This page is
based mainly on four accounts:
The first is from Bonnie Smith, who was taught the game by an Egyptian, but says that it is widely
played in coffee houses throughout the Middle East;
The second was contributed by Alexey Lobashev, based on a description by Mr. Akabat Ibragim
Khusim from the town of Sana, Yemen, who had played Basra for several years, also with a
teacher from Egypt. Another name for the game is Assaba-al'-Komi. Adults only play it, not
children.
The third is a description of the version played in the Lebanon, contributed by Toni Matni.
Thierry Depaulis has found another short description Lebanese Basra by Fuad I. Khuri, which is
reproduced near the end of the page; the book from which this comes also gives the alternative
name Ashush.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who can tell me more about Basra or Ashush or
Assaba-al'-Komi; corrections or further variations of the rules, details of where the game is played, or
any other relevant information would be welcome.
Players and cards

A standard 52 card pack is used. The descriptions I have been given of the Egyptian version are for two
or four players. If there are four players, partners sit opposite each other.
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Deal and Play

The cards are shuffled and the person to the left of the dealer cuts. The dealer may look at the bottom
card of the pack after it has been cut.
The dealer then gives the four cards to each player, beginning with his right hand opponent, going around
the table anticlockwise, and ending with himself. The next 4 cards are turned face up in the middle of the
table. The area where the face up cards are set out is known as the "floor" - maybe the game was
originally played on the floor, though nowadays it is normal to play on a table. If the cards on the floor
include any jacks or the seven of diamonds, the dealer buries these cards in the undealt pack and replaces
them by dealing new cards to the floor from the top of the undealt cards.
The player to dealer's right plays first and the turn to play passes anticlockwise. Each turn consists of
playing one card face up to the floor and possibly capturing some of the cards that are there. Captured
cards are placed face down in front of the player who captured them. When there are four players,
partners keep the cards they have captured together in a single pile. When all players have played their
four cards, the dealer gives them each another batch of four from the undealt cards (but no more cards are
dealt to the floor) and play continues. When the whole pack has been dealt and the players have played
their last four cards the play ends. The hand is scored and the turn to deal passes to the right.
Capturing and the Basra

If you play a card whose rank matches one of the cards on the floor, you capture that card, and place both
the card you played and the captured card face down in front of you. For example a 7 captures a 7, a
queen captures a queen, and so on.
If you play a numeral card whose value is equal to the sum of the values of some cards on the floor, then
your card captures that group of cards. For example if the floor contains 3, 4, 5 and 8 and you play a 9,
you capture the 5 and 4 and place the 5, 4 and 9 in your capture pile.
It is possible to make more than one capture with the same play. For example, if the floor shows a 4, 6,
10 and 3 and you play a 10, you capture the 10 and the 4 and the 6 from the floor along with the 10 that
you played.
If you play a card that does not match anything, it stays face up on the floor, and is available for capture
in future turns.
Note that there is no obligation to play a card that makes a capture just because you can - if you have a
card that does not match, you can add it to the floor if you wish to. However, if you play a card which
does make a capture, you must make the capture.
Queens and kings have no numerical value. A queen can capture or be captured by a queen and a king
can capture or be captured by a king. The only other way to capture a queen or king is to play a special
card (jack or seven of diamonds - see below).
A basra occurs when a player captures all the cards from the floor, leaving it empty. The player scores a
10 point bonus for this, and the capturing card is placed faced up in the player's capture pile, as a way of

remembering the bonus when the time comes to score the hand.
Jacks have a special property. If you play a jack when there are cards on the floor, it captures all the
cards from the floor, leaving it empty, but this does not count as a basra and scores no bonus. If you play
a jack when the floor is empty it does not capture anything, but just remains on the floor. In the Lebanese
description the jack is called ashush, which in colloquial Arabic means an imam.
The seven of diamonds behaves in a similar way to a jack - it captures everything on the floor. If the
cards on the floor are all numerals, and their values add up to 10 or less, this counts as a basra, and scores
the 10 point bonus. If the floor adds up to more than ten, or includes picture cards, the 7 still takes all
the cards but it does not count as a basra. If you play the 7 to an empty floor it stays there (and can be
captured later just like a normal seven).
After the last card has been played, any cards that remain on the floor are taken by the player who last
made a capture, but this does not count as a basra.
Scoring
When all 52 cards have been played, the cards in each team's stack are counted. The team that has the
majority of the cards (27 or more) scores 30 points. If it is a tie, each team having 26 cards, these 30
points are held in abeyance, and added to the score for the majority of cards on the next hand. So on the
next hand, the team which takes more cards will win 60 points (30+30).
In addition one point is scored for each jack and each ace in your pile, two points for the 2 and 3
points for the 10, plus 10 points for each basra, as already mentioned. Thus the total points to be
scored in each hand are 43 plus 10 for each basra.
Whichever team reaches a score of 101 points first wins the game. It is possible that both teams reach
101 in the same hand. In that case the team with the higher score wins, and in case of a tie, more hands
are played until the tie is broken.
It is usual to play the best of five games - the player who wins three games wins the match and the loser
pays for the shisa and beverages which have been consumed in great quantities all through play. If after
four games, the players have won two each, then by common agreement decisive fifth game is played to
150 points rather than 101.
Customs and Tactics

It is important to remember the cards that have been played. Towards the end you know what cards your
opponent is likely to have and what has already been played and you can use this knowledge to collect
valuable cards. An important tactic is to clear the floor with a jack when you know that your opponent's
next play to the empty floor is likely to give you a basra. In the last deal of the hand, if both players have
been concentrating they will each know exactly what four cards the other has and can play accordingly.
Bonnie Smith writes that experts normally play in a constant state of movement - of themselves, of the
cards - cards are moving all the time; much like a shell game. There is no overt cheating - it is drama and

an attempt to distract the concentration of the opponent.
Variations
In the version reported by Bonnie Smith (which is for two players), the bottome card of the pack is
shown to both players after the cut so that each knows what the last card will be.
In the version described by Alexey Lobashev, there are the following differences:
Although the capturing of all the cards from the floor by a jack does not normally count as a basra,
there is one exception. If you play a jack when there is only one card on the floor and this card is
also a jack, this counts as a 'double basra', and it is counted as 20 rather than 10. It is not clear
whether this rule is used in Egypt, or whether it is a variation from Yemen.
When the seven of diamonds is played, it counts as a basra in the following cases:
1. The total value of the cards on the floor is less than 10 (not if it is equal to 10)
2. The only card(s) on the floor are tens, queens and kings
3. The cards on the floor can be divided into two or more groups which score an equal number
of points, less than 10. For example capturing A-2-7-8 with the 7 would be a basra,
because (1+8)=(2+7)=9.
The Egyptian game was said to be played to a target of 121 points, though the target in Yemen was
101 points.
Basra in Lebanon
The game is for two or four players. Four play in teams of two against two, partners sitting opposite. A
standard international 52 card pack is used. The turn to deal rotates. The dealer deals 6 cards to each
player - all at once - and four cards face up to the middle of the table. The rest of the deck is put to one
side to be dealt when the first six cards have been played.
The scoring values of the cards are:
3 points for the 10
2 points for the 2
1 point for each jack
1 point for each ace
3 points for whichever player (or team) takes the majority of the cards (if they have 26 cards
each, no one gets these points).
Thus there are 16 points available altogether unless there is a tie for most cards, in which case there are
only 13 points. Note that the majority of cards is worth only 3 (not 30 as in Egypt and Yemen).
The play is begun by the player who received the first cards in the deal (that is the non-dealer if there are
two players and the player to dealer's right if there are four). Then the turn to play rotates. The procedure
for playing and capturing cards is as described above: a numeral card can capture an equal card or a set
of cards that add up to its rank, or both; a jack captures everything on the table; a queen can only capture

queens and a king can only capture kings. In this version the 7 has no special power.
In the Lebanese game, a Basra occurs only when a single card is left alone on the table - either because
all the other cards were captured, or because the table was cleared (perhaps with a jack), forcing the next
player to play a single card. If the following player can match this single card (thereby capturing it), this
counts as a Basra and scores 10 points. Capturing a lone card other than a jack by playing a jack does not
count as a Basra.
After the players have played all their cards the dealer deals another six cards each (but no more to the
table) and play continues. In the two-player game it takes four deals to exhaust the pack; in the four
player game there will only be two deals.
After the last card has been played, any cards that remain on the table are taken by the player who last
made a capture. Then each player or team scores the cards taken plus basras. Further hands are played
until either player or team reaches 101 or more points. Then the player or team with the higher score
wins.
Here is a description of the same Lebanese game found by Thierry Depaulis in Fuad I. Khuri: "Tents and
pyramids: games and ideology in Arab culture from backgammon to autocratic rule." Saqi books,
London, 1990, Appendix F, p145-6. It seems that the only difference from the version described above is
the possibility of playing with 3 people, in which case the deal would have to be 4 cards at a time rather
than 6.
Basra (or ashush)
Like many card games, basra can be played with 2, 3 or 4 players. If with 4, 2 players
normally team up against the other 2. But in order to increase the element of competition,
people often play as individuals, without teams.
In basra, or ashush, cards are distributed to every player in one hump, in sets of 4 or 6 cards
at a time. Four other cards are laid face upwards on the floor. The first player, that is the one
sitting on the right of the dealer, tries to match the cards on the floor with the cards in his
hand: ace matches ace, nine matches nine, king matches king, and so on. The card in the
hand 'eats' the card it matches on the floor. If no cards match, the player then has to throw
another card on the floor and the next player takes over. The right to deal rotates at every
shuffle. A card in the hand could match the sum of the cards on the floor. For example, 9
matches 6 and 3, 2 and 7, 1 and 8, and 5 and 4. The knave (jack), which is called ashush,
matches everything; it is an imam that 'eats' everything else on the floor, which is exactly
what the term means in colloquial Arabic. In Bahrain, I have heard people referring to the
knave as imam.
If a card is laid or left alone on the floor, it becomes vulnerable and could be taken as basra
should it match a card in the hand. This could happen by manipulating the jack that eats
everything else, thus forcing the next player to throw a lone card on the floor (vulnerablity
of isolation).
The basra counts as 10, the ace 1, the knave 1; the 10 of diamonds counts as 3, the 2 of
clubs as 2, and the player who gets the most cards wins 3 points. The game is won once a
player accumulates the sum of 101 points. Aside from the specific cards mentioned above,
other cards carry equivalent values with no distinction made between diamonds or hearts,
clubs or spades, kings or queens, sevens or fours. The highest value obviously is placed

upon the basra, which is a captured lone card, or a 'hostage'.


Rules of Card Games: President
President
Contents
Introduction
The Basic Game
Variations in playing procedure
General variations in what cards can be played when
Variations in the cards used and their ranking
Variations involving particular cards
Variations involving suits and colours
Variations in the social structure and scoring
Other WWW Sites
Commercial Versions
Introduction
President has many alternative names: Scum, Asshole (in Britain: Arsehole), Rich Man Poor Man,
Bum, Landlord, Emperors and Scum, Root Beer, Warlords and Scumbags, Butthead, Capitalism;
in France it is Trouduc or Trou du Cul; in Germany: Einer ist immer der Arsch; in Hungary it is
Hbres (meaning vassal); in the Netherlands it is Sluitspieren or Klootzakken.
The game has recently spread throughout the Western world, especially among young people, but is
probably of Chinese origin. In games of this type (which I call climbing games), each player in turn can
either pass or play a card or combination which beats the previous play, and the usual object is to get rid
of all one's cards as soon as possible. Such games have been known in the West only for the last twenty
years or so, but there are many of them in China, perhaps the most famous being Zheng Shangyou.
As the game has spread, numerous variations have developed. I will describe a typical basic version first,
and list some variations at the end. As the variations are so numerous, I have tried to group them into
types for easier reference.
The Basic Game
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Objective
The aim is to get rid of all your cards as soon as possible. The last player left with cards is called the
scum, asshole, or whatever term of derision is locally used.
Players and Cards

About 4 to 7 people using a standard 52 card pack. The suits are irrelevant and the cards rank, from high
to low, 2 A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3.
Deal
The game is played clockwise. All the cards are dealt out. Some players may have one more than others.
Play
The player to dealer's left starts by leading (face up) any single card or any set of cards of equal rank (for
example three fives). Each player in turn must then either pass (i.e. not play any cards), or play face up a
card or set of cards which beats the previous play.
A single card is beaten by any higher single card. A set of cards can only be beaten by a higher set
containing the same number of cards. So for example if the previous player played two sixes you can
beat this with two kings, or two sevens, but not with a single king, and not with three sevens (though you
could play two of them and hang onto the third).
It is not necessary to beat the previous play just because you can - passing is always allowed. Also
passing does not prevent you from playing the next time your turn comes round.
The play continues as many times around the table as necessary until someone makes a play which
everyone else passes. All the cards played are then turned face down and put to one side, and the player
who played last (and highest) to the previous "trick" starts again by leading any card or set of equal
cards.
For example the play might go:
A B C D E
44 Pass Pass 66 99
JJ Pass Pass Pass KK
Pass Pass AA Pass Pass
Pass Pass
C then starts again by leading any card or set.
When a player whose turn it is to play has no more cards left, the turn passes to the next player in
rotation. Therefore in the example, if the two aces were C's last two cards, it would then be D's turn to
play anything.

Social Status
The first player who is out of cards is awarded the highest social rank - for Americans this is President -
the next is Vice-President, then Citizen and so on down. The last player to be left with any cards is
known as the Beggar, Scum, Asshole or by various terms of abuse. For Europeans the ranks can be King,
Minister, ... , Peasant or Boss, Foreman, Worker, Bum.
If keeping score, the players get points depending on their position - for example 2 for the President, 1
for the Vice President and nothing for the others. More importantly, the players of higher status are
entitled to enjoy and generally abuse their power over the lower ranking players.
For the next hand the players move seats. The President selects the most comfortable chair, the Vice
President sits to the President's left, and so on around to the Asshole who sits to the President's right,
probably on a crate or packing case.
The Asshole is responsible for shuffling, dealing and clearing away the cards when necessary. As the
players are now seated clockwise in order of rank, the first card is dealt to the President, the second to the
Vice President, and so on down.
When the deal is complete, the Asshole must give his highest card to the President, and the President
gives back in exchange any card which he does not want.
The President then leads any card or set of cards and the game continues as before.
End of Game
If scoring, set a target and the game ends when someone reaches (say) 11 points.
Variations in playing procedure

Opening Lead
On the first deal, some play that the player holding a specific card of the lowest rank leads. Generally this
will be a three, for example the 3, but in variations where threes are wild it will be a four.
On subsequent deals, some play that the Scum from the previous hand leads, rather than the President.
Single-round play
Some people play that after someone leads, each player gets just one opportunity to pass or beat the
previous play. Whoever played highest then leads again. So in the example given before, if the play
went:
A B C D E
44 Pass Pass 66 99
A does not get a chance to beat E's pair of 9's. It is now E's turn to lead any card or set.

I think that multi-round play, as in the basic game, must be the original method. All the Chinese climbing
games use it. Probably single-round play is a Western modification, influenced by trick-taking games.
Compulsory beating
Some people play that if you can beat the previous play, you must. Passing is only allowed if you are
unable to play. Again, I believe this is a recent modification, and it seems to make the game less
interesting.
No playing after passing

In Australia, some people do not allow a player who has passed to play at subsequent turns during the
same trick. If you pass, you must wait until someone wins the trick and leads again. So the play example
given above would look like this:
A B C D E
44 Pass Pass 66 99
JJ Pass KK
Pass
Now that A, B, C and D have passed, E's pair of kings cannot be beaten; the cards are set aside, E leads a
new card or set, and everyone is allowed to play again.
General variations in which cards can be played

when
Larger sets of cards beat smaller sets of lower rank
Some people do not require players to play an equal number of cards to the card or set they are beating. It
is also possible to play more cards than the previous player, as long as they are also higher in rank than
the previous play. For example, in this variation:
a single 8 could be beaten by a single 10 or a pair of 10s, but not by a pair of 5s;
a pair of 9s can be beaten by two or more 10s but not by a single 10.
Larger sets beat smaller sets irrespective of rank

Another variation found occasionally is that a set of more cards beats a set of fewer cards irrespective of
rank, so that a single 9 can be beaten by a pair of fives, which in turn could be beaten by three fours.
Equal plays allowed

Some people allow a card or set to be beaten by another card or set of equal rank. For example a pair of
sevens can be beaten by another pair of sevens, or by any higher pair.

Equal play skips next player

Some people play that if you beat a play with an equal play, the turn skips the next player who has cards,
and passes to the player after that. In particular this means that if there are only two players left in and
you equal the previous play, you immediately get another turn to play.
When this variation is combined with the variation that allows a larger set of cards on a smaller set, it
may be that if more than one equal card is played, more than one player is skipped. For example if a six
is played, and the next person plays two sixes, the following two players are skipped; if three sixes were
played on a six the next three players would be skipped.
Four of a kind inverts ranks

This can be combined with the suit ranking variation described below. When a player plays four of a
kind, then for the rest of that deal, the rules of play are changed. From that point on, each player must
play a card (or combination) lower than the previous play (and now between two pairs of the same rank,
the one containing the club is lower and therefore beats the other.) If another 4 of a kind is played, then
the order is reversed back the original. This tends to produce reversals of fortune, breaking the cycle of
the 1st place player after winning several hands in a row.
Four of a kind reverses ranks and direction of play

This variation was reported by Hamish Allan of Scotland. Equal plays are allowed, and if four single
cards of the same rank are played in succession (with or without passes in between), or if one player
plays a set of four equal cards, then the direction of play and the ranking of cards reverses. This is called
a revolution. Playing a pair on an equal pair does not cause a revolution, however.
In the normal ranking, threes are transparent and the two is high and low. In reversed ranking threes are
still transparent but now aces are highest and lowest - so the rank from high to low is
(A)-2-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-(A); a single ace beats anything and anything beats an ace.
Other types of card combination can be played

It is possible to allow other card combinations to be played besides sets of equal rank.
1. if you add single and multiple sequences the game becomes rather like Zheng Shangyou;
2. if you add poker-like combinations such as full houses the game becomes like Big Two.
Variations in the cards used and their ranking

Double Deck
When there are a lot of players, a double deck of cards is sometimes used.

Aces high
Some people play with aces as the highest cards - the cards rank from high to low
A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.
Jokers
Some people include one or more jokers in the pack. These usually rank above the twos. If the jokers are
distinguishable, it may be agreed that the coloured (or otherwise more impressive) joker beats the other
one.
Some people also use jokers as wild cards, which can represent any rank. Some play that a natural
combination beats an otherwise equal combination containing a wild card (e.g. 6-6-6 beats
6-joker-joker), some play that the combination with wild cards beats the natural one, and some play that
they are equal - so that neither beats the other (or each beats the other if equal plays are allowed).
Another variation is to use the jokers only as wild cards, with no intrinsic rank of their own.
40 card pack (Klootzakken)

C.A. van Wijk reports that in the Netherlands, Klootzakken is played with a 40 card pack lacking 4's, 5's
and 6's, the cards ranking from high to low: 3 2 A K Q J 10 9 8 7. Cards are not set aside after a trick but
accumulate in a pile on the table. There is no changing of seats at the end of a hand, but the winner trades
two unwanted cards for the loser's best two cards. The loser plays first in the next hand.
Variations involving particular cards

Single two wins
Some people play that a single two beats any combination (in the basic game you would need three twos
to beat three aces). The person who plays the two clears away the cards (or directs the Scum to clear
them away, if you play that the Scum has to do this) and leads anew.
Two is highest and lowest

In this variation a single two can be played at any time, but the play continues and the next player can
play anything. This rule may have been borrowed from Shithead, another recent card game played
predominantly by young people worldwide.
Jokers
As with the two, when it is highest, some people play that a single joker beats any set of lower cards.

Black threes or jack of diamonds high

Sometimes players use some other specific card(s) as high cards beating the twos - such as the jack of
diamonds or the black threes.
Jokers, jacks and twos high

Sofia, from Toronto, reports a version in which the rank of the cards from the top is: joker, jack, two, ace,
king, queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. The jokers, jacks and twos have special powers:
Any pair of aces or below can be beaten by a single two, jack or joker.
Any three of a kind of aces or below can be beaten by a pair of twos, or by a single jack or joker.
Any four of a kind of aces or below can be beaten by three twos, two jacks or a single joker.
These numbers of cards are all doubled if playing with two decks.
Jokers, Twos and Threes Wild

In Hbres (the Hungarian version of the game), all the jokers, twos and threes are all wild. Played along
with a normal card (or cards) they take on the rank of that card; played singly or in entirely wild sets they
rank highest and all equal to each other.
Twos high, threes and jokers wild

In this version all the threes and the two jokers are wild cards that can represent any other card. The twos
are the highest cards but have no special property.
Transparent cards
Some people play that threes (or some other agreed rank if threes have another meaning) are transparent.
This means that you can use a three to beat any single card, and a set of threes to beat an equal number of
cards of any rank, and the threes you play take on the rank of the cards they have beaten. For example if
A plays a pair of kings and B beats it with a pair of threes, the threes count as kings and subsequent
players have to beat a pair of kings or pass. If all pass, B's threes have won, the cards are cleared away
and B leads.
Threes high, below the two

Some play that a single three can beat any card or set except a two. A three can be beaten by a two
(unbeatable) or a four (fours are transparent in this version).
Variations involving Suits and Colours

Following Suit
In this variation, a single card can only be beaten by a higher card of the same suit. This makes it much
harder to get rid of single cards.
Reversing Colour
This is a variation on allowing equal plays. You can beat a single card with an equal ranked card,
provided that it is the opposite colour - so a red five can be beaten by a black five, but not by another red
five. A set of cards can be beaten by an equal ranked set provided that the colour of each card is reversed
- for example two red sevens beat two black sevens, and a red and a black seven beats a black and a red
seven.
Suit Ranking
Theodore Hwa reports a variation in which the suits rank spades (high), hearts, diamonds, clubs (as in
Bridge). When playing single cards, a card of equal rank to the previous card can be played, provided
that the suit is higher. For example if someone played the 7 you could beat this by playing the 7 or
the 7 or any 8 or higher card, but you could not play the 7, because clubs are lower than diamonds.
Between equal ranked pairs, the pair containing the spade is higher, irrespective of the suit of the other
card. So for example, the pair Q- Q can be beaten by the pair Q- Q.
Variations in Social Structure and Scoring

Joining and leaving a game
Players may leave the game after any hand. The players below them then move up one place in
rank.
New players may join the game after any hand, and they start in the lowest position (asshole or
scum).
Card Exchange
The President receives the Scum's two highest cards, and gives the Scum any two cards in exchange. The
Vice President and the second-to-last player exchange one card similarly.
James Lundeen reports a version (called Butthead) in which the Butthead passes the President his two
best cards and the President passes the Butthead three of his choice. Similarly the vice-butthead and
vice-president trade one and two cards respectively. This makes it harder to get out of the butthead
position as you are passed more bad cards.

Expose a card to assign hands

After the deal but before the players pick up their cards, the top card of each hand is turned up. The
president gets the hand with the highest card facing up, vice president gets the second highest and so
forth.
Trading Cards
In this version the players in the middle of the order are called merchants (so with six players the
ranking could be Landlord, Noble, Upper merchant, Lower merchant, Peasant, Scum). While the lowest
players must give their best cards in exchange for the highest players' unwanted cards, the merchants in
the middle must trade. That is, they must give each other one card, but they can haggle as to which cards
to trade, and in this way they may both be able to improve their hands. The haggling might begin:
UM: "I have a seven"
LM: "I have an eight. Want to trade?"
UM: "I don't need an eight. How about a nine?"
and so on. If they can't agree, they must give each other a card anyway - in this case each will give an
unwanted card to the other.
Anthony O'Dea suggests a more extreme version of this, called "The Hand of Collusion". With six
players, everyone gets 9 cards (both Jokers used). Players then "collude" in pairs, swapping as many
cards as necessary. Usually the President colludes with the Arsehole, the 2nd player with the 5th and the
3rd with the 4th. After collusion, eveyone must still have 9 cards. Play then proceeds as normal. The first
to go out gets 6 points, and so on. Winners are the pair with the most points.
Scoring
Another scheme, when playing with 5 or 7 players, is as follows. With 5 players the scores given to the
players, from first to last, are 2, 1, 0, -1, -2. With 7 players the scores are 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3. The scores
for a hand also indicate how many cards each loser has to exchange with each winner at the start of the
next hand.
Fixed seats
Some people play without switching seats after each hand. It is still the Asshole who shuffles and deals
and the President who leads to the first trick (or the Scum leads if you play that version).
Hats
In Hamish Allan's version, the players wear hats corresponding to their social rank. When there is a
revolution, everyone turns their hat inside out. Also in this version, if you are the top ranking player (in
this case called the Rich Man) and you fail to win, you must immediately throw in your cards and you
become the lowest ranking player (Poor Man). The player who ran out of cards first is the Rich Man and
the others continue playing for the remaining positions.

Only the Scum may touch the cards

After the first card is played, no one is allowed to touch any cards on the table except the Scum. If you
do, then you automatically become the Scum for the next round. Note that you only become the Scum if
you deliberately reach out and touch the cards; someone throwing the cards at you doesn't count.
Procedural Faults
The winning player (in this version called the Landlord) shuffles and the Scum cuts, after which the
Landlord deals. Forgetting to offer the cards to be cut, or any kind of misdeal is a fault. After two faults
the Landlord becomes the Scum and everyone else moves up one place. The Landlord also becomes the
Scum if there are two consecutive games in which the result does not lead to a change in the players'
positions.
Hbres
In Hbres, when played by six people, the ranks are Kirly, Nagybirtokos, Kisbirtokos, Nagyparaszt,
Kisparaszt, Mocsr (king, big landowner, small landowner, big peasant, small peasant, swamp). The king
and swamp exchange three cards, the big landowner and small peasant two cards, and the small
landowner and big peasant one card.

Two descriptions of Asshole can be found in the Guide to Drinking Games.
Another version can be found on Nicholas Cheung's President page.
There is a description in French on Jean-Franois Bustarret's Trou du Cul page.
A free President computer program lyse can be downloaded from Vincent Brevart's web site.
Commercial Versions
There are several commercially produced versions of President / Asshole using special cards - for
example The Great Dalmuti (described further on the Commercial Games page) and Karriere Poker.


Rules of Card Games: Go Fish
Go Fish, Authors, Happy Familes,

Quartet
Introduction
Go Fish
Variations
Authors
Happy Families
Quartet
Other Web Pages and Software
Introduction
These games are closely related. The object is to collect books, which are sets of four cards of the same
rank, by asking other players for cards you think they may have. Whoever collects most sets wins. The
basic idea is very simple and they are often thought of as children's games.
Go Fish
This game, often just known as Fish, is best for 3-6 players, but it is possible for 2 to play. A standard 52
card deck is used. The dealer deals 5 cards to each player (7 each for 2 players). The remaining cards are
placed face down to form a stock.
The player to dealer's left starts. A turn consists of asking a specific player for a specific rank. For
example, if it is my turn I might say: 'Mary, please give me your jacks'. The player who asks must
already hold at least one card of the requested rank, so I must hold at least one jack to say this. If the
player who was asked (Mary) has cards of the named rank (jacks in this case), she must give all her cards
of this rank to the player who asked for them. That player then gets another turn and may again ask any
player for any rank already held by the asker.
If the person asked does not have any cards of the named rank, they say 'Go fish!'. The asker must then
draw the top card of the undealt stock. If the drawn card is the rank asked for, the asker shows it and gets
another turn. If the drawn card is not the rank asked for, the asker keeps it, but the turn now passes to the
player who said 'Go fish!'.
As soon as a player collects a book of 4 cards of the same rank, this must be shown and discarded face
down. The game continues until either someone has no cards left in their hand or the stock runs out. The
winner is the player who then has the most books.
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Variations of Go Fish
Some people play that rather than asking for a rank, you must ask for a specific card. You must already
hold at least one card of that rank. For example, you say: 'Tom, please give me the seven of diamonds'. If
Tom has it he gives it and you get another turn. If he doesn't, he says 'Go Fish!' and you draw from the
stock. In the unlikely event that you draw the seven of diamonds you get another turn; if you draw
anything else it is now Tom's turn.
If you play this variation, you need to agree whether it is permissible to ask for a card which you already
hold in your hand. Obviously you'll have to fish and your turn will end, but you might do this
deliberately to mislead the other players into thinking that you didn't hold that card.
Some people play that when the stock runs out, you carry on playing until all the cards have been made
into books. Obviously after the stock has run out there is no 'Go Fish!'. If the person you asked doesn't
have the card asked for, the turn passes directly to them.
There are various ways of scoring. For example, you may play a series of hands, scoring one point for
each book you make. The game continues until someone wins by reaching an agreed target score - for
example, 10 points.
Authors
This is Go Fish without the stock pile. All the cards are dealt out as equally as possible to the players. A
turn consists of asking a player for a rank (or a specific card if you play that version). If they have it your
turn continues; if not the turn passes to the player you asked. As in Go Fish, you must have a card of the
rank you asked for. Books of 4 cards are discarded. The game continues until all the cards are formed
into books, and whoever gets most books wins - or you can score one point per book and play to a target
score.
This game is called Authors in the USA, because at one time it was played with special cards showing
pictures of famous authors. Several types of these cards are available from US Games Systems.
Happy Families
This British version of the game is played with a special pack of 44 cards depicting the mother, father,
son and daughter of eleven families. Everyone contributes equally to a pool, all the cards are dealt, and
the player to dealer's left begins. The player whose turn it is asks another player for a specific card; the
asker must already hold at least one card of the same family. If the player asked has the card it must be
handed over and the asker continues by asking the same or another player for another card. If the asked
player does not have the wanted card they say "not at home" and the turn passes to them. Completed
families are placed face down in front of the owner. When all families are complete, the player with most
wins half the pool.
The game then continues into a second phase, in which players ask for complete families. The winner of
the first phase begins, and the player who manages to accumulate all eleven families wins the second half

of the pool.
Some play a version in which a player asking for a card must say "please", and a player receiving a card
must say "thank you". Anyone who forgets to do this must give back the requested card (if it has been
handed over) and the turn passes to the player they were asking.
Quartet
This is the German equivalent of Happy Families or Authors. Many different designs of cards were made
for this game in the late nineteenth and throughout the twentieth century, with various educational or
other themes.
Other Web Pages and Software

The Softgame Company's Funcrd Card Games program plays hearts, Spades, Cribbage and Go Fish.


Rules of Card Games: Avinas
Avinas
This game was taught to John McLeod by Albinas Borisevicius of Vilnius, Lithuania. John McLeod
taught Anthony Smith, who has written the following description.
1. The Players
The Lithuanian game Avinas ("Rams" in English) is a trick-taking game for two pairs of players. Each
player sits opposite his partner. It is especially popular around the town of Jurbarkas (on the river
Niemen, between Kaunas and the western border). On holidays players left off playing only to go to
Mass.
A match consists of several hands.
2. The Cards
A 32 card pack is used, ranking
in trumps: QC, 7, QS, QH, QD, JC, JS, JH, JD, A, 10, K, 9, 8
in other suits: A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7.
The cards are valued at A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2 in all suits, giving a total of 120 points in the pack.
Ace, King, Queen, Jack are Tuzas, Karalius, Dama, Valetas in Lithuanian and Clubs, Spades, Hearts,
Diamonds are Kryziai, Vynai, Cirvai, Bugnai.
QC is called "s'pic" and QS is called "green". In some parts of Lithuania some players call Queens
"uppers" and call Jacks "lowers" [which suggests that Avinas was once played with German suited
cards].
3. The Deal
The dealer deals in fours, clockwise. He exposes the fourth and eighth card of each opponent. He also
examines the fourth and eighth of his own and his partner's cards, but only exposes any that are sevens.
The game takes different forms according to whether or not any sevens have been exposed.
4. The Tricks
How Declarer is determined depends on whether or not any seven was exposed during the deal, but
Declarer always leads to the first trick.
The lead to the first trick must be a trump. The winner of the first trick must lead a trump to the second
trick if he holds one. If he has none he leads a card face down or face up as he chooses. If it is face down
he indicates to his partner by a facial expression whether it is a valuable card or not. The other players
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follow as if a trump had been led, and the highest trump played wins the trick. If the card led was
face-down then when all four have played it is exposed.
Tricks are played as in Whist, that is, suit must be followed if possible and a player void in the suit led
may trump or discard as he chooses. The winner of one trick leads to the next.
5. One or More Sevens is Turned

5.1 Determing the Trump Suit and the Declarer
It can be expected that in over 70% of the deals at least one seven will be turned. If just one of the
exposed cards is a seven then its suit is trumps; if more than one is a seven then the suit of the seven
which was dealt last is the trump suit. The player who was dealt the seven of trumps is Declarer and will
lead to the first trick.
5.2 The Game

Normally all eight tricks are played out and Declarer and his partner have won if they took at least 61
points but lost if they took 60 or fewer.
However, before the lead to the first trick, Declarer or his partner may undertake to win all the tricks, by
knocking on the table. This doubles the value of the game. Either defender may then knock on the table,
which doubles the value of the game again. In these cases Declarer and his partner have lost as soon as
the defenders take a trick.
5.3 Scoring the Game

The result of the game will be marked on the score sheet as
circles called "Rams".
If Declarer and his partner win the basic game then the
defenders are penalised with 1, 2, 3 or 4 Rams according as 1, 2,
3 or 4 sevens were exposed during the deal. If they lose then
they are penalised with 2, 4, 6 or 8 Rams.
If Declarer or his partner knocked and succeeded in taking all
eight tricks then their opponents are penalised with 2, 4, 6 or 8
Rams, but if they failed to take all the tricks they are penalised
with 4, 8, 12 or 16 Rams according as 1, 2, 3 or 4 sevens were
exposed during the deal.
If Declarer or his partner knocked and an opponent also
knocked then the defenders are penalised with 4, 8, 12 or 16
Rams if Declarer and his partner take all the tricks but Declarer
and his partner are penalised with 8, 16, 24 or 32 Rams if they
fail to take all the tricks.

A penalty Ram is marked on the score sheet by cancelling a Ram of the opponents if possible, or by
drawing a circle if the opponents have no uncancelled Rams. Thus at most one side has any Rams at any
time.
6. No Seven is Exposed
6.1 Determining the trump Suit and the Declarer
In can be expected that in over 29% of deals no seven will be turned. In such a case the player at the
dealer's left either passes or names the length (but not the suit) of a trump suit he can make. The other
players in turn then either pass or state a longer length. If all pass then there is a new deal, by the next
dealer. Otherwise the player stating the longest length becomes Declarer and leads to the first trick. If is
found that Declarer held a shorter trump suit than he claimed then he and his partner are deemed to have
lost the match.
Notice that it is lawful to state a length of possible trump suit while holding another longer suit.
6.2 The Game

Declarer does not name trumps but simply leads one. If the lead to the first trick is a Queen or a Jack, so
that it is not clear what the trump suit is, the player on Declarer's left must ask what the trump suit is.
When no seven was turned it is not necessary to play all the tricks. Declarer or his partner can stop the
game at any stage. If they have at least 61 points then they have won, and the defenders are penalised as
in 6.3. If they have fewer than 61 then they have lost, even if they have more points than their opponents,
and are penalised as in 6.3.
6.3 Scoring the Game

The result of the game will be marked on the score sheet with Pips called "writing" (see diagram).
If Declarer and his partner make at least 61 points and the defenders have 31 or more then 1 Pip is
marked against the defenders.
If Declarer and his partner make at least 61 and the defenders have at least 2 but fewer than 31 then 2
Pips are marked against the defenders.
If Declarer and his partner make least 61 and the defenders have taken no points then 3 Pips are marked
against the defenders.
If Declarer and his partner have less than 60 but at least 31 points then 2 Pips are marked against
Declarer and his partner.
If Declarer and his partner have at least 2 but fewer than 31 points then 4 Pips are marked against
Declarer and his partner.
If Declarer and his partner have taken no points then 6 Pips are marked against Declarer and his partner.

Keeping the opponents' score below 31 is called "taking the field", but there is no special name for
preventing the opponents from taking any points.
Penalty Pips are not cancelled like Rams are.
7. Ending the Match

After each game the player on the left of the old dealer deals for a new game, until one side scores at
least 12 penalty Pips. Play then ends. If the other side then have no Pips then the players who had the 12
Pips have been made "Cats" and are disgraced until the next game. Traditionally there is no more play
that day, and new cards are used for the next game.
If both sides have penalty Pips then the Pips are ignored and the side which has more penalty Rams has
lost. In the diagram, the match has just ended because E & W have 12 pips. E & W win because N & S
have eight Rams.
If neither side has any Ram at this stage then the side with fewer penalty Pips wins.
The stakes can be an agreed flat rate for the match or can be an agreed figure per Ram on the final score
sheet.
Sources:
1. Demonstration games played with Albinas Borisevicius at IPCS Munich, November 1991
2. Rule-sheet sent by Albinas Borisevicius to John McLeod
3. Answers of 14 May 1992 by Albinas Borisevicius to queries of 21 March 1992 by John McLeod
Remarks:
1. Mr Borisevicius considers "Ram" the best English for the name of the game and "Hammel" the
best German. Unfortunately "Hammel" means "wether", not "ram".
2. It can be good tactics for both sides to wish to lose a "no seven" game! Suppose one side has no
Rams and 11 pips while the other side has both one or more Rams and one or more pips. Then the
players on 11 wish to lose so as to bring this to at least 12 and so end the match while their
opponents have Rams; their opponents can avoid this only by themselves losing. (Mr Borisevicius
confirms this.) Since Declarer's side in a "no seven" game can choose when to bring the game to a
close, they can certainly arrange to lose; thus there will be no underbidding for the right to be
Declarer!

Last updated 1st October 1995

Rules of Card Games: Baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a banking game available in casinos worldwide. The aim of the player is to form a hand
whose point value is nearer to 9 than the hand of the banker. Pip cards count as face value, pictures and
tens as zero, and only the last digit of the total counts (so that for example seven plus six is worth 3, not
13).
Information about Baccarat can be found in:
the Baccarat FAQ of the newsgroup rec.gambling.misc
the Gambling Times Basics of Baccarat page

The winneronline.com site
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Baccarat history, rules and tips.
The computer program Ultimate Baccarat is available from Accidental Software
The Vegas Fever software package includes "Mini Baccarat" and other casino games.
Sancho's Video Casino includes a free on-line Baccarat game.

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Rules of Card Games: Barbu
Barbu
The following description was originally provided by Nick Wedd. John McLeod made some revisions and
added the information at the end on variations.
Introduction
The Seven Contracts

Doubling
Scoring
History
Advice on skilful play
Variations
Other Barbu WWW Pages
Introduction
Barbu is a skilful card game for four players. It uses a standard 52-card pack as for bridge or poker,
ranking as usual from highest to lowest A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 in each of the four suits. In the course
of a session, each player will play each of the seven contracts once, so that there are 28 hands played in
all.
The initial declarer is chosen at random. For the first seven hands, this player will be declarer. The cards
will be dealt by the player on declarer's right, and cut by the player opposite to declarer. After this
declarer has done her seven contracts, the player on the original declarer's left will be declarer for seven
contracts, and so on, until everyone has done her seven contracts.
In each of these contracts, each player is playing for herself. Declarer chooses the contract, but there is
no reason for the other players to cooperate against her. The rules about doubling, however, are
asymmetrical with respect to declarer (see below).
The Seven Contracts

There are five "negative" and two "positive" contracts.
In negative contracts, there are no trumps. The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if
possible - a player who cannot follow suit may discard any card. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
In certain contracts there are restrictions on what card may be led to a trick. The negative contracts are:
No Tricks. Each trick scores -2 points to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is
therefore -26.
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No Queens. Each queen scores -6 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the
contract is therefore -24. After a queen is played, it is kept face up in front of the player who won
the trick, so that everyone can see which queens have been taken by whom. When the fourth queen
is played, the play ends at the end of that trick, as there are no more points at stake on that hand.
No Last Two. The last-but-one trick scores -10 to the player winning it, and the last trick scores
-20 to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is therefore -30.
No Hearts. Each heart scores -2 points to the player winning it in a trick, except for the ace of
hearts, which scores -6. The total score for the contract is therefore -30. It is forbidden for a player
to lead hearts unless she has nothing but hearts in her hand. Hearts won in tricks are kept face up in
front of the winner of the trick until the end of the play, so that everyone can see who has taken
which hearts.
No King of Hearts. The king of hearts scores -20 to the player winning it in a trick. The total
score for the contract is therefore -20. It is forbidden for a player to lead hearts unless she has
nothing but hearts in her hand.
The positive contracts are:
Trumps. Declarer chooses a trump suit. The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow
suit if possible. A trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trump, by the highest
card of the suit led. A player who can legally head a trick by playing a trump is obliged to do so.
(This means that if trumps are led, players are obliged not only to follow suit with a trump, but to
play a higher trump than any so far in the trick if this is possible. It also means that if a side-suit is
led, a player who is void in that side-suit is obliged to head the trick with a trump unless it already
contains a trump higher than any in her hand, in which case she can play anything.) The winner of
a trick leads to the next. Each trick scores +5 points to the player winning it. The total score for the
contract is therefore +65.
Dominoes. Declarer chooses a starting rank. For example if the starting rank is to be 5, she says
"dominoes from the five". The object is to get rid of all one's cards before the other players. Each
player in turn, starting as usual with declarer, must, if possible, play an acceptable card face
upwards to the table. Acceptable cards are those of the chosen rank, also cards of the same suit and
adjacent rank to one already played. A player who cannot play, having no acceptable card,
indicates this (perhaps by rapping on the table) and the turn to play passes on. In particular,
declarer may have no cards of the rank she chooses, in which case she begins the play by passing.
The played cards form a layout with the four cards of the starting rank in a column in the centre,
and the other cards of their suits built up in sequence on either side. Play continues until all four
players have played all their cards. As usual, aces are high and twos low, so the last card played
will be either an ace or a two.
Example: A chooses dominoes from the nine and plays the 9 of hearts, B plays the 9 of spades, C
plays the 10 of spades. Playable cards for D are now H8, H10, S8, SJ, D9, C9. If D has none of
these she must pass.
The first player to go out scores +45. Play continues between the other three players, and the
second scores +20. The last two players continue playing and the third to go out scores +5 and the
last scores -5. The total score for the contract is therefore +65. This contract is sometimes known
as Fantan.
The scores are cunningly chosen so that the total over seven hands is 0.

Doubling
After the contract has been chosen, each player in turn, starting on declarer's left, has one opportunity to
double. A player may double all, some, or none of the other players. Declarer, however, is restricted in
that she may only double players who have doubled her.
In each series of seven hands, each player is obliged to double declarer at least twice.
In the two positive contracts, the other players may only double declarer, not each other. Declarer may
double those who have doubled her, as usual.
When doubling a player who has already doubled you, it is conventional to use the word "redouble".
When making every possible double and redouble, it is conventional to use the word "maximum".
A double is, in effect, a side-bet between the two players involved about which of them will do better
than the other. When you are deciding whether to double another player, the only issue is whether you
expect to score better than her.
Scoring
The doubles are recorded on the score sheet as they are made. Doubles of declarer are ringed, to make it
easier to ensure that each player makes her compulsory two doubles of declarer.
At the end of a hand, it is scored. First of all, the points won or lost by the players are written down. Then
the effects of the doubles are calculated pair by pair, for each of the six pairs of players:
1. If neither of two players has doubled the other, there is no side-payment.
2. If only one of a pair of players has doubled the other, the difference between their raw scores is
calculated, and this difference is added on to the score of the one who did better and subtracted
from the score of the one who did worse.
3. If each of a pair of players has doubled the other, the difference between their raw scores is
calculated and doubled, and this difference is added on to the score of the one who did better and
subtracted from the score of the one who did worse.
For example, here is a score-sheet, with two hands already played and scored.

On the first hand, Anne was declarer and chose No Queens. Her choice of contract was written "Q" in the
left column.
Beth (with a good hand for No Queens) began the doubling by saying "maximum" to double everyone
else. This was recorded in Beth's column as a letter "X"; and was ringed to indicate that it includes a
double of declarer. Then Cath doubled Anne and no-one else (she believes that the outcome of No
Queens is unpredictable, so she might as well make a double of declarer). This was recorded as a letter
"A" for Anne, with a ring round it as Anne is declarer. Then Diana passed (having a poor hand). Then
Anne redoubled Cath (but not Beth, who seems from her behaviour to have a strong hand). This was

recorded as a letter "C" for Cath.

In the play, Diana captured two queens among her tricks, and Anne and Cath captured one each. This
was recorded as -6 to Anne, -6 to Cath, and -12 to Diana.
Then the side-payments were calculated. These are shown here in color, for the sake of this explanation
(normally, of course, they would all be written with the same pencil).
A/B. Beth has doubled Anne, but Anne has not doubled Beth. So there is one double between
them. Anne scored -6 while Beth scored 0, So Anne pays 6 to Beth. This is shown in red.
A/C. Anne and Cath have doubled each other, so there is a double side-payment between them.
However they both made the same score of -6, so there is no side-payment.
A/D. Neither Anne nor Diana has doubled the other, so there is no side-payment.
B/C. There is one double between them, and the score difference is 6, so Cath pays 6 to Beth. This
is shown in green.
B/D. There is one double between them, and the score difference is 12, so Diana pays 12 to Beth.
This is shown in blue.
C/D. There are no doubles between them, so there is no side-payment.
Then the totals were calculated, and written into the totals column for each player.
Finally, the total value of the contract was written into the check-sum column at the right, and a check
made that the total of the four players and the rightmost column added up to 0.
On the second hand, Anne chose No Hearts. Beth and Cath passed, Diana said Maximum, and Anne
redoubled Diana. Anne took no hearts, Beth took 6 points worth, Cath took 20 points worth, and Diana
took 4 points worth. The side-payments were calculated and added up as described, and the check-sum
was checked. Note that the five figures in the right column for each player and for the check-sum are
running totals.
History
The word "barbu" is French for "bearded". In some packs, the king of hearts is shown with a beard. The
game Barbu has existed in France for some time in a simple form where the different games are just
played in a fixed sequence (no choice of contract and no doubling). The more elaborate modern version
described here was developed by bridge players and was a favourite of the Italian "Blue Club" bridge
team.
Advice on Skilful Play

No Hearts and No King of Hearts are generally best bid on hands with many hearts. This is because the
rules forbid the leading of hearts. A hand with long hearts will be short in the other suits, and will thus
get more opportunities to discard.
In No King of Hearts, a player who holds the King, and is confident of not taking it herself, will be
influenced by the doubling on where she dumps it. It can therefore be possible for a player with a very

poor hand, who did not double, to cooperate with declarer in dumping the King on a player who did
double. (This assumes that declarer holds the King.) One way of cooperating with declarer is by
returning the suits which she leads.
To bid No Last Two, aces can be as valuable as twos. A very poor holding is 9 8 7 6: you can be
confident that the other players will not lead this suit for you.
The total score for No Tricks is 30, but this is in effect the smallest contract, as the tricks tend to be
spread around. It is therefore a suitable hand to keep to last, as playing it with an unsuitable hand is rarely
a total disaster. In playing No Tricks, ingenious sacrifice plays (such as are skilful in ramsch and other
negative games) are not appropriate. It is better to keep your head down and avoid each trick as it comes
round.
No King of Hearts only scores 20, but is really a big hand. This is because the penalty of 20 all comes in
one lump.
Trumps can sensibly be left to the last hand, as you can be sure of being dealt a hand with at least four
trumps in it. Do not bid Trumps for the first hand of your seven unless you expect to win at least seven
tricks. From a trump holding of e.g. A J 10 9 6 5 3 the lead of the jack can be effective: there is a good
chance that this will force the play of both the queen and the king, because of the trump-overtaking rule.
In dominoes, aces and twos are liabilities. A "block" like 765 can be powerful, in a suit in which the 4 3
and 2 are not held. Holding the specified rank is not necessarily a good thing: with an ideal hand such as
568, 5689, 689, 689 the best choice of rank is the 7.
Over seven hands, declarer can expect the best score, closely followed by the player on her right. The
player on declarer's left can expect the poorest score, as she must make her doubles before hearing those
of the other players.
It is bad to leave a compulsory double to the last hand of a seven, unless this hand will be something
small (No Tricks, or maybe No Queens). It is particularly bad to be obliged to double a positive contract.
In view of the advice in the previous paragraph... Suppose it is the sixth hand of the seven. Declarer
chooses No Tricks, leaving Trumps for last. A player doubles declarer only. Declarer should recognise
that this is a desperation double, and redouble it (if it really came from a good hand, the doubler would
have doubled the other players as well).
If you have a hand which is very good for several contracts, it is best to choose one which will induce
some doubles. For example, consider a hand which can guarantee taking no tricks, and has a heart void.
If you bid No Last Two, say, probably no-one will double you. But if you bid No Hearts, you will likely
get a double from an opponent: at least one of them must hold at least five hearts, which is normally a
strong holding in this contract.
Variations

Scoring
There are a number of different scoring schemes possible. One is to score -15 for taking the King of
Hearts in "No King of Hearts" and +40/+20/+10/-10 for dominoes. Some schemes lose the zero sum of
the scores, which is a pity as it is very useful for checking, and makes it easier to convert the result to
money won or lost. Any scheme can easily be made zero sum without affecting the balance of the game
by adjusting all four scores in Dominoes by the same amount (in fact you might have to change some by
1 more than others due to rounding effects).
Doubles and Redoubles

Some people only allow players to double declarer, not each other, and if the declarer redoubles, she
must redouble everyone who doubled, not just some of them.
Extra contract - Ravage City

No trumps. Rules of play as for other negative contracts. Whichever player takes the most cards in any
one suit scores -36. If there is a tie between two players (probably each has most cards in a different suit),
each scores -18; if three players tie each scores -12; if all four tie, all get -9.
If you play with Ravage City there will obviously be 32 deals - 8 for each declarer - rather than 28. The
scoring schedule for the other contracts will need adjusting to preserve the zero sum feature.
Other Barbu Web Pages

Jean-Franois Bustarret has a Barbu page with rules in French. The game is for 3 to 5 players and the
scoring and set of contracts is somewhat different. The points are negative and the scores are:
No tricks: 5 points per trick
No hearts: 5 points per heart
No queens: 20 points per queen
Barbu (no king of hearts): 80 points
Salad: all the above penalties count at once
Tricks: -5 points per trick
No first or last trick: 40 points for the first; 40 points for the last
Domino: -50/-25/0/25/50 (5 players), -50/-20/20/40 (4 players), -40/0/40 (3 players)
There is no doubling. There is also a version given in which only the first five contracts are played, in a
fixed sequence.
Tom Carmichael has another Barbu Page which gives rules in English.
Jeff Goldsmith's San Francisco Barbu page includes a number of variations and alternative scoring
schedules.



Rules of Card Games: Bartok
Bartok
Bartok is a game of the Eights group. The object in these games is that to be the first to get rid of all your
cards. There is a single discard pile and at your turn you can discard a card which matches the rank or the
suit of the previous card. If you cannot or do not wish to play, you draw a card from the undealt stock
and add it to your hand.
Certain card ranks may have special properties. For example
changing the direction of play;
requiring a different suit to be played;
requiring the next player to draw cards;
causing the next player's turn to be skipped;
allowing the player to play one or more additional cards.
Bartok takes this a stage further by allowing the rules about special cards to be changed by the players as
the game goes on. This makes the rules increasingly difficult to remember, and anyone who does not
follow the rules has to draw one or more penalty cards. The most successful players will be those who
are best at keeping abreast of the changes, and inventing new rules which will confuse the other players.
Detailed rules for Bartok (also called Bartog or Warthog) can be found on the following pages. Three out
of four of them are Australian, which suggests that Bartok is of Australian origin, or at least is especially
popular there.
Rules of Bartog, from the nomic ftp site.
BARTOK / Warthog-- self-modifying game - Lisa Dusseault's page.

Bartok - David Mar's page

http://www.pagat.com/eights/bartog.html [04/05/2001 9:46:41]

Rules of Card Games: Bauernschnapsen
Bauernschnapsen
This page is mainly based on a contribution from Hans-Joachim Alscher.
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The contracts
The bidding process
The play
Scoring
Variations
Talon-Schnapsen (for three players)
Schnapsen for two players
Other Bauernschnapsen WWW pages and software
Introduction
Bauernschnapsen is one of the most popular card games in Austria. It is an elaborated four-player vesion
of the two-player game of Schnapsen, which in turn is based on the German game Sechsundsechszig
(Sixty-Six).
Players and cards

Bauernschnapsen is normally played by four people. The players sitting opposite each other are partners.
The deal and play are clockwise.
It is played with a pack of just 20 cards. Either French suited or German suited (William Tell pattern)
cards can be used. The four suits (hearts, diamonds or bells, clubs or acorns, spades or leaves) each
contain five cards, and each card has a value in card points. The ranking (from high to low) and point
values of the cards are as follows.
French suits German suits Card points
ace ace (sow) 11

ten ten 10
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king king 4
queen over 3
jack under 2
In addition, a player who has the king and queen (over) of trumps in hand can declare them when leading
one of them to a trick and score 40 card points. The king and queen (over) of a non-trump suit can
similarly be declared for 20 card points.
The deal
The dealer shuffles. The player to dealer's right may either cut or just knock on the cards.
If the cards were cut, the dealer deals the cards in two rounds - a packet of three cards each followed by a
packet of two cards each. After the first three cards have been dealt, and without looking at the last two
cards, forehand (the player to the left of the dealer) has to declare the trump suit. This must be a suit of
which forehand holds at least one card. If forehand's first three cards are unsuitable to choose as a trump
suit, forehand has the alternative of designating one of the last two cards at random as trumps. This is
called "Aufschlagen". In this case, the dealer deals one of forehand's last two cards face-up on the table,
and the suit of this card is trumps.
If the cards were knocked, the dealer deals them in a single round, five at a time. However, forehand's
first three cards must be dealt separately, and forehand must either choose a trump suit from these or call
for "Aufschlagen", in which case the dealer turns up one of the other two cards to determine trumps.
The contracts
Each hand begins with an auction in which players can bid a contract that they are prepared to play. The
highest bidder's contract is played. If the bidder's team is successful they score a number of game points,
depending on the contract; if not their opponents score some game points. Note that game points are
entirely separate from card points. The first team to reach a score of 24 or more game points (usually
over several deals) will win the game.
The following table lists the possible contracts in ranking order from lowest to highest, explains what the
objective is how much they score. Note that some contracts can only be bid by certain players.
Objective and
Contract Score Bidder Trumps First lead
notes

To be the first
team to reach at
least 66 card
1, 2 or 3 points, counting
game As
cards won in
points Forehand originally
Normal game Forehand tricks plus points
(see only chosen by
for declaring
forehand
below) king-queen
(king-over)
combinations
(see below).
The declarer
must lose every
trick to win the
4 game
Bettler Anyone No trumps Declarer contract. The
points
declarer's partner
does not take part
in the play.
To win, declarer
must win the first
As three tricks, and
Forehand or in these tricks
6 game originally
Schnapser forehand's Forehand must reach at
points chosen by
partner least 66 card
forehand
points (see
below).
9 game Declarer must
Gang (or Ring) Anyone No trumps Declarer
points win all five tricks
Declarer must
win all five
10 game tricks; cards in
Zehner-Gang (or Zehner-Ring) Anyone No trumps Declarer
points all suits rank
from high to low:
10-K-Q-J-A
The declarer
must win the first
As three tricks, and
12 game An opponent originally in these tricks
Kontra-Schnapser Forehand must reach at
points of forehand chosen by
forehand least 66 card
points (see
below).

As
Forehand or The declarer
12 game originally
Bauern-Schnapser forehand's Forehand must win all five
points chosen by
partner tricks
forehand
Anyone The declarer
18 game
Farben-Gang (or Farben-Ring) except - - must hold all five
points
forehand cards of one suit
As
The declarer
24 game An opponent originally
Kontra-Bauern-Schnapser Forehand must win all five
points of forehand chosen by
tricks
forehand
Forehand must
24 game hold all five
Herren-Schnapser Forehand - -
points cards of the
trump suit
The bidding process

There is an auction to decide who will be allowed to play one of the contracts listed above. Players bid
by naming a contract they would like to play. In the bidding, there is an order of priority among the
players, forehand having the highest priority, then dealer's partner, then forehand's partner, then the
dealer, who has lowest priority. If more than one player wishes to play the same contract, the player with
the higher priority will be allowed to play.
Forehand begins the bidding and cannot pass, but can bid a normal game (for which the trump suit has
already been determined) or any of the higher contracts that are available to forehand. The turn to bid
passes clockwise, each player either passing or bidding a contract. If the previous contract was bid by a
player with higher priority than you, then you must bid a higher contract or pass. If the previous bidder
had lower priority than you, you have the extra option of bidding the same contract as the previous
bidder. Example: Forehand bids a normal game, then next two players pass and dealer bids a Gang.
Forehand can now pass, or bid a Gang, which will have priority over the dealer's Gang, or bid higher.
The bidding continues around the table for as many circuits as are necessary until three players have
passed. A player who has passed is out of the auction and does not get an opportunity to bid on later
circuits.
When three players have passed, the fourth player is the declarer, and must play the contract of the last
bid. At this stage, either of the opponents of the declarer can say "Kontra", which doubles the score for
the game. The declarer or the declarer's partner can respond by saying "Rekontra", which doubles the
score again. Either opponent can respond to a Rekontra by saying "Subkontra", which doubles the
score yet again, so that in principle the game is worth eight times its original value. However, you should
note that since the game is played to a target of 24 game points, once the score for the game is 24 points
or more (or sufficient to take either side beyond the game target if they already have a score) there is no
purpose in further Kontras.

The play
When there are trumps, forehand leads to the first trick. In contracts with no trumps, the declarer leads
first.
Players must follow suit if able to, and whenever possible must play a card that beats the highest card so
far played to the trick (even when this means beating a high card played by their partner). A player who
has no card of the suit led must play a trump if possible. If there is already a trump in the trick, and you
are also unable to follow suit, you must trump, beating the highest trump in the trick if possible, but if the
trick contains a trump you cannot beat you must still play a (lower) trump. If you have no cards of the
suit led and no trumps, you may throw any card.
A trick is won by the highest trump in it, or by the highest card of the suit led if it contains no trumps.
Special rules for normal game, Schnapser and Kontra-Schnapser

only
A player who holds the king and the queen of a suit (the king and the over if playing with German cards)
can declare them when leading one of these two cards to a trick. The player's team then scores an extra
20 card points if the K-Q is in a non-trump suit, or an extra 40 card points for the K-Q of trumps. Each
combination can only be scored if the holder leads one of the cards as the first card to a trick, while still
holding the other card in hand, and shows the other card to claim the bonus. Forehand can do this on the
first trick. Any other player would first have to win a trick, and then lead a card of the still intact
combination to declare it. It is not necessary to win the trick to which the combination card was led to
claim the score.
In a normal game, when you believe that your team has at least 66 card points in tricks you have won
plus declared combinations, you can stop the play, saying "enough". If the claim is correct your team
scores 1, 2 or 3 game points (doubled, redoubled, etc. for any kontras), depending on the card points
taken by the other team, as follows:
1 game point if the opponents have taken 33 or more card points
2 game points if the opponents have taken at least one trick, but fewer than 33 card points
3 game points if the opponents have taken no tricks
A claim can be made after you have won a trick, or immediately after declaring a combination. If you
claim after declaring a combination, the remainder of that trick is not played out, and any card points in it
do not count to either side.
Usually it is permitted to look at your side's tricks, to check how many card points you have. Therefore
false claims should be unusual, but if you do claim and then turn out to be short of the necessary 66 card
points, the other team wins the game points that you would have won if the claim had been correct.
If no one claims to have won before the lead to last trick, the team that wins the last trick wins 1 game
point (doubled for any kontras), irrespective of the number of card points taken by either side.
If Schnapser or Kontra-Schnapser is bid, just three tricks are played. To be successful, the declarer must

win all three of these tricks, and take at least 66 card points. The contract is lost if any other player takes
a trick - even the declarer's partner! Note also that in a Schnapser or Kontra-Schnapser, only the declarer
can score for combination; if forehand's partner plays a Schnapser, there is no score for any K-Q
combination held by forehand.
Scoring
The cumulative scores of the teams are recorded on a piece of paper (or a chalk slate) divided into two
columns. When the declarer's contract is successful, the appropriate game points are added to the
declarer's team's score. When it fails, the points are added to the other team's score. When a team's score
reaches 24 or more game points, that team wins. This is recorded by marking a "Bummerl" (or Pummerl)
- a blob in the losers' column. If the losing team has no game points at all when the winners reach 24 they
are "Schneider", and the winners win a double game, which is represented by two Bummerl for the
losers.
Variations
Some circles do not allow the Bettler contract. When Bettler is allowed, there are several variations:
Some play the the card order is changed; cards rank from high to low A-K-Q-J-10.
Some play that Bettler is worth 5 game points rather than 4.
Some play that the declarer's partner does not drop out, but all four players take part in the play.
Some play that if either of forehand's opponents want to say Kontra to the normal game, this has
priority over a Bettler. Even if forehand announces a Bettler, an opponent can Kontra the normal
game, which annuls the Bettler and forces forehand to play a normal game with the chosen trump
suit, unless someone wants to bid a higher contract, such as a Gang.
Some include an additional contract "As-Bettler", which ranks just above an ordinary Bettler in the
auction and is worth 5 game points. The As-Bettler is just like an ordinary Bettler, except that the
declarer must hold at least one Ace. (The declarer could choose to bid Bettler instead, to conceal the ace.)
Some circles do not allow the Zehner-Gang (Zehner-Ring or Zehner-Loch) contract. If allowed, it may
be worth 8 or 9 game points rather than 10 and be ranked below an ordinary Gang.
Talon-Schnapsen
The variation is for three players. In each deal the declarer plays against the other two players in
temporary partnership. The general rules are the same as for Bauernschnapsen and the same 20 card pack
is used.
A batch of three cards is dealt to each player, then two face down to the centre of the table (the "Talon"),
then another batch of three cards each. As in Bauernschnapsen, forehand must choose trumps on the
basis of the first three cards dealt, or turn up a card for trumps from the second batch dealt to him. If the
player to dealer's right knocks rather than cutting, forehand's two batches of three cards are dealt first,
followed by a batch of 6 to each of the other players, and the 2-card talon is dealt last.

The possible contracts and the bidding procedure are the same as in Bauernschnapsen, with these
exceptions:
In Schnapser and Kontra-Schnapser, declarer must win the first four tricks, and reach at least 66
card points in those four tricks
In Gang, Zehner-Gang, Bauern-Schnapser and Kontra-Bauern-Schnapser the declarer must win all
six tricks
In Farben-Gang and Herren-Schnapser the declarer has a complete suit plus a sixth card. The
declarer leads out the complete suit, winning five tricks, and must then win the sixth trick with the
last card - which ideally would be an ace, but you could try playing this with a lower card and
hope that the opponents keep the wrong cards.
After the bidding, the declarer picks up the two talon cards without showing them, to make a hand of
eight cards, and discards any two of these face down. The card points in the discarded cards do not count
for either team. The players must agree in advance whether the declarer is allowed to change to a higher
contract after seeing the talon.
Some play that having won the bidding you can choose not to look at the talon, but to play with your
original hand, and in this case the game is worth an extra game point.
Other WWW pages and software

The Schnapsen32: Edition 2000 computer program plays Bauernschnapsen as well as two-player
Schnapsen. It is available from KEC Austria (Triangle productions).


Rules of Card Games: Bela/Clobyosh
[rsaxi]
Bela.
This page was contributed by Mike Block (agentblock@yahoo.com)
The game of Bela - also more widely known as Clobyosh - is played by an unusual collection of people.
I learnt it as Clobyosh in my childhood, thinking of it then as a peculiarly Jewish game. But I was
amazed to discover it being played - nearly fifteen years ago - in a pub in Central Scotland (The Quarry
Inn in Twechar to be precise). I subsequently found out that Bela (as it is called in that part of the world)
is well known in mining communities in Scotland and also in the prisons (there is a unique four-handed
variation called 'Barlinnie Rules'!). No one could tell me reliably how it appeared on the scene. An older
player thought it had been introduced by a Jewish hairdresser in Kirkintilloch in the late 1930s - as good
an explanation as any. The appearance of Belote (closely similar, but with some subtle differences) in
France is equally explosive: I have a Petit Larousse dated 1925 with no mention of Belote; a later edition
(1938) describes it as 'un jeu de cartes Etrangre'; [and a booklet of rules - La Belotte by G Huitte,
published in Paris in 1925 - implies that it was recently introduced - J.M.]. Belote is now the most
popular card game in France and has been since before the Second World War: no doubt the French, too,
think it peculiarly their own.
Two-handed Bela.
The Pack.
A thirty-two card pack is used, the cards 2-6 being removed. (This is a pretty standard pack for France -
or indeed Germany, where Skat is played with thirty-two cards - and is sold as a pack for
Piquet/Belote/Manille).
The Aim.
Although Bela is a trick taking game, the winner of a hand is not neccessarily the winner of the most
tricks. Each card has a point value, and points are counted for combinations held in the hand before it is
played. One particular combination is declared as it is played - the K-Q of the trump suit (called Bela) -
and points are also scored for making the last trick. Each player aims to score more points in cards
captured during a hand of play and in combinations than his opponent. A complete game takes several
hands and is won by the player whose score first reaches or passes a total of 501.
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The Values of the Cards.

In general, the Ace is worth 11 points, the Ten is worth 10, with King, Queen, Jack being worth 4, 3, 2
respectively. The other cards are worth nothing - although they may still have their uses in play. In the
trump suit, the values change with very important consequences for the judgement of a hand. In trump,
the jack - called Yuss - is the highest card, worth 20 points. Next highest card is the normally worthless
Nine - called Manel - now worth 14 points. Thereafter the trumps follow the values applied to non-trump
cards - A=11, Ten=10, K=4, Q=3, Eight and Seven=0.
Combinations.
Combinations held in hand at the start of play are worth:
Run of four in the same suit: 50
Run of three in the same suit: 20
Cards rank in their 'natural' order - A-K-Q-J is a 'fifty', but A-Ten-K-Q is not.
(These must be declared and shown during the play of the first trick if they are to count - it is also
necessary for the holder to make a trick during the hand of play.)
Bela (K-Q of trump): 20
Bela is declared as it is played. On playing the first card of the K-Q in trump a player says 'Bela'; on
playing the second 'from the Bela'. This parallels the French 'Belote' and 'Rebelote'. In Scotland it is
acceptable to make the declaration of Bela only on the second card.
There are no other valid combinations - nothing extra for holding a run of five, nor for holding
four-of-a-kind as in French Belote.
It is not obligatory to declare combinations (when, of course, they may not be counted to one's final total)
- indeed there are circumstances when one deliberately does not make the declaration.
Tricks.
A suit led must be followed if posible. If the suit cannot be followed, then it is obligatory to trump - an
important feature of tactical play. When a trump is led, it is obligatory to beat the trump played - another
important, tactical consideration. But it is acceptable in Scotland to withold the Yuss (trump J) if one
holds the Yuss alone (bare Yuss). Only if one can neither follow suit nor play a trump is it permitted to
discard freely. The trick-taking power of a card is determined by its point value - thus A takes Ten, takes
K, takes Q, takes J, takes Nine, takes Eight, takes Seven in non-trump suits; and J takes Nine, takes A,
etc in trump - and trumps take cards of any other suit (a trump Seven will take an Ace of Hearts - old
Scots/Jewish proverb).
The Deal.
Players cut for deal, the higher dealing for the first hand. Here the ranking of cards is the 'natural' A K Q
J 10 9 8 7 - which applies also to combinations. Given two equal cards of different suits there is a fresh
cut for deal. On subsequent deals it is the winner of the last hand who deals for the next - this is fair,
since non-dealer (forehand) - has a distinct advantage. Dealer offers the pack for his opponent to cut (it is

slightly bad form in a friendly game actually to cut the pack - a tap on the top of the pack is the 'correct'
gesture unless honour is at stake or mockery intended), gives three cards face down to his opponent, then
three to himself, then another three to his opponent, then another three to himself. The top card of the
undealt stack is turned over for a proposed trump suit and placed face up, partially covered, under the
stack. Non-dealer (forehand) assesses the likely value of his hand and decides whether to accept the suit
of the turn-up as trump for the hand. Should he accept the trump, he says 'I take' and commits himself to
beating his opponent on that hand of play - the consequences of failure can sometimes be disastrous! If
he declines the first trump - 'I pass' - it is then dealer's turn to take or decline the turn-up suit as trump. If
dealer also passes, forehand has a free choice of trump suit ('I take in xxxx' - naming the suit) - a
considerable advantage - but may not now call the turn-up suit. And should forehand decline to name a
suit - 'I pass again' - dealer now has a free choice of suit under the same constraint or may also 'Pass
again'.
If neither player accepts or names a trump suit, there is a fresh deal by the original forehand. The deal
can alternate between the two players several times - especially at a critical phase of the game - with
neither player willing to take the risk of accepting or choosing a trump.
But once a trump is chosen, dealer gives three more cards to forehand to take into his hand and three
more to himself. Each player will have evaluated their hand on the basis of six cards out of a final nine -
this is the moment of truth. Don't expect too much of the last three cards: they can make an already
promising hand, or break a mediocre one. The bottom card of the stack is then taken out and turned over
for both to see (a little extra information - in two-handed play there would otherwise be 13 hidden cards)
and placed on top of the stack.
The Exchange.
Once the full deal is complete, and if the turn-up suit has been accepted as trump, either player holding
the Seven of that trump suit may exchange it for the original turn-up - this can lead to some nasty or
pleasant surprises depending on your point of view. But no exchange is allowed if a different suit
becomes trump.
Play and Declarations.

Forehand leads to the first trick. As he does so, he declares any combination he may hold by saying 'I
have a fifty/twenty'. Dealer plays his first card saying 'Good' if he cannot better that combination; 'I have
(a fifty/twenty)' if he holds a combination of the same value; or 'Not good - I have a fifty' if forehand
declared a twenty when he himself has a fifty. Only one player will be able to count their combination
towards the final point count for their hand - the holder of the best combination (a player may have more
than one combination in hand, and may be able to count both of them). If both players have combinations
of equal value, forehand then says 'Mine is * high' naming the highest card of his sequence ('natural'
order again). Dealer replies 'Good' if his highest card in the sequence is lower; 'Not good - mine is **
high' if it is better; or 'I have also' if the leading card is of the same rank. Forehand then says 'Mine is in
***' naming the suit. If that suit is trump, his combination takes precedence (he will have said 'Mine is in
trump' in that case) and will otherwise take precedence unless dealer's sequence is in trump. Dealer at
this point does not indicate the suit - simply saying 'Good' if his is not in trump, or 'Not good' if it is.

This may seem over elaborate. But the idea is to establish precedence without giving too much away -
the score for a sequence (which often swings a hand) is gained in exchange for information and it would
be unfair for the holder of a losing combination to have to reveal his hand unnecessarily. The winning
sequence is displayed for verification as the second trick is played. A second, inferior sequence - which
will not have entered into discussion until this point - held in the same hand must be shown if it is to
score. Thus a player with a King-high fifty and a Nine-high twenty will score 70 for combinations
against a player with an Ace-high twenty. The rest of the tricks are then played out: winner of the last
trick leads to the next.
As an added complication, no sequence can be counted until its holder has actually made a trick. An
Ace-high fifty in a non-trump suit will count for nothing (in trump it will contain the Yuss so must make a
trick or three) unless a trick - however mean or otherwise worthless (it could be an Eight taking a Seven)
is made. Believe me - this happens! 'Bela' is declared as the first card of the K-Q of trump is played,
either as the first or second card to a trick, and 'from the Bela' as the second card is played. Bela is an
absolute combination - it can always count regardless of any other sequences either player may hold.
It is customary in the Scottish circles in which I have played that any trump lead must be with a scoring
card (Yuss Manel A Ten K Q), not an Eight or a Seven - there is a certain sense of fair play in this.
Last Trick.
The player taking the last trick with whatever card counts 10 points - it is often a good idea to try to keep
a winning card for last (or Shtoch to a Clobyosh player), although hardly an overriding consideration.
The Score.
The defending player who did not accept or choose the trump counts his points first - his points are
always good. He begins with his combinations - fifty, twenty, Bela as appropriate - then last trick; then
adds the point value of the cards he has taken in tricks, starting with Yuss and/or Manel if he has them;
then counting the rest one by one. His opponent then does the same - but his points are only good if his
score on the hand is the better. Should the trump chooser lose the hand, his points are counted to his
opponent - that's what I meant by disastrous earlier on - it is called going/being bate. (It sounds the same
in Yiddish or Scots - I have doubts about the etymology - maybe the Scots are descended from one of the
ten lost tribes?) An over optimistic take may be shattered on picking up the last three cards, or on the first
trick when declarations are settled, or on the early run of play - a good player (we all make mistakes) will
decide at this point not to declare the Bela that he holds lest 20 points fall to his opponent.
It happens sometimes that scores are equal. This is not a problem in modern versions of Belote: you said
you would win; you didn't; tough - my score! But in Bela/Clobyosh and also older versions of Belote the
disputed score is held in abeyance until the next played out hand - whoever wins that next hand gains the
score held over - so the original taker still has a chance of redemption. (The deal in this case simply
alternates since there is deemed to have been no winner.)
The scores are simply totted up on a scrap of paper. They tend to look something like this (aside from the
comments):
M Y

--- ---
56 23 (a slightly chancy win for M)
38 106 (Y had fifty, Ace-bela - why didn't I deal myself this?)
--- ---
94 128 (early days, yet, not much in it.)
88 84 (another chancy win for M)
--- ---
182 212
80
64 (Y took with Yuss Manel, went bate as I had a fifty)
--- ---
326 212 (this begins to feel like a comfortable lead)
etc
Winning the Game.

The game is played to a total of 501. The first player to reach or pass that total wins. Since this can be
achieved on a running total (as opposed to a completely played out hand) interesting situations arise. If,
for example, Y has 478 to M's 495, but is forehand (therefore first lead) holding a possible twenty
(Nine-high!?) and J of the turn-up he should take on in the turn-up suit, play his Yuss for 20 and declare
his twenty for another 20 points in the (reasonable) hope dealer cannot better it. His 40 points take him
beyond 501 before his opponent has scored - he wins then and there whatever the outcome of the fully
played out hand might have been. And if M did hold a fifty or even a better twenty, he still gets to 498
before his opponent (who cannot count his combination until he has made a trick) has scored. Y has the
small problem of pulling out a winning lead to give the needed 3 points (or 2 points if he were playing
Clobyosh against my father, who like many Clobyosh players regarded 500 as the score to be reached or
passed for a win.). And if he can't find the right card he can console himself with the thought that he
would have lost anyway - better to go down fighting. (A friend from East Lothian plays a variant which
requires the total to be made within the first three tricks in this type of case - otherwise the hand has to be
played out.)
It is important to claim the win as soon as 501 is reached or passed - otherwise one's opponent is still in
with a chance. One could be sitting on 506, say, yet loose the game to an opponent who sneaks in with
501 but is smart enough to make the claim. Also, if at the end of a hand one's score has passed 501
without game being claimed, one has to make a trick (any trick will do) to consummate the win (at least
in Scottish circles) before one's opponent can lawfully claim game. A falsely of claimed game forfeits the
game.
Normally best-of-three is played, the winner of the last game dealing for the first hand of the next.
Advice.
Enjoy learning the game - so not much advice. It pays to be a little aggressive and sometimes
unpredictable. Push the game along. Don't be mechanical in your assessment of your hand - it isn't
always necessary to hold Yuss-Manel of a potential trump (although it's a good, 34-point start). But you
do nearly always need some kind of a backing hand - some good scoring cards in non-trump suits - to get

away with it. And when you are well ahead or way behind, be outrageous - what's to lose? Don't be one
of those boring players who will only take on a 24-carat, nuclear-bomb-proof hand. Games are won as
much in defence as in attack, though - so play for the most you can make when forced to defend with a
poor hand, even against seemingly overwhelming strength.
Variation: Schmeiss
This variation is mentioned in most printed descriptions of Clobiosh, but I am not sure how widespread it
is in practice among real players.
If you play this way, then the players have a third option at their first turn to speak: instead of saying
Pass or Take, they can say Schmeiss. Schmeiss is a proposal to abandon the deal. If the opponent of the
player who says Schmeiss agrees, the cards are thrown in and the previous non-dealer deals (there is no
opportunity to choose a different trump suit in this case). Instead the opponent of the Schmeisser can
insist on playing, in which case the player who said Schmeiss becomes the taker, exactly as though he
had chosen the suit of the turned-up card as trumps.
Three-handed Bela.
All the basics are the same. It is a better game for two related reasons:
1. there are fewer hidden cards (three as against twelve when turn-up and bottom card are included)
2. there is far less likely to be an endless alternation of deals because no one has the nerve to take
It also allows the possibilities of temporary and completely unprincipled conspiracy between the two
defending players. I only came across this version in Scotland - I think there is a touch of 'Ah kent his
faither' about it, where you have it in for someone who might just be getting above himself.
Dealer deals clockwise in threes to each player. Players speak in turn clockwise. The taker simply has to
gain more than either opponent, not to beat their combined score. In the case of a bate the higher
opponent wins the bate player's points.
For the sake of clarity, it is worth pointing out that where a lead of a plain suit has been trumped by the
second player to a trick and the third to play also has no cards in the suit led, then the third player must
still overtrump if possible. If he cannot overtrump he must play a lower trump, and only if he is out of
trump may he discard freely.
It is usual to 'Gie it to the low man' when it comes to discarding - second best in the running total of
points will often throw a good card onto third best's certain trick to stop it falling to the 'high man'. (The
'high man' will sometimes do this, too, to keep his nearest rival, the 'middle man', out.) Whether this is
more fair play, 'Ah kent his faither', or guid (sic) sense, is for you to judge - it generally makes for a
better game. French Belote can also be played as a three-hander - I would be most interested to know the
thinking there.
Return to the beginning of this page.

Visit Mike Block's Home Page
Return to the General Index of the Card Games site.

This page was last updated on 3rd December 1999.

Rules of Card Games: Belote
Belote
This page is based on a contribution from Jean-Pierre Coulon, edited by Nick Wedd and John McLeod.
Introduction
Card point values

Belote for four players
The deal and the bidding
Declarations
The Play
Scoring
Variations
Belote Dcouverte, for 2 players
Other Belote WWW pages and software
La Belote Coinche (also known as La Belote Bridge or La Coinche) - links to WWW pages
and software
Introduction
Belote is one of the most popular card games in France, although it has been known there only for about
70 years. It is a close relative of Clobyosh (also known as Bela), which is played in Jewish communities
in many parts of the world, and of the Dutch game Klaverjas.
Belote is a point-trick taking game for 2, 3, or 4 players. Its most interesting form is the 4 player version,
which is described first.
A 32 card deck is needed ( A K Q J 10 9 8 7).
Card point values

Cards in the trump suit both rank and score differently from those in other suits. Notice the promotion of
the trump 9 and J.
Trump suit Other suits
J 20 A 11
9 14 10 10
A 11 K 4
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10 10 Q 3
K 4 J 2
Q 3 9 0
8 0 8 0
7 0 7 0
Belote for four players

Players form two teams of two partners. Partners sit at opposite seats. The direction of deal, bidding and
play is anti-clockwise.
The deal and the bidding

The pack is never shuffled at Belote. The player before the dealer in rotation (i.e. the player to dealer's
left) cuts the pack. The dealer gives a set of three cards to each player, then another set of two cards, and
turns the next card face up.
The player after the dealer in rotation (the player to dealer's right) can now "take", i.e. choose the turn-up
card suit as a trump, or pass. If this player passes, the next player can take or pass, and so on around the
table. If all 4 players pass, each in turn has a second chance to take, choosing a trump suit other than that
of the face up card. If all players pass a second time, the cards are collected together and the next player
in rotation deals.
As soon as a player takes (in the first or second round of bidding), the bidding ends. The taker is given
the turn-up card (whether it is a trump or not) and the deal resumes. Each player except the taker is dealt
a further packet of three cards, and the taker is dealt only two cards. These cards are dealt in rotation,
beginning to dealer's right and ending with the dealer.
Declarations
Declarations are particular sets of cards held in players' hands, which give players extra points. There are
three sorts of declarations:
4 cards of the same rank, called "carr" in French, or "square"
4 jacks: 200 points
4 nines: 150 points
4 Aces, tens, Ks, Qs: 100 points
4 eights and 4 sevens are not counted.

Sequences from 3 to 5 cards of the same suit. There is yet another ranking of cards for sequences, by
descending order: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7
3 cards: 20 points
4 cards: 50 points

5 cards: 100 points

Sequences longer than 5 cards are declared and counted as any of the 5-card sequences which they
include.
Belote and Rebelote are the trump King and Queen held together in one player's hand, and are counted
20 points.
Ranking of the declarations:
Belote-Rebelote always scores 20 points, irrespective of other declarations.

Apart from Belote-Rebelote, only the team holding the highest declaration is entitled to count its
declarations. The other team scores nothing even if it holds several inferior declarations giving a point
total higher than the highest declaration.
A square is higher than a 5 card sequence. Between equally long sequences, the one containing the
higher ranked cards wins. If there are two sequences of equal rank, and one is trumps, the trump
sequence wins. If none is trump, the one held by the player who is earliest in rotation wins (playing
anticlockwise, the player to dealer's right is first in rotation and the dealer is last). A particular card may
not be involved in two declarations (except in Belote-Rebelote).
When to declare, apart from Belote-Rebelote:
The traditional method, now increasingly ignored (see variations below) is the following:
1. Each player makes his declaration(s) at the moment he plays his card during the first trick, saying
"4 kings", "sequence of 4", etc.
2. The first trick is collected.
3. If necessary there is a contention to find out the winning declaration. All declarations made by the
side with the winning declaration are scored.
4. A player of the other team may ask to see the cards of the declaration(s) which were scored. These
must then be shown. Of course if a card involved in the declaration has been played in the first
trick the opponents will remember. If the highest sequence announced by each side is equal, the
first announcer in rotation specifies the highest card of the sequence, and the next announcer either
specifies his highest card if it beats the opponent's, or says "good!" if it does not. If the heights are
the same, the player who holds a trump sequence specifies it.
When to declare Belote-Rebelote:
A player who holds the king and queen of trumps declares "Belote" when playing the first of these
card and "Rebelote" when playing the second.
The Play
The next player in rotation after the dealer (the player to dealer's right) leads a card. The
subsequent players must follow suit if they can. If the card led is trump, subsequent players must
not only follow suit, but also play a trump card that beats all previous cards if they can, whoever

holds the trick at this stage.

Trumping: If a player is unable to follow to a non-trump suit, and at his turn to play the trick is
held by an opponent, he must trump if he can, otherwise he may discard any card. If his partner
holds the trick he is free to either trump, or discard any card.
Overtrumping and undertrumping: If a player is the third or the fourth to play, and is unable to
follow a non-trump suit, and the opponent just before him has trumped, he must overtrump if he
can. If he has trumps but is unable to overtrump, he must still play a trump, although he does not
benefit from doing so. This is termed "undertrumping", or "pisser" in French Belote jargon.
If a player is the fourth to play, his partner has trumped, the opponent before him has either
discarded or undertrumped, and he is unable to follow suit, he may discard even if he hold trumps.
He may also choose to overtrump if he holds a higher trump and is unable to follow suit. If none of
the trumps which he holds is high enough to win the trick, and he is unable to follow suit, he may
choose to undertrump. But if he is unable to follow suit, and he holds a trump high enough to win
the trick, he is not allowed to undertrump.
To summarize these last rules, the trumping, overtrumping and undertrumping requirements are
relaxed when the partner holds the trick (in French: le partenaire est matre).
As in most trick-taking games, the player who won the trick has the lead to the next one.
The last trick counts 10 points for the team who wins it. This is called "Dix de Der" in French;
"Der" is a shortening of Dernier, the last. The point total including these 10 is 162 points.
Scoring
The tricks taken by each team are added to the team's scoring declarations. (Remember that, apart
from Belote-Rebelote, only one team can score for declarations).
If the team who "took" wins at least as many points as the other team, the taking team has made its
contract, and both teams add their scores into their column. If the taker's team's points are less than
those of the opponents, the takers are "dedans" (inside), and the opponents score 162 points plus
the losing team's declarations, if any, plus their own declarations.
If the team who took wins all the tricks, that team scores 100 points instead of the Dix de Der,
giving a total of 252 points plus declarations. This situation is called "Capot" in French ( "tre
capot" for the victims, "mettre capot" for the winners). The team which took no tricks forfeit their
own declarations other than Belote-Rebelote, if any. In some exceptional cases it turns out that the
team who took wins no tricks at all. Despite the likely derision in this case the other team wins
only the regular 252 points, plus all the declarations of both teams.
The winning team is the first to reach a total of 1000 points. If both sides reach 1000 points on the
same hand, the game is drawn.

Variations
Direction of play
People often play the whole game clockwise, rather than anticlockwise.
Deal
Some play that the dealer is free to either follow the dealing scheme described above, or
deal the sets of 2 cards first.
Declarations
Etiquette: nowadays most players will make their declarations and show them as soon as
they notice them in their hand.
Players can agree to play without declarations. This reduces the luck element of the game. In
tournaments, declarations other than Belote-Rebelote are not counted.
Some play that when playing the King and Queen which form a Belote-Rebelote, the King
must be played first.
Criteria for winning the contract
Some do not include the declarations in the point total when determining whether the takers
made their contract. In this case, making one's contract means obtaining at least 81 points,
without regard to the declarations.
Some demand that in order to make the contract, the taker's team must have more points
than the opponents. In case of equality, the taker's team loses and the opponents get all the
points.
When both teams get the same amount of points, some play that the result is undecided, and
the points from this deal are held in abeyance. On the next deal, if the previous taker's team
makes a contract or causes the other team's contract to fail its contract, then each team gets
the equal number of points from the tied deal added to its score. If the previous taker's team
loses its contract, or their opponents make a contract, the whole 162 points + declarations
held in abeyance are given the opponents of the taker from the tied deal.
Rules of play
Some players (probably influenced by Tarot) use a different rule for undertrumping. The
fourth to play after a non-trump card has been trumped by his partner, when unable to either
follow suit or overtrump, must undertrump even if his partner holds the trick. So in this
variation, if the trick has already been trumped by your partner and you also have no cards
of the suit led, then:
1. if you are able to overtrump, you may either do so or you may throw away from
another suit, but you are not allowed to undertrump;
2. if you have trumps but are unable to overtrump, you must undertrump if you can -
you cannot throw away another suit;
3. if have no trumps, then of course you must throw away another suit.
In French, this curious variation is is described by the phrase: "On est toujours oblig de
pisser". The regular rule is: "On ne pisse pas sur le partenaire".
Scoring

Another probable influence of Tarot is rounding up scores to the closest multiple of 5 or 10,
to make point adding faster.
Some people play that a defending team which is capot (takes no tricks) still scores their
declarations. If this variation is played, it is possible that the defending team scores more
than the takers, even without making a trick. It is generally agreed that in this case the takers
are not dedans; both teams score their points. The defenders have to take at least one trick to
put the takers dedans.
Ending the game: L'Arrt
If you have just won just won a trick and you think that your team already has the necessary
1000 points to win the game, including any declarations and the tricks you have won so far,
you can stop the game. The points in the tricks played so far are counted and if you really do
have at least 1000 you win, no matter how many points the other team has. If you are wrong
and you have less than 1000 points, the other team wins - even if they had no chance of
getting to 1000 had play continued.
If you stop the game when you are on the taker's side, you also have to continue playing the
hand to demonstrate that you can take at least as many points as the opponents on that hand,
otherwise you will not be allowed to count any points from the current hand towards your
1000 and your side loses the game.
Note: It is not permitted to look back into previous tricks to count their points when
deciding whether to stop the game - you have to remember the points you have taken.
Belote Dcouverte
Most regular Belote players are reluctant to play it with a number of players other than four, but
here is an interesting variation for 2 players: "Belote with exposed cards" (Belote Dcouverte).
The Deal
A 32-card deck is used.
The dealer mentally draws a border-line at the middle of the table between himself and his
opponent, and deals:
4 face-down cards in a row, close to this line, in the opponent's camp.
4 face-down cards close to the line in his own camp
4 face-down cards adjacent to the first series in the opponent's camp.
4 face-down cards adjacent to the second series in his own camp.
He then repeats exactly the same scheme covering each face-down card with a face-up card.

The Bidding
The last card that was dealt in the dealer's camp indicates the trump suit at the first round of
bidding. If necessary there is second round of bidding, exactly as in Belote. The taker does not,
however, take the card indicating the trump suit. It continues to belong to the dealer.
The Play
The non-dealer chooses one of his face-up cards, puts it on the side of the table to initiate the first
trick. The dealer chooses one of his face-up cards, according to regular Belote rules regarding
following suit, trumping, beating a trump card, and discarding. The trick is taken by either player
according to Belote rules. Then both players turn the face-down cards which were underneath the
played cards face-up. In the following tricks, players may play either a face-up card that still
covers a face-down card, or an isolated face-up card from the previous tricks. At the end of each
trick, any face-down card which is no longer covered by a face-up card is turned face-up. As in
Belote, the winner of each trick has the lead to the next one. The play continues until the 16 tricks
have been played.
The Score
Card point values are the same as in Belote, but declarations and Belote-Rebelote do not count.
The cards taken by each player are scored as in Belote. (You are reminded that the point total
including the 10 for the last trick is 162, so you need count only the smaller heap.) As in Belote,
the taker loses if he gets 81 points or fewer.

Variations
Some play that the player who leads to a trick turns his corresponding face-down card up
immediately. This often affects the other player's choice.
It must be agreed whether to count the Belote-Rebelote, and the other declarations.
Some Belote variations like No-Trumps, All-Trumps, or even La Coinche can be adapted. Games
similar to Belote lend themselves to this variation.
Other Belote WWW pages and software

Jean-Franois Bustarret's card games site has a Belote page and a Belote la dcouverte page, both
with rules in French.
A Belote computer program, can be found on Emmanuel Guyot's Belote page.
A freeware Belote program for DOS or Windows, with instructions in English, can be downloaded
from Vincent Brvart's page.
Fabrice's web site includes a section on Belote and Coinche with rules (in French) and a section in
which a game of Belote is played at the rate of one card every 2 or 3 days, with discussion on the
best play at each stage.
Michel Guillot has written a Belote computer program; you can obtain a beta copy by sending him
an e-mail at mguillout@sigichallenge.netsource.fr
La Belote Coinche - links to WWW pages and

computer programs
La Belote Coinche, also known as La Coinche or La Belote Bridge is a popular variation of
Belote in which all the cards are dealt out before the bidding. The game is so called because
players can double (coincher) a contract bid by the opponents.
Rules in French can be found on Jean-Franois Bustarret's Coinche page.
You can download Laurent Pellenc's Belote Bridge program from his page. There is also an
English version of this program, which he has called 32 Card Bridge.


Rules of Domino Games: Bergen
Bergen
This is a domino game for two to four players, normally played using a double six set (28 dominoes),
though it is possible to use a larger set. Players score for making the free ends of the layout equal.
A set of rules of Bergen can be found on the Domino Plaza site.
Here is a link to Joe Celko's rules of Bergen, on the Game Cabinet site.

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Rules of Card Games: Bid Euchre
Bid Euchre
Introduction
General Rules
Bid Euchre in Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Double Deck Bid Euchre from the mid-western USA
Hoosier Bid Euchre
Cutthroat Euchre
Another Double Deck Bid Euchre
Bid Euchre, also known as 6 card Euchre, or Racehorse
Other Euchre-like games with bidding
Bid Euchre Software
Introduction
Bid Euchre is the name given to a group of games played in North America which are based on Euchre,
but with the trump suit chosen by whichever player is prepared to contract to win the largest number of
tricks.
There is no standardization of the rules; most of the variation concerns the number of cards in the deck
(quite often a double deck is used), and the exact bids allowed.
I will give the rules which are common to all versions of the game, followed by details of several specific
versions.
General Rules
Players
Most often there are four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite.
Rank of Cards
As in Euchre, the highest trump is the jack of the trump suit (right bower), then the other jack of the same
colour (left bower), then ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9. The other suits ranks ace (high), king, queen, jack,
10, 9 - except that the suit which is the same colour of trumps has no jack. When the bid is 'no trumps',
all four suits rank A-K-Q-J-10-9. In some versions of Bid Euchre, the nines, or the nines and tens are
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omitted from the deck.

Usually a double deck is used - containing two of each card. When two identical cards are played to the
same trick, the first to be played beats the second.
Deal
All the cards are dealt out equally to the players.
Bidding
Each player has just one opportunity to bid, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, going around
the table clockwise, and ending with the dealer. A bid is a number of tricks (one or more), which the
bidding side contracts to win if they are allowed to chose trumps, and a proposed trump suit or 'no trump'
- for example '4 spades' or '5 no trump'. At your turn you must either pass or bid a larger number of tricks
than the previous bid if any. There is no rank among the suits, so it is not possible to outbid a bid in one
suit with an equal number of tricks in another suit (this is unlike 500 or Bridge).
In some versions there are additional bids to play alone; in which case your partner puts his or her cards
face down and takes no part in the play. Sometimes these lone bids allow you to exchange some cards
with partner. In this case the bidder discards the relevant number of cards face down and the bidder's
partner passes an equal number of cards face down to the bidder to replace them. Both players must
decide which cards to pass before seeing the cards passed by the other.
Play
The highest bidder is declarer and the trump suit is the suit named in the bid. The high bidder leads to the
first trick. The rules of play are as in Euchre - you must follow suit, and if void of the suit led you may
trump or discard at will. The left bower(s) count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. In double
deck versions the first played of two equal cards beats the second.
Scoring
If the bidding side win at least as many tricks as they bid, each side scores one point for each trick they
won.
If the bidding side fail to make as many tricks as they bid they are set, and lose a number of points equal
to the number of tricks they bid. The other side still score one point for each trick they won. It is possible
for a team's overall score to be negative.
Games are played to a target score. A team wins if at the end of a hand in which they succeed in a bid, or
defeat the opponents' bid, their score is equal to or above the target. You cannot win by reaching the
target by means of odd tricks made as the opponents of a successful bid. If you reach the target in this
way, the game continues until either team fulfills the winning condition.

Specific Versions of Bid Euchre

Bid Euchre in Barrie, Ontario, Canada
John D'Ambrosio contributed this version from Barrie, a small city 100 km north of Toronto.
The game is played with 2 decks using the J Q K A only, that is 32 cards in all, so each of the 4 players is
dealt 8 cards.
You can bid any number of a suit or no trump up to a maximum of 8. You can also bid to take all 8 tricks
alone, calling for 1 or 2 cards, which you exchange with your partner as described in the general rules
above. A bid to play alone is higher than a bid with a partner, and a bid calling for one card is higher than
a bid calling for two. The highest bid of all is moon, in which you have to win all 8 tricks alone using the
cards you were dealt.
The scores for playing alone are:
call for 2 cards: 12 points
call for 1 card: 18 points
moon: 24 points
You win this amount if you take all 8 tricks and lose an equal amount if you fail.
The game is 52 points. There are two versions:
the winners are the first team who achieve a score of 52 or more points at the end of a hand on
which they won a bid;
the winners are the first team to reach a score 52 or more points, irrespective of whether they finish
by winning a bid.
Double Deck Bid Euchre from the mid-western USA

This version was contributed by Craig Powers
48 cards are used: A K Q J 10 9 from two decks mixed together. It is played between two teams of two,
with partners facing each other.
Play and scoring are as in the general rules. Bids are any number up to 12 in a suit or 'no trump'. In this
version the bidding does not end after the first round, but continues for as many rounds as necessary. The
bidding ends when no one wants to bid higher, or when 12 (the maximum) is reached, or someone 'goes
it alone'. Passing does not prevent you from bidding at a later turn in the auction.
The highest bid of all is to 'go it alone'. This terminates the bidding, and you have to take all 12 tricks by
yourself (your partner sits it out). If you make it you get 24 points, if you fail (even by one trick) you get
negative 24 points. When going alone, before the play starts you have the option of discarding up to 3
cards and accepting replacement cards that your partner chooses to pass to you.

Hoosier Bid Euchre

This version from Indiana, USA was contributed by Paul J. Welty
The deck is 40 cards: 2 decks of A-K-Q-J-10. It is usually played by 4 people, partners sitting opposite
each other. The target score for winning the game is 32.
Each person is dealt 10 cards. Bid and play as in the general rules; bids are any number of tricks from 1
to 10 in a suit or "no trump". A bid of 10 is called "shooting the moon" and is worth 16 points rather than
10, won or lost. Above this is a bid to "shoot the moon alone". The bidder's partner does not take part and
the bidder alone has to win all 10 tricks. Shooting the moon alone is worth 32 points.
There is a 3-player variation, using 32 cards: 2 decks of A-J. 10 cards are dealt as usual, but there are 2
left over cards called the kitty. The player who bids highest picks up the kitty cards without showing
them to the other players and discards any two cards face down in their place, before leading to the first
trick.
Other numbers of people may play by adjusting the deck size so that each gets 10 cards.
Bid Euchre with a kitty

This version, from Kokomo, Indiana, was reported by Nick Long.
It is played with 48 cards: 2 decks of A-K-Q-J-10-9. There are four players, partners sitting opposite each
other. Eleven cards are dealt to each player, and four cards are dealt face down into a kitty in the centre
of the table. Each player bids, starting with the player left of the dealer. Bids are from one to eleven
tricks and name the suit you wish to make trump; or you can call no trump high (cards rank from ace
down to 9 in each suit) or no trump low (the ranks are inverted - from high to low: 9-10-J-Q-K-A). The
high bidder picks up the kitty without showing it and discards four cards face down. The highest possible
bid - above 11 tricks - is a shooter, in which the bidder undertakes to win all the tricks playing alone -
this is worth 22 points. It should be agreed before the start of the game whether a player who bids a
shooter gets the kitty; also whether a shooter can discard two cards and receive replacement cards from
partner. The game is usually played to a target of 52 points.
Cutthroat Euchre
Terry Detrie reports that during his four years at Purdue University (W. Lafayette, IN), he played a
version of bid Euchre that was simply called "Cutthroat Euchre". It was played by 3 players using 24
cards: one deck with A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 in each suit. Seven cards were dealt to each player, leaving 3 cards
in the kitty. The rest of the game was the same as the 3 player version of Hoosier Bid Euchre described
above (including shooting the moon - a bid of 7 - being worth 16 points).

Bid Euchre
This version is from Shawn's Bid Euchre Page
The deck is 32 cards: 2 decks of A-K-Q-J. There are 4 players, who are dealt 8 cards each.
The minimum bid is 3 tricks with a trump suit. It is possible to bid no trump, but the minimum no trump
bid is 5 tricks.
It is possible to bid 7 alone or 8 alone in any suit or no trump. A bid of 7 alone ranks between the normal
bids of 7 and 8, and a bid of 8 alone beats a normal bid of 8. No cards are exchanged with partner.
7 alone scores 14 points for the partnership if successful, and loses 14 if set. 8 alone wins 16 if successful
and loses 16 if set. The target score is 32.
Bid Euchre, also known as 6 card Euchre, or Racehorse

This version is from Matt Schemmel and Erin O'Neil's Euchre Home Page
This can be played by 4 people using a 24 card deck (A-K-Q-J-10-9), or by 6 or 8 using a double deck of
48 cards. There are two equal sized teams, sitting alternately (each player is between two opponents). All
the cards are dealt, so 4 or 8 players get 6 cards each; 6 players get 8 cards each.
Bids name a number of tricks, but not a trump suit. The minimum bid is 3. The dealer is allowed to equal
the highest bid so far, rather than bidding higher. If everyone else passes, the dealer must bid at least 3.
The highest bidder names a trump suit, or 'no trump, high' or 'no trump, low'. 'No trump, high' is a normal
no trump game; in 'no trump, low' the cards rank in reverse order: 9(high), 10, J, Q, K, A(low) in each
suit.
The target score is 32 points.
Scott Alber's Bid Euchre

This is played by 4 players in fixed partnerships using a 40 card deck - two each of A-K-Q-J-10 in each
suit. A bidder can choose to play with a trump suit, or in no trumps with aces high, or in no trumps with
reversed card ranking (aces low). The minimum bid is 1 trick and if the first three players pass dealer
must bid.
Higher than a bid of ten tricks is a bid to "shoot the moon", in which the bidder offers to win all ten tricks
playing alone, having received one or two cards from partner. It can only be overcalled by the dealer also
offering also to "shoot the moon". The player shooting the moon announces trumps and then asks for
either one or two cards. Partner decides what cards to pass; the bidder takes these and then discards and
equal number of cards so as to have a hand of 10 cards.
The play is according to the normal rules, with the first of equal cards beating the second, and the
ranking of cards reversed if the bid was "low". Scoring is as usual, shooting the moon being worth 15
points if two cards were passed and 15 if only one card was passed.

The first team to reach 52 or more points wins. If both teams reach 52 or more in the same hand, the team
who won the bid wins the game.
A computer version of this game is available.
Other Euchre-like games with bidding

The game Pepper, played in Iowa, USA, is a really a kind of Bid Euchre, but with the possibility of more
than one round of bidding, and some differences in the scoring.
Five Hundred is a more elaborate bidding game based on Euchre; it originated and is still played in the
USA, but has become the national game of Australia.
Bid Euchre Software

From Scott Alber's Double Deck Bid Euchre page you can download his Windows Bid Euchre program,
which as you would expect plays his version of the game.


Rules of Card Games: Bid Whist
Bid Whist
The rules on this page are mainly based on contributions from Dennis J Barmore and Howard Ship.
Introduction
The Deal
The Bidding
The Play
Scoring
Variations
Other Bid Whist WWW Sites
Introduction; Players; Cards

Bid Whist is a partnership trick-taking game that is very popular among African Americans. It is played
with a standard 52 card deck plus 2 jokers, for a total of 54 cards. The two jokers must be distinct: one is
called the big joker and the other is the little joker. There are 4 players consisting of two teams of two;
each player sits opposite their partner. The game starts with each team at zero, and the object of the game
is to reach a score 7 or more points, or force the other team to go negative 7 or more points. Points are
scored by bidding for and winning tricks, which in this game are called books.
The Deal
When the game first starts, the deck is shuffled and dealt around, and the person that draws the first
diamond, becomes the first dealer. Cards are dealt one at a time in a clockwise order. Each player is to
receive 12 cards for a total of 48 cards. During the deal, six cards are to be placed face down in the centre
of the table to form a kitty. The first four cards and the last four cards cannot be put in the kitty; apart
from this the dealer can deal the kitty cards at any stage during the deal, either singly or several at one
time.
After each hand, the turn to deal is passes to the left.
The Bidding
The turn to bid goes around the table only once starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Each bid
consists of a number from 3 to 7, and a suffix "uptown", "downtown", or "no trump".
The number indicates the number of books above 6 that the bidder's team will contract to win -
for example a bid of 5 is a promise to win at least 11 books (6 + 5). As there are 13 books in all, 7
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is the highest possible bid.

Uptown means you intend to name a trump suit, and that high cards will win.
Downtown means that you intend to name a trump suit, and that low cards will win.
No Trump means that there will be no trump, and that if you win the bidding you will then
determine whether high or low cards will have preference.
Each player bids turn must either pass or name a bid which is higher than the previous bid. A bid of a
higher number outranks a bid of a lower number, and a bid in no trumps outranks a bid of the same
number uptown or downtown. Bids of the same number uptown and downtown are equal to each other -
neither can be bid over the other. Therefore, the possible bids, from lowest to highest, are as follows:
3 Uptown or 3 Downtown
3 No Trump
4 No Trump
5 Uptown 5 Downtown
5 No Trump
6 No Trump
7 No Trump
Note that when you bid intending to name a trump suit, you indicate the direction you are bidding
(uptown or downtown), but you do not name which suit you intend to name as trumps until you win the
bidding. On the other hand when bidding a no trump, you do not indicate which direction (uptown or
downtown), until you win the bid.
If the first three players pass, the dealer is forced to bid. Since there is no advantage in bidding more than
the minimum 3, the dealer in this case will normally bid 3 uptown, 3 downtown or 3 no trump.
The Play
The highest bidder names the trump suit, or in the case of a no trump bid specifies whether it will be
played uptown or downtown. The bidder then picks up the 6 card kitty and throws away six cards. The
cards thrown away can come from the bidder's dealt hand, the original kitty, or any combination of these.
The six cards which are thrown away are placed face down in front of the bidder and count as the first
book won by the bidder's side.
The bidder then leads the first card. Any card may be led, and the other players must follow the suit led,
if they have it in their hand. A player who does not have the led suit in their hand has the option to play a
trump or play a different suit. A trump always beats any non-trump cards played in the book. If there is
more than one trump played, then the highest ranking trump based on the type of bid taken will win the
book. If no one plays a trump, then the highest ranking card to the suit led wins the book. The winner of
each book leads to the next.

The ranking of the cards within the suits depends on the bid. The rankings from high to low are as
follows:
Uptown trumps: Big joker, little joker, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Uptown non-trump suits: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Downtown trumps: Big joker, little joker, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.
Downtown non-trump suits: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.
If the bid is no trumps, all the suits are non-trump suits. In this case the jokers are of no value, and cannot
win a book. They can be played if you have no card of the suit led. In the unusual case where a player
leads a joker, the next player may play any card, and the first card played which is not a joker determines
the suit that must be followed in that book. The highest card played of this suit wins the book.
Renege: If a person fails to follow suit when they have a card of that suit in their hand, this is called a
renege. When this occurs, 3 books won by the reneging team in that hand are given to the non-reneging
team. If the reneging team won fewer than three books, the hand is scored as though the non-reneging
team won all 13 books.
Scoring
Each team begins with a score of zero. At the end of each hand, the bidding team either wins or loses
some points. The game ends when a team wins by achieving a cumulative score of seven or more, or
loses by reaching a cumulative score of minus seven or worse.
At the end of the play, the books are counted. There are 13 altogether, corresponding to the 12 cards
played by each player plus the kitty, which counts as a book won by the bidder's team. Each book won
above six counts as a point. In order to score, the bidding team must make at least as many points as they
bid.
If the bidding team have at least as many points as their bid, they score all the points they made. If they
fail to take enough books for their bid, they score nothing for their books, and instead the points that they
bid are subtracted from their score. In either case, the opponents of the bidding team neither win nor lose
any points.
Example: If my team won the bid with a 5 High, and we only made 4 points (the kitty and 9 other
books) we would have failed our bid and we would go back 5 points. On the other hand if we make 6
books (the kitty plus 11 other books) on our 5 bid, we will score a total of 6 points for that hand.
If the winning bid was a no trump bid, the score for the hand is doubled. For example if you win the bid
with 4 no trump and win 11 books you score 10 points (which will win the game unless you began the
hand with a negative score); if you win only 8 books you lose 8 points.
Variations
In some variations, when a no trump bid is won, after the bidder has discarded but before the play begins,
the players who hold the jokers are allowed to discard them and replace them by drawing blind from the

face-down cards that the bidder placed in the kitty.

Some play that in no trump bids, jokers can be played at any time, even if you have a card of the suit
that was led, but the joker can never win the trick. If you play this variation, you can sometimes use a
joker profitably to lengthen one of your suits.
Some play that the minimum bid is 4 - no 3-bids are allowed.
Many people play that a with trump low bid has priority over a with trump high bid of the same number.
For example if one player bids 4 high, the next player can overcall with 4 low. On the other hand, some
play that all bids for a given number of tricks are equal - so for example to overcall a 4 bid of any kind
requires a 5 bid or higher.
Some play that if the bidding is won by a with trumps bid, the kitty must be sported, before it is added to
the bidder's hand. Sporting the kitty means that after a player wins the bid they expose the kitty, so that
all can see what cards are in it.
Some players play with only one joker, and therefore only five cards in the kitty.
Some players play with only one joker, but use the deuce of spades as permanent second highest trump in
the game. In this case there is only a five card kitty, and the spade suit is shorter than the others, the two
counting as part of the trump suit. In no trump bids, the two of spades resumes its normal function as a
spade.
Some players play with both jokers and with the deuce of spades as the third highest trump in the game.
In this case there is a six card kitty.
"Uptown" and "downtown" are sometimes known simply as "high" and "low", or "high cards" and "low
cards".
Some play that if the bidder's opponents win more than six books, they score for each book above six that
they make: 1 point for each book over 6 if there was a trump suit; 2 for each book over six if there were
no trumps.
A bid of seven (uptown, downtown or no trumps) is also known as a Boston. Some award extra points
for this - in theory quadruple points (28) are awarded. In practice this means that whole game is at stake:
the bidders will win the game if they succeed in winning all trhe books, and the oppopnents will win the
game if they win any books at all.
52 card Bid Whist

Howard Ship and Rob Simons describe a version of Bid Whist played in the North-East USA with only
52 cards and no jokers, so that the kitty consists of only four cards.
As usual, the bid is the number of 'books' above six that the team promises to take, but in this version the
bids are numbers only, from 1 to 7. Note that bids of 1 and 2 are possible. Each player has just one
chance to speak, and must either pass or bid a number. For the first three players, each bid must be higher
than the previous bid if any. The dealer may take the bid from the highest bidder so far by matching the
current high bid; the dealer may even take the bid from partner in this way. If the first three players pass,
the dealer must bid at least 1.

The winner of the bidding names a trump suit or specifies "no trump", and chooses one of the three
possibilities for the card ranking:
Uptown, in which every suit ranks from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Downtown, aces good, in which every suit ranks from high to low: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J,
Q, K.
Downtown, aces bad, in which every suit ranks from high to low: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K,
A.
After choosing trumps and ranking, the bidder takes the four cards from the kitty and discards four cards
in their place. The discarded kitty belongs not to the bidder but to the winner of the first trick. Thus the
first trick is worth two books.
There are no negative scores:
If the bidding team makes their bid, they score the number of books actually taken less six. Taking
11 books on a bid of four would score 5 points.
If the bidding team is stopped, the opposing team scores the amount bid. With a bid of 4, the
opposing team only needs to take 4 books to stop the bidding team (the bidding team would then
take the remaining 9 books, missing their goal of 10), and the opposing team would score 4 points.
No trump bids score the same as bids with a trump suit - there is no doubling in this version.
The first team to score 21 or more points wins.
The lowest bids, 1 and 2, are rather easy to win, and therefore the bidding almost always reaches 3 or
more. Therefore it is normal for the first two players to use the low bids as signals:
1 for a mixed hand (some high cards, some low cards)
2 for a 'downtown' hand (mostly low cards)
3 for an 'uptown' hand (mostly high cards)
Other Bid Whist WWW Pages

The Bid Whist Homepage contains further information and software.
The Bid Whist Page of the Card Players Web Site has rules, software, club information, and a T-shirt!


Card Games: Hearts
Hearts
Hearts is a trick taking game in which the object is to avoid winning tricks containing hearts; the queen
of spades is even more to be avoided. The game first appeared at the end of the nineteenth century and is
now popular in various forms in many countries. This page describes the American version first. Some
remarks on other variations will be found at the end.
Much of the material on this page was collected by John Hay in preparation for his projected book.
Many thanks to John for permission to use it here.
Players and Cards
Object of the Game

Deal and Passing
Play of the Hand
Scoring
Variations
Passing
Play of the Hand
Scoring
Partnership Hearts
Other numbers of players
Turbo Hearts
Booster Nines
Cancellation Hearts
Spot Hearts
Black Maria
Da Nasty Fix (Dirty Nasty Filthy Hearts)
Hearts Web Sites, Books, Software and On-Line Games
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Card Games: Hearts
Players and Cards

Hearts is most commonly played by 4 people. There are no formal partnerships, though there are times
when players will find it in their interest to help each other.
A standard 52 card deck is used, with the cards in each suit ranking as usual from ace (high) down to two
(low). There is no trump suit.
Each heart is worth one penalty point and the queen of spades is worth 13 penalty points. The other cards
have no value.
Object of Game
The object is to avoid scoring points. The game is ended by someone reaching or going over 100 points,
and the winner is the player with the lowest score at this point.
Deal and Passing

Deal and play are clockwise. All the cards are dealt out one at a time, so that everyone has 13.
On the first hand, after the deal, each player passes any three cards face-down to the player to their left.
When passing cards, you must first select the cards to be passed and place them face-down, ready to be
picked up by the receiving player; only then may you they pick up the cards passed to you, look at them
and add them to your hand.
On the second hand each player passes three cards to the player to their right, in the same way. On the
third hand each player passes three cards to the player sitting opposite. On the fourth hand no cards are
passed at all. The cycle then repeats until the end of the game.
The Play of the Hand

The person who holds the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick. The other players, in clockwise order,
must play a card of the suit which was led if possible. If they do not have a card of that suit, they may
play any card. The person who played the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next
trick.
It is illegal to lead a heart until after a heart has been played (as a discard) to another trick. Discarding a
heart, thus allowing hearts to be led in future, is called breaking hearts. In general, discarding a penalty
card on a trick is called painting the trick.
Although it is illegal to lead hearts until they are broken, players are permitted to lead spades. In fact it is
a normal tactic to lead lower spades to try to drive out the queen. This is sometimes known as smoking
out the queen.

Card Games: Hearts
Scoring
Normally, each player scores penalty points for cards in the tricks which they won. Each heart scores one
point, and the queen of spades scores 13 points. However, if you manage to win all the scoring cards
(which is known as a slam or shooting the moon), your score is reduced by 26 points, or you may
choose instead to have all other players' scores increased by 26 points.
The game continues until one player has reached or exceeded 100 points at the conclusion of a hand. The
person with the lowest score is then the winner.
Variations
Passing
Different passing cycles may be used, for example:
pass left, pass right, pass across, then repeat (no hold hand);
scatter instead of hold (players pass one card to every other player);
both scatter and hold hands are played (the cycle is left, right, across, scatter, then hold).
Some play that players are not required to pass any cards if they do not wish to. They simply pass on the
cards that were passed to them without looking at them. This could result in a player getting their own
cards back.
Play of the Hand

Some players allow hearts to be led at any time. This was the original rule, but in the USA nearly
everyone now plays that heart leads are forbidden unless hearts have been broken.
The original rule was that player to the left of the dealer always leads to the first trick (rather than the
holder of the 2 of clubs leading it), and may lead any card. Some people still play that way. If you play
with the now usual restriction on leading hearts then the opening lead can be anything but a heart.
Some play that is illegal to play points on the very first trick, unless of course you have you have nothing
but penalty cards in your hand.
Some play that the Queen of Spades breaks hearts. In other words, hearts may be led anytime after the
Queen of Spades or any heart has been played.
If hearts have not been played and a player is on lead holding nothing but hearts and the Queen of
Spades, many people allow hearts to be led, instead of forcing the player to lead the Queen of Spades.
Some players insist that you must play the Queen of Spades as soon as it is safe to do so. This could be
when you are void in the suit led or to a spade trick when the Ace or King of Spades has already been
played.

Card Games: Hearts
Scoring
Many people play that the Jack of Diamonds (or sometimes the Ten of Diamonds) is a bonus card,
counting minus 10 points for the person taking it. If playing this way you need to agree whether you have
to take the Jack of Diamonds in order to shoot the moon. If a player does shoot the moon, scoring should
be handled as usual; the player who took the Jack of Diamonds has 10 points deducted from their score
(even if it is the shooter).
Shooting the sun is taking all the tricks (as opposed to taking all points). Some score this as 52 points
with the scoring handled in the same as shooting the moon.
There are variations on the choice of scores for shooting the moon. Possibilities are:
the shooter always has 26 points deducted;
all the other players always have 26 points added;
all the other players always have 26 points added unless this would cause one of them to win, in
which case the shooter has 26 points deducted.
For some people, reaching certain scores has a special effect. For example if your score is exactly 100
points at the end of a hand, it is reduced to 50 (or zero).
If a player reaches or exceeds 100 points and there is a tie for low score, additional hands may be played
until there is a clear winner.
Partnership Hearts
There are two ways that four players can play hearts in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each
other.
1. Partners keep their tricks together. On each hand your team scores the total number of penalty
points you have taken in your tricks. A slam occurs if one team takes all 14 penalty cards in a
hand, they can choose give the opponents 26 penalty points or to subtract 26 penalty points from
their own score.
2. Each player keeps an individual score, and in order to "shoot the moon", an individual player has
to win all the penalty cards. The game continues until an individual player's score reaches 100 or
more; then the scores of the partners are totalled and the partnership with fewer points wins. Thus
it is possible for your team to win even if it is you who go over 100. For example you have 105,
your partner has 34, and your opponents have 78 and 69, then your team wins by 139 points to
147.

The game may be played with either three or five players. There are various ways of coping with the fact
that the cards cannot all be dealt out equally to the players:
1. Deal the cards out as far as they will go evenly. There will be one or two cards left over. These
cards are called the kitty; they are placed in the middle of the table face down. The player who
takes the first trick (or alternatively, the first penalty point) takes these cards and places them with

Card Games: Hearts
their captured cards (they may look at them first). If it happens that the 2 is in the kitty, the
holder of the lowest club not in the kitty must lead it (if no one has the 2, ask if anyone has the 3,
then the 4, and so on).
2. As in method 1 above, but the person who takes the first point or trick adds these extra cards to
their hand and discards an equal number of cards face down into their tricks.
3. With three players, remove the 2 from the deck, leaving 51 cards. With five players also remove
the 2, and the holder of the 3 leads it to the first trick.
In the 3 player game, the passing may follow any one of these patterns:
Left, right, hold, repeat.
Left, right, repeat.
If you pass 4 cards instead of 3 you can also scatter by passing 2 cards to each other player. You
could then include scattering in either of the above rotations.
In the 5 player game, the passing could follow any of these patterns:
Left, right, hold, repeat.
Left, right, repeat.
Left, right, 2nd person to the left, 2nd person to the right, hold, repeat.
Left, right, 2nd to the left, hold, left, right, 2nd to the right, hold, repeat.
Turbo Hearts
Turbo Hearts is an American version of the Chinese game Gong Zhu (Catch the Pig).
The Jack of Diamonds is used as in the variations above.
Whoever captures the Ten of Clubs doubles their score for that hand.
After the pass but before the first lead each player may "turbo-charge" one of the following cards:
Ace of Hearts, Queen of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, or Ten of Clubs. They do this by placing the
card face up in front of them.
A turbo-charged Queen of Spades or Jack of Diamonds doubles the value of that card for that
hand.
A turbo-charged Ace of Hearts doubles the value of all hearts for that hand.
A turbo-charged Ten of Clubs quadruples the score for that hand of the player who captures it.
A player may not play a turbo-charged card the first time a card of that suit is led.
Booster Nines
When at Upenn, Richard Garfield introduced a further development of Turbo hearts. Booster nines work
the following way. If a nine is led to a trick or played while following suit, then there is a boost: one
more round is played in the same suit - i.e. a further card from each player, in rotation. The first of the
eight cards played id the led suit, and the highest card of this suit takes the eight card trick. If a nine is
sloughed (discarded on a lead of a different suit) or played in the last trick, there is no boost - the trick

Card Games: Hearts
consists of just four cards as usual.

This variation makes shooting the moon somewhat easier, since you can dump a loser on your own good
nine (or one drawn from an opponent).
Cancellation Hearts
This is a version of Hearts for 6 to 10 players using two 52 card packs shuffled together. The cards are
dealt out as far as they will go, any left over cards being placed in a face-down kitty which is taken by
the winner of the first trick. The player to the dealer's left leads first and can lead anything.
When two identical cards are played to a trick, they cancel each other out in terms of trick-taking power
(but still carry penalty points if they are penalty cards). The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit
led which is not duplicated. If all the cards played of the suit led are in cancelling pairs, the trick remains
on the table, the same player leads again, and the cards go to the winner of the next trick. If the very last
trick has no winner its cards go to the winner of the previous trick.
Spot Hearts
This is a variation in which the penalty value of the hearts is their pip-value. That is, the two the 2
penalty points, the three 3, the four 4, etc. The jack of hearts carries 11 penalty points, queen 12, king 13,
ace 14, and the queen of spades 25.
As an alternative, some play that hearts from 2-10 are face value, all heart pictures are 10, the heart ace is
15, and the spade queen is 25.
Playing spot hearts the scores are higher, so a higher target score is needed - say 500.
Black Maria
This is the British version of Hearts, sometimes also called Dirty Lady, Slippery Bitch.
NB. There is also an entirely different Finnish game called Black Maria (Mustamaija in
Finnish; Svarta Maija in Swedish). A description of that game will be found on the
Mustamaija page.
In Black Maria there are usually 3 players; the 2 of clubs is removed from the pack and 17 cards are dealt
to each player. Black Maria can also be played by four people, in which case all the cards are dealt out.
Cards always passed in same direction - the books say pass three to the right, but some players pass three
to the left.
The player to dealer's left leads first and may lead anything. There is no restriction on leading hearts.
There are various alternative scoring schemes:
1 for each heart; 13 for the queen of spades (as in the USA)
1 for each heart; 13 for the queen of spades; 10 for the king of spades; 7 for the ace of spades (total

Card Games: Hearts
43 points)
as in Spot Hearts: 2 - 10 of hearts face value; J, Q, K of hearts 10 points; ace of hearts 15 points;
queen of spades 25 points. In this case the game is played to 500 points, not 100.
Dirty Nasty Filthy Hearts (Da Nasty Fix)

Shiva Ctylyctyc describes a Hearts variation from Florida.
The diamond Jack counts as minus 10 (it is known as "The Lil Man" or "The Cake Daddy").
Caking is a term used to describe the act of showering someone with money, gifts, etc, for nothing
in return.
The penalty for the Queen of Spades ("The Queen Bitch") is 26 points, and the other three Queens
cost 13 points apiece.
Because of the larger number of penalty points in play, the game is played to 300 points. When
someone reaches or goes over 300, the player with the lowest score wins.
If you successfully shoot - that is, take all the counting cards cards in your tricks - you win the
game, and the person to your left must vacate their seat for the next player, if any, waiting to join
the game.
No points may be thrown on the first trick ("The Calm"). As a variation, some people play "Wide
Open" which, means that anything can be thrown on the first trick.
The deuce of clubs starts - the holder leads it to the first trick.
After the cut, but before the start of the deal, the dealer "calls pass", that is, specifies how cards
will be passed for that hand. The dealer may choose any variant (for example: two to the left, one
to the right), as long as each player passes and receives three cards and the method is the same for
all four players. An extra option is a special pass called "Shittin' in the Kitty" - everyone passes to
the middle, and those 12 cards are shuffled and dealt by the dealer.
Throwing hearts is called "painting", running the spades suit is "Beating for the Bitch" (as in
"beating the bush for ..."). The Queens of Clubs and Hearts are called "The Weak Bitches" because
the Q is in the main throwoff suit, and the Q is in the paint suit.
Low cards are called "duckers" and it is a habit of players to yell "That aint no duckah!" just before
they paint your lead, especially if your lead should have been a ducker, but you messed up in
counting.
Various tactical nuances now exist, for example:
You now need the queen of each suit in order to shoot.
Since you can win by shooting, it is still in no-one's interest to help you (unless they wish to get rid
of the person to your left from the game).
How to get the Jack of Diamonds without getting the Queen of Diamonds (which is called the
"Rich Bitch" or "Money Bitch"; some people call it the "Thief Bitch" because it can steal your
minus 10 for the jack and leave you with plus 3 instead.
A certain amount of diplomacy comes into play, in persuading people not to help the person to
your right to shoot you. They might be tempted to do this to remove you from the game if you win
a lot or get obnoxious.

Card Games: Hearts
This form of hearts is quite easily converted to a vicious drinking game.
Hearts web sites, books, software and on-line

games
Here are some other WWW pages with rules for Hearts and its variations:
John Hay's Hearts page, from which quite a lot of the above information was taken.
Alan Hoyle's Hearts Page for a typical set of rules.

Jen Bullock's Hearts page also describes the basic game.
the Caltech variant is a more elaborate version.
Dave Barker's Rules for Hearts page covers several of the Hearts variations found in card game
books.
Gong Zhu (Catch the Pig) is an enhanced version of Hearts played in China.
Golden Ten is a simple form of Hearts played with Rook cards.
Rex Dieter's Complex Hearts page gives a variation with scoring in complex numbers; the
objective is to keep the absolute value of your score less than 100.
Super Hearts is a variation invented by Jerry Schwartz, with the scoring tweaked to make the play
more demanding.
An excellent guide to the strategy of Hearts can be found in Joe Andrews' book Win at Hearts (Bonus
Books Inc, Chicago. ISBN 1-56625-110-9), a new and expanded edition of which was published in 1998.
Here you can learn about card passing technique, spade and heart suit management, how to make and
defend against slams, strip plays and advanced endplays.
Classic Tourneys organises a series of live tournaments for Hearts and other card games in the USA.
Here are some Hearts computer programs:

Freeverse software's shareware Hearts Deluxe program.
MVP Card Games shareware Hearts program.

TurboHearts from Interactive Systems Inc (plays normal Hearts - not the Turbo variation described
on this page)
Hardwood Hearts from Silver Creek Entertainment
The Softgame Company's Funcrd Card Games program plays hearts, Spades, Cribbage and Go
Fish.
Here are some web sites which allow you to play Hearts on line against live opponents:
Game Zone
IPlay
Excite Games

Card Games: Hearts
PlaySite
Yahoo! Games
Igames
Games Square has American Hearts as described on this page and also the Dutch 32-card game
Hartenjagen
Games People Play
www.won.net
Pogo
Playlink
Funcom (available in English and Danish)
Wireplay offers Black Maria (using a direct dialled connection - not via the Internet)


Rules of Card Games: Mustamaija
Mustamaija
This page is based on information from Ruurik Holm and on Anthony Smith's translation of the chapter
on this game from the book "Marjapussissa Porvooseen" by Pekka Ranta (WSOY, Porvoo 1993). It is
related to the article I wrote for the July/August 1998 edition of "The Playing-Card" (journal of the
International Playing-Card Society).
Introduction
Players, cards and deal
The play
The endgame
Variations
Strategy
Introduction
The Finnish game Mustamaija is generally thought of as a children's game, though the tactical play is
sufficiently interesting that adults can also enjoy playing it. The name translates roughly as "Black
Maria", but its only relationship to the British game of Black Maria (a variant of Hearts), is that in both
games the aim is to avoid being given the queen of spades.
Mustamaija is not a trick taking game like hearts - it is a beating game of the multiple attack type. There
is no winner, only a loser of each hand. The loser is the player who is left holding the mustamaija (spade
queen) when all the other players have run out of cards.

There are from two to six players, and a standard 52 card pack is used.
Deal and play are clockwise. Five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time. and the rest of the cards
are put face down to form a talon from which cards will be drawn.
There is a trump suit, which is determined by turning the top card of the talon face up. This is done
immediately after the player to dealer's left has led one or more cards, but before this player draws from
the talon for the first time. The turned trump card is put face up underneath the remaining talon cards so
that it is partly visible; it will be drawn as the last card of the talon. Usually it is agreed that spades
cannot be trumps. If a spade is turned it is put back in the middle of the talon and the next card is turned
up for trumps.
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The play
At any time during the game one player is the attacker, and player to the attacker's left is the defender.
At the start of the game, the attacker is the player to the dealer's left. The attacker leads one or several
cards of the same suit, putting them face up on the table. If this leaves fewer than five cards in the
attacker's hand, the attacker must draw sufficient cards from the top of talon so as to have five cards
again.
The defender may beat some or all of the led cards, by playing better cards on top of them. A card can be
beaten by a higher card of the same suit, and any non-trump card can also be beaten by any card of the
trump suit. However, the queen of spades is an exception: she is powerless to beat any other card, but if
she is led (alone or with other spades) she cannot be beaten, not even by a trump.
The beaten cards are set aside in a face down discard pile, along with the cards that were used to beat
them. Any cards that were not beaten must be picked up and placed in the defender's hand. It is never
compulsory to beat a card just because you can - if you do not wish to beat a card that the attacker has led
you are always allowed to pick it up instead. If after beating and/or picking up, the defender has fewer
than five cards, the defender's hand must be replenished to five cards by drawing cards from the talon.
If as defender you manage to beat every one of the cards led by the attacker, you become the new
attacker and the player to your left is the new defender. But if you picked up any of the attacking cards,
you miss your turn to attack; the new attacker is the player to your left and the new defender is the next
player after that.
The endgame
When the talon runs out of cards, the play continues in a similar way, except that no cards are drawn to
replace played cards. At this stage of the game, an extra rule comes into effect: the number of cards led
by the attacker must not be more than the number of cards in the defender's hand.
As the players run out of cards, they drop out of the play. If the player whose turn it is to attack has no
cards, the privilege of attacking passes to the next player in turn who still has cards. When all but one of
the players have run out of cards, the last player who is still holding cards is the loser.
Since the "mustamaija" - the queen of spades - can neither beat nor be beaten, she must remain in the
game, and will always be found among the loser's cards at the end. The loser is therefore sometimes
known as "mustamaija".
Variations
The 1982 edition of "Kottipelit & Pasianssit" by Ilmo Kurki-Suonio describes a different version in
which each player is dealt only three cards, so that 2-8 players can take part. A card is not turned for
trump. Instead there are two options:
1. Diamonds are always trumps.
2. There are intially no trumps, but if anyone has a king and queen of a suit other than spades in their

hand, they camn declare them and that suit then becomes trumps.
Strategy
In the first part of the game, it is desirable to collect a lot of trumps for the end game. To maximise your
chance of getting any trumps that may be in the stock, you generally lead the whole of your longest suit
to the next player, so as to draw as many cards as possible to replenish your hand.
Another consideration when leading is to note what cards the player to your right has picked up. It is
good to keep higher cards in the same suits, so as to beat these cards when they are eventually led to you.
In the endgame, if you cannot lead the whole of the suit you want to get rid of, because the next player
does not have that many cards, you lead the smallest ones. Then when you later lead higher cards of this
suit, the smaller cards you led before cannot be used to beat them.
Often a five card suit, which no one can entirely beat, circulates around the table. When this is led to you,
it is worth beating some of the smaller cards if you can, so that your hand is not so large after picking up,
and you have a chance of reducing your hand below five cards on your next turn and drawing from the
talon.
If you manage to beat all but one card of a lead with higher cards of the same suit, it is worthwhile
getting rid of the last card with a trump, so that you can lead next.
The aim in the first phase of the game is to build a good position for the end game. If you have the Q
you should not lead her too early, or she will travel all round the table and you will eventually be forced
to pick her up again. The right time to lead the spade queen is when you judge that the game will end
before she comes back to you.
In the end game, the fewer suits you have in your hand the better. It is worst of all to have a few cards in
each suit, as it is then very hard to get rid of all your cards.
Note: When you are leading in the first phase of the game, you are not allowed to add any further cards
to your lead once you have started replenishing your hand. Some players may try to add to add further
cards of the same suit newly picked up from the stock to the cards which they have already led, but
continuing the lead in this way is forbidden.
Exercises
Problem 1 (easy)
There are two players left in the game and clubs are trumps. It is your lead and your cards are
A,3 Q 6,5. How do you play these cards?
Answer 1
Problem 2 (slightly harder)
Again there are just two players left in the game and you have the lead. Clubs are trumps. Your
opponent has only one card left and you know it is the ace of trumps. Your cards are: 5,3
Q,5,4 A,9,8,7,6 3. How do you play?

Answer 2


Rules of Domino Games: Block Game
Dominoes: The Block Game

played so that the touching ends match in number. In this game the dominoes not dealt to the players
cannot be used - there is no draw from the boneyard. The winner is the first player to run out of dominoes
(or first pair to run out if playing with partners). If the game is blocked (no one can play), the player or
team with the lowest point total left in hand wins.
Full rules of Block Dominoes can be found on the Domino Plaza site.

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Rules of Card Games: Michigan
Michigan
Introduction
Cards and Layout
Placing Stakes and Dealing
The Play
Variations
Michigan Rummy / Three in One
Introduction
This game is also known as Boodle, Stops or (in Britain) Newmarket and is suitable for about 3 to 8
players. It is a fairly simple stops game in which the aim is to get rid of your cards first, and to win stakes
by playing particular cards.
There is a variation called Three in One in which before the stops part, each player selects 5 cards from
their hand and plays a game of Poker with them. That version is also known as Michigan Rummy,
though according the books "Michigan Rum" is actually rummy game - a version of 500 Rum.
Cards and Layout

A standard 52 card deck is used. The cards in each suit rank from lowest to highest:
2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A.
During the game stakes are placed on a layout. This can be a board or cloth, or can be made by laying out
cards from a second deck on which the stakes are placed. The layout consists of areas representing the
following cards:
These are sometimes called the pay cards or boodle cards.
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Placing Stakes and Dealing

Before the deal, the dealer places two chips on each boodle card and the other players put one chip on
each.
The deal is clockwise, and the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand. The dealer deals one hand to
each player and one spare hand. All of the cards are dealt out one at a time; some players will have one
card more than others, but this does not matter. The players look at their cards, and the spare hand is left
face down and not used in the game.
The Play
All plays are made by placing a card face up on the table in front of you. The different players' cards are
not mixed together but are kept in front of the person who played them until the end of the play.
The person to the left of the dealer begins. They can play any suit, but must play the lowest card they
hold in that suit. Whoever has the next higher card of the same suit must now play it, followed by the
holder of the card after that, and so on until either the ace is reached or no one can play because no one
holds the next higher card of the suit (it might be in the spare hand or have been played earlier). A card
which no one can follow, because no one has the next higher card in that suit, is called a stop card.
The last person who played a card (the ace or the stop card) now starts again. Again they can play any
suit but must play the lowest card they hold in that suit.
During the play, anyone who manages to play a card which matches one of the boodle cards takes all the
chips on that card.
As soon as any player runs out of cards, the play ends. All the other players must pay one chip for each
card remaining in their hand. The player who ran out of cards collects all of these chips.
Any chips remaining on the layout stay there for the next hand.
Variations
Free placement of chips
Some play that at the start of the hand you must put a fixed number of chips on the layout (say 6),
but you can distribute them as you like among the boodle cards. For example you could put all 6
chips on one card if you wanted to. As this happens before the deal, there is of course no way of
knowing which cards are the best investment.
Dealer exchanges or auctions the spare hand
Some play that if you are the dealer, after you have dealt and looked at your cards, you have the
option of exchanging your hand for the face down spare hand. You are not allowed to look at the
spare hand before deciding to exchange. Alternatively, if you do not want to exchange, you can
auction the unseen spare hand to the highest bidder. The person (if any) who buys the spare hand
discards their own original hand face down and pays the dealer in chips the amount bid for the

spare hand.
Compulsory change of suit
Some play that when starting again after a stop or and ace, you must if possible play a card of a
different suit from the one that was just played. If you can't play a different suit, there are two
views as to what happens:
1. If you have no option, you can play the same suit.
2. If you have nothing but cards of the suit that was just played, the turn to play passes to the
next player to your left. If no one has any other suit the play ends at this point, and there is
no payment for the cards players have left in their hands.
Michigan Rummy / Three in One

In this game, after the deal but before the actual Michigan, each player selects five of their cards and
plays a round of Poker with them. The stake layout is also somewhat different from the normal Michigan
/ Boodle layout. See the Three in One page for details.


Rules of Card Games: Botifarra
Botifarra
This page is based on contributions by Enric Capo and Sefa Costa (who also drew the cards).
This page is also available in Catalan.
Botifarra is played in Catalonia, the Northeast country of Spain. It has very strict playing rules and a
scoring method that makes it very interesting for deductive players and allows usually worthless cards to
have an important role in the results. It is closely related to Manilla from which it takes the mechanics,
but the rules enforce logical play and minimise the effects of luck.
Contents
The aim
The deck
Card values
The deal
Selecting trumps
Playing
Rules of play
Parlett notation
Variants
Championships
The computer program
Other web sites
The Aim
Botifarra is a point trick game for four players in fixed partnerships; as usual you sit opposite your
partner. Only the points in the tricks are important, not the number of tricks, although a trick also has a
value by itself.
The game is usually played until one team reaches 101 points or more, and this requires several hands.
As in other four-player games, it is a widespread practice to play three games, so that each player
partners each of the three others for one game.
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The Deck
Botifarra is played with a standard Spanish 48 card deck of four suits: coins (oros), cups (copes), swords
(espases) and batons (bastons) running from 1 to 12.
In each suit the 10 is called Sota (Jack), the 11 Cavall (Horse) and the 12
Rei (King).
Card values and scoring

The card order from highest to lowest is 9, Ace, King, Horse, Jack, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In this game the 9
is called Manilla.
The 9 is worth 5 points, Ace 4 points, King 3 points, Horse 2 points, Jack 1 point. Each trick is worth
also 1 point. That makes a total of 72 points in a hand. A team that makes more than 36 points scores the
excess towards the game. This score can be doubled in some cases as will be explained later. Example: if

you take 45 card points in a hand you would score 9 points towards the game, 18 if doubled, 36 if
redoubled, etc.
The deal
The dealer deals the whole deck counterclockwise, four cards at a time, beginning with the player to his
right. After each hand the turn to deal passes to the right. Usually the dealer's right hand opponent
shuffles and the left hand opponent cuts.
Selecting trumps
The dealer selects trumps simply by choosing the suit he wants, or he selects Botifarra (no trumps), or
he passes this right to his partner. If the dealer passes, the partner must choose a suit or No trumps - he
cannot pass the right to choose.
After trumps are selected, either of the members of the other team, the defenders, can double (Contrar)
the hand if they want to. Either of the members of the dealer's team can, if doubled, redouble (Recontrar)
the hand. Again, and last, the defenders can re-redouble (Sant Vicens).
The score for Botifarra (no trump) games is doubled in any case, and Contrar, Recontrar and Sant Vicens
can double it further, so there could be up to 4 doubles in total.
When doubling, the players speak in anticlockwise rotation. So the order in which the players have the
opportunity to double is:
1. Contrar: first the player to the right of the one who chose trumps; then the player to the trump
maker's left;
2. Recontrar: first player to the doubler's right; then the player to the doubler's left;
3. Sant Vicens: first the to the redoubler's right; then the player to the redoubler's left.
Playing
Botifarra is played anticlockwise. The player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick, and the
winner of each trick begins the next one. The completed tricks are stored face down in front of one of the
members of each team. Completed tricks cannot be consulted, except for the most recent one.
Each trick is won by the highest trump played to it, or if no trump is played, by the highest card of the
suit led.
The rules of play

Any card may be led. When playing to a trick, the rules, in decreasing order of precedence, are:
1. You must play a card of the suit led if you have one;
2. If your partner is not already winning the trick, you must play a card that beats the cards already

played to the trick, if you can. This includes trumping or overtrumping if you can not follow suit.
Obviously, the second player never has a winning partner, so he must always try to win.
3. If you play a card which does not beat all those already played to the trick, either because you
cannot, or because your partner is winning and you do not want to beat your partner's card, your
choice of play is restricted as follows:
if your partner is winning you must play either a counting card (10, 11, 12, 1 or 9) or the
lowest card you have in the suit you play;
if the opponents are winning you must play the lowest card you have of the suit you play.
Exception: if you are playing second to the trick and you cannot follow suit, you are
allowed to play a counting card (in the hope that your partner will win the trick).
Rule 3 is what makes deduction interesting and should be carefully understood. Playing your lowest card
when you are not winning the trick or giving points to your partner is natural, but in this game it is also
mandatory. You can not "bluff" by playing a different card, and the other players can make deductions
about your remaining cards from the fact that you had to play your lowest card.
According to Parlett notation, and with the addition of:
x0 meaning the lowest of suit x, and
xv meaning a value card (10, 11, 12, 1 or 9) of suit x,
the rules can be formulated as follows:
If your partner is winning: Ff0fv , Tt0tvr0rv
If your partner is not winning:

2nd player: F , f0 , T , r0rv
3rd & 4th players: F , f0 , T , t0r0
Variants
Eastern and western versions
Two main forms of the game exist, the western one and the eastern one. The version described above is
the eastern one, which has stricter rules of play. In the western form, only rules 1 and 2 apply, but not 3.
So in the western form, if your partner is currently winning the trick or the opponents are winning and
you are unable to beat their cards, you are under no restrictions except that of following suit if possible.
This 'small' difference leads in fact to two different styles of playing. The eastern version allows greater
scope for deduction, so it could be called more scientific. The western one has greater freedom, so it
allows more imaginative playing.
Each version has passionate advocates, and both versions have their own attraction. It is only important
that the players should agree which version of the rules is in force before starting a game.
For beginners we would suggest the eastern version, because if you start by learning the more restrictives
rule it will be relatively easy to relax them later if desired. It would be more difficult to introduce the

restrictions later, having first learned the game without them.
Variations within the eastern rules of play

There is a widespread variation of of the eastern version in which the exception to rule 3.2 applies also
when following suit. So as second player you can play a counting card of the suit led in the hope that
your partner in fourth position will win. The Parlett notation for the second player would then be F , f0fv ,
T , r0rv.
Another variant of the eastern rules is occasionally played. If you are the third player and your partner is
winning, you may play a counting card instead of your lowest one, provided that your partner's card is
"safe" - that is, all the higher cards should have been played previously or you must hold them. This
version is played only in a small area, and tends to cause disputes with players familiar with other
versions. Also players of this version do not entirely agree when a lead can be counted as "safe".
Therefore this variant is not recommended.
Doubling variations
The double score for Botifarra seems to be widely used, but the multiples used for the other "doubles"
(Contrar, Recontrar, Sant Vicens) can be almost any reasonable combination. Instead of the 2-4-8
scheme, 2-3-5 or 2-4-10 can be used. The values you use should be agreed before playing. They do not
modify the way to play, they just change how good your cards need to be to double as it can be more or
less dangerous than in the normal scheme.
Scoring variation
When playing a series of games against the same opponents, some players carry over any points in
excess of 101 to begin the following game. This discourages a losing team from doubling without good
cards just because their opponents are very near to 101 and likely to win in any case.
Example. The score is 95-40. The second team double because they are unlikely to overtake the first
team before the first team reach 101 unless a lucky hand occurs. In fact they lose by 10 points (46-36), so
under this variation the game score becomes (95+10*2) 115-40 and the game ends. The new game will
begin with a score 14-0. Without the double the new game would have begun at 4-0.
Championships
In official championships in Catalonia a duplicate mode of play is used, in which the same hands are
played in all the tables, each team playing 4 hands against each other team.
Each hand is therefore played several times over, with a different pairs holding the same North-South
cards and East-West cards on each occasion. The overall score is worked out by comparing the results of
all the teams who held the N-S cards, and separately comparing the results obtained with the E-W cards.
The pair who achieved the best result as N-S with that particular deal scores 2 points and the pair who
achieved the worst result scores 1 point. All the other pairs who played the same cards as N-S receive a
score between 1 and 2, in proportion to their result. The formula for scoring is

1 + (points - minimum) / (maximum - minimum). The E-W results are also compared and scored in the
same way.
A team that breaks the rules of play is penalised with a score of 0 for that hand. The opposing team
receives the average of score of the other teams that played that hand with the same cards.
Doubles are only scored by the team that announces them, so a Botifarra or Double only scores double to
the team that makes it, and a doubled Botifarra scores double - not quadruple - to both sides. Redouble is
only informational and does not affect the score. Re-redouble is not allowed.
The following table is an example from a championship with 6 tables. It shows the results for one
particular deal in which E-W made trumps. It can be seen than team K chose Botifarra, and that teams C
and F doubled.
Final Final
Hand
N-S E-W Botifarra Double N/S E/W score score
score
N-S E-W
Team A Team H 37-35 . . +1 -1 1.77 1.44
Team B Team I 35-37 . . -1 +1 1.68 1.56
Team C Team J 28-44 . X -16 +8 1.00 2.00
Team D Team K 40-32 B . +4 -8 1.91 1.00
Team E Team L 42-30 . . +6 -6 2.00 1.13
Team F Team M 30-42 . X -12 +6 1.18 1.88
Example of computing final score. The best result for N-S is +6 and the worst is -16. Team A achieved
+1 so their score is 1 + (1 - (-16)) / (6 - (-16)) = 1 + 17/22 = 1.77
The computer program

The file buti.zip contains buti.exe, a Visual Basic v3.0 program which plays using the oriental rules. You
will need to obtain from elsewhere the file vbrun300.dll, if you do not already have one. The program is
written in Catalan, but you should not have any difficulty as the few messages are clear enough.
We have also a LAN version for up to four human players.
Other web sites

Here is a link to La Butifarra Virtual, a page in Spanish from which you can download a computer
program which uses more lenient rules of play, as found in the western part of Catalunya.
Here is a link to a Botifarra site with rules in Catalan by Enric Carrera.
Here is Albert Bosch i Codina's Web de la Botifarra with rules and other information. the language is

Catalan, and an English version is planned.

Back to table of contents
Go to Catalan language version of this page.


Card Games: Bour (Boo-Ray)
Bour (Boo-Ray)
This member of the Rams group of games is said to be especially popular in Louisiana, USA. Rules of
Boo-Ray can be found in Peter Sarrett's page of Poker variants, although in fact it is a trick taking game,
unrelated to Poker.
A computer version "Mudbug Bourre" is available from Mudbug Games.
Return to General Index

http://www.pagat.com/rams/boure.html [04/05/2001 9:47:19]

Rules of Card Games: Brag
Brag
Introduction
Three Card Brag
Players, cards and preparation
Ranking of hands
Ante and deal
The betting
Running out of money
Playing blind
Retaining a blind hand
The odds
Advice on play
Variations
Six Card Brag
Seven Card Brag
Nine Card Brag
Crash
Introduction
Brag is a popular British gambling game. It is sometimes said to be similar to poker, but in fact it is much
older and the method of betting is different. The basic game is three card brag; this is described first. It
was one of the games described by Hoyle, and therefore dates from the late eighteenth century or earlier.
While Three Card Brag is a game in which large sums of money can be won or lost, the variations with
more cards, which have become popular recently, are milder games in which the stake cannot escalate so
easily. In these variations, the players divide their cards into a number of three-card hands, which are
then compared according to Brag rules.
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This page has been put together from a variety of sources, notably a contribution from Jon Garibaldi. I
have also consulted several books and articles, but I have not had an opportunity to test the accuracy of
these rules with many Brag players. I would be grateful if any experienced Brag players reading this page
could let me know whether it is correct. I would particularly like to check whether my understanding of
betting blind is right, and also how the situation when a player runs out of money in the middle of the
betting is usually handled.
Three Card Brag

Players, cards and preparation
A standard 52 card pack without jokers is used. The cards in each suit rank in the usual order from high
to low: A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. The number of players can vary, but it is probably best for about 4
to 8 people.
Three Card Brag is a gambling game. Before starting it is essential that the players agree on the stake and
have a common understanding of the rules. It is necessary to agree:
the initial stake or ante - which is the amount (if any) that everyone must put into the pot before
each deal;
the minimum and maximum initial bet - the amount that the first player bets in order to stay in the
hand;
the limit (if any) on the amount by which the bet can be increased by each subsequent player.
Ranking of hands
The order of the possible three-card Brag hands, from highest to lowest, is as follows.
Combination Examples Explanation
3- 3- 3 "Prial" - short for "pair royal" - is the name in Brag for a set of
A- A- A three cards of equal rank. The best is threes, and the other prials
Prial
... follow in the rank order of the cards: A-A-A, K-K-K, Q-Q-Q, etc.
2- 2- 2 down to 5-5-5, 4-4-4, 2-2-2, three twos being the lowest prial.
3- 2- A A running flush is a set of three consecutive cards of the same suit.

A- K- Q A run is a set of three consecutive cards of mixed suits. Although
Running flush the ace is high, A-2-3 counts as a valid run - or a valid running
...
flush if all the cards are the same suit. In fact A-2-3 is the highest
4- 3- 2
run or running flush, A-K-Q of a suit is the second highest, then
K-Q-J, and so on down to 4-3-2, which is the lowest. 2-A-K is not
3- 2- A
a valid run or running flush.
Run A- K- Q
... Any running flush beats any flush - so for example 4- 3- 2
4- 3- 2 beats 3- 2- A or A- K- Q.

A flush consists of three cards of the same suit - not all

consecutive, or it would be a running flush. When comparing
A- K- J flushes, the highest card is compared first, then if these are equal
Flush ... the middle card, and finally if necessary the lowest. Therefore K-
5- 3- 2 9- 2 beats Q- 10- 5, which beats Q- 10- 3, which
beats Q- 9- 8.
A pair consists of two cards of equal rank. The third card is of a
A- A- K different rank, otherwise you would have a prial. When comparing
Pair ... pairs, the rank of the pair is compared first, and if these are equal
2- 2- 3 the odd card determines which is higher. So for example 9-9-3
beats 8-8-K, which beats 8-8-J.
Three cards that do not form any of the above combinations. As
A- K- J with flushes, these rank according to the highest card; if the highest
High card ... cards of two hands are equal the second highest cards are compared,
5- 3- 2 and if these are equal too then the third highest. So J-6-3 beats
10-9-7, which beats 10-9-6.
There is no order of suits, so it is possible for two hands to be equal in rank - for example 7- 7- Q
is equal to 7- 7- Q. In a contest between two equal hands the calling player (the player who paid to
see the other hand) loses (see betting, below).
Poker players should take care to note that the 'run' and 'flush' in Brag rank in the opposite order to
Poker.
Ante and deal

Before each deal, each player must place the agreed initial stake (ante) in the pot. Deal and play are
clockwise, and the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand.
If it is the first deal of the session, the dealer shuffles. For subsequent deals, the cards are only shuffled if
the previous hand was "seen" and won by a prial. Apart from that, the cards not normally shuffled
between hands. The cards from the previous hand are just added to the bottom of the pack and the dealer
deals the new hands from the top, without shuffling.
The dealer deals out the cards one at a time, face down to the players, until everyone has three cards.
Players may look at their own cards, or may choose not to, if they wish to play "blind" - see below. Cards
must at never be shown to any player other than the person to whom they were dealt, unless the betting
ends with a "see". In that case the cards of the two players involved (but none of the others) are exposed
for everyone to see.

The betting
When the cards have been dealt, the betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. This person
can 'fold' (throw in their cards and take no further part in the hand) or can bet any amount from the
agreed minimum to the agreed maximum. If all the players except one fold, the last remaining player
takes all the money in the pot, and the next hand is dealt.
If any player bets, every player after that must either fold or bet at least as much as the previous player
who bet. A player may bet more than the previous player, but there may be an agreed limit to the amount
by which the bet can be increased. The betting continues around the table as many times as necessary.
When there are only two players left in the game, all the others having folded, a third option becomes
available. Either player can see the other. Seeing costs twice as much as the previous player's bet. When
you pay to see another player, they expose their three cards first and then you expose yours. If your cards
are better than your opponent's, you win the pot; otherwise your opponent wins it. Note that if the hands
are equal, the player who paid to see loses.
Poker players should notice that there is no concept of equalising the bets. At each turn, to stay in you
have to put into the pot at least as much new money as the previous player put in. Here are some
examples from a four player game:
1. Player A bets 2 chips, B folds, C bets 2 chips and D bets 2 chips. In order to stay in, A would have
to bet another 2 chips.
2. Player A bets 2 chips, B folds, C bets 4 chips and D folds. Player A can now see player C by
paying 8 chips (twice C's bet) or pay at least 4 chips to stay in, or fold, allowing C to win the pot.
If A pays 4 to stay in, C now has the same options: put 8 in the pot to see A, to bet at least 4 and
allow A another turn to bet, or to fold and allow A to win.
Betting continues until either
all players but one have dropped out (folded) (in which case the remaining player obviously
wins, but does not show their cards), or
two players are left and one player pays double to see the other.
As each player folds, that player's cards are added to the bottom of the pack ready for the next deal. At
the end of the betting the cards of the last player left in, or the cards of the two players involved in the
see, are added to the pack in the same way.
Please note the following basic rules of etiquette:
1. Do not show your cards - to anybody
2. Do not say anything about your hand
3. Never (ever) fold out of turn
Breaking any of the above three rules will get you thrown out of any Brag game.
Here is an example of betting between five players:
Round Andy Bill Chris Dan Eddie
1 1 1 1 fold 2

2 2 2 2 - 2
3 2 2 2 - 2
4 2 fold 2 - 5
5 5 - 5 - 5
6 5 - 5 - 5
7 5 - fold - 10
8 10 - - - 10
9 10 - - - 10
10 20 (to see)
Points to note
1. Andy bets 1 (one) first round, Bill and Chris match 1, Eddie raises to 2. Andy (A) now must bet 2
to stay in, regardless of the fact that he has already put 1 (one) in. Similar for B and C.
2. The betting can remain at 2 (e.g. rounds 1-4) indefinitely. If everyone is staying in, eventually
someone (e.g. E) must force the pace.
3. In rounds 5 and 6 A, C and E are all in. No-one can see, and all must remain. In situations like this,
it is simply a matter of nerve. Someone must fold for the betting to end - and eventually C does.
4. When there are only two remaining (A and E, rounds 8-10), then either can decide to pay double to
'see'. When A bets 20 to 'see' on round 10, he must say 'See you' (or equivalent). It is perfectly
acceptable to double the betting without 'see'ing, in which case the game continues as normal.
A common (but not necessary) house limit on raising is to agree that no-one can raise the pot by more
than its current contents. So, for a five player game, the maximum initial stake would be 5 times the ante.
Running out of money

If you do not have enough left to bet, but want to stay in, you place all your remaining money in the pot,
and put your cards face down on top of it. If there are two or more other players, they continue betting as
before, but putting the money into a new pot. After this new pot is settled, the winner's hand is exposed,
and the hand of the player who ran out of money is compared with it. The old pot is won by the higher
hand, or by the winner of the new pot in case of a tie.
This method effectively allows a player with insufficient funds to see another player for less money than
would normally be needed. It requires the players to keep the money they are playing with on the table
for everyone to see. Players can introduce extra money into the game only between hands and only if all
the players agree.
Note: I am not quite certain about this rule. I would like to hear from any experienced Brag players who
can let me know whether the above is correct.

Playing blind
Experienced players usually allow the extra option of playing blind. Any player may choose to play any
hand blind. If you are playing blind you do not look at your cards, but leave them face down on the table.
You take part in the betting in the normal way, except that all your bets are worth double. In other words,
at each stage you only have to put in half the amount of money you would need to bet if you had looked
at your cards.
If you have been playing blind, then at your turn to bet, you can choose to look at your cards before
betting or folding. From that moment on you are no longer a blind player, and if you then want to stay in,
you must revert to the same betting amount as the 'non-blind' players.
If you are playing blind and all the other players fold - which would be surprising but I am assuerd that it
does happen - you do not win the pot. Instead, the pot is carried forward to the next deal and you are
allowed to retain your hand - see below.
When just two players remain, one or both of whom are playing blind, the possibilities for one player to
"see" the other - i.e. pay for the hands to be exposed and compared - are as follows.
1. Your opponent is playing blind. The rule is that "you cannot see a blind man". Therefore your
only options are to continue betting or to fold. If you are blind as well, then your opponent cannot
see you either. If neither of you folds and neither wants to look at their cards, then the betting will
go on until one of you runs out of money - at which point the hands have to be compared.
2. You are playing blind but your opponent is playing open. Your opponent cannot see you (by
the above rule), but you can see your opponent if you wish. There are two methods of doing this:
. Without looking at your cards, you put in twice your minimum bet - i.e. the same amount
that your opponent just bet - and say "see you". Then the cards are exposed to find out what
your cards are and who wins.
b. You look at your cards (becoming an open player), and having seen them decide whether to
fold, bet or pay twice the amount that your opponent just put in to see the hands and
determine the winner.
I am not completely certain about the above rules for a showdown when one or both players is blind.
Several books state the rule that "you can't see a blind man" but none is quite explicit about whether this
applies if you are blind as well. Jon Garibaldi suggests that the rule should be the other way round - that
an open player can see a blind player by paying twice the normal open player's stake, but that a blind
player cannot see an open player without first looking at his or her cards and then paying the open rate
for seeing (option 2b above). There is also the possibility that a blind player might be allowed to see
another blind player by paying twice the normal blind stake. I would be very interested to hear from any
experienced Brag players who can tell me the usual procedure in these cases. Please write to
john@pagat.demon.co.uk
A betting example:
Round Andy Bill Chris Dan Eddie
1 1 1 (blind) 2 1 (blind) 2
2 2 1 (blind) 2 1 (blind) 2

3 2 1 (blind) 2 1 (blind) 2
4 2 1 (blind) 4 2 (blind) fold
5 4 5 (blind) 10 fold -
6 fold 5 (blind) 10 - -
7 - 5 (blind) 10 - -
8 - 10 (to see)
Points to note:
1. B must pay double the blind stake to 'see' C's hand. C is not allowed to see B in round 6 or 7, even
though only two players are left.
2. Note how after 4 rounds B has only spent 4 chips compared to C who has spent 10. This type of
inequity often happens when playing with blind hands, and is part of the whole essense of the
procedure.
3. Looking at a 'blind' hand out of turn is another Brag 'faux-pas' which will get other Brag players
(very) annoyed. The reason is that (for example) during round 4, when C raises to 4, if B now
looks at his cards it has immediately changed the basis of A's decision as to whether to stay in or
fold on his turn. He would then have only one 'blind' opponent (as D stays 'blind'), instead of
potentially two 'blind' opponents (D and possibly B).
Retaining a blind hand

If you end up with a blind hand when all other players have dropped out, you may retain the blind hand
on the table. The next hand is then dealt, so that you now have two sets of cards in front of you. You may
either:
1. look at the new hand
2. look at the old hand
3. look at neither
If you look at one of the hands, you must immediately decide whether to keep it or fold it. If you keep it,
you must fold the other (without looking at it). You are then non-blind and play the looked-at hand
normally. If you decide to fold the hand you looked at, after doing so you must look at the other hand and
play it normally. [At least, I assume that this is the case, but possibly you also have the option of looking
at one hand, rejecting it, and then continuing to play the second hand blind. I have not seen this point
dealt with explicitly. If someone out there knows the answer, could they please let me know].
If you look at neither hand, you can play both hands 'blind' until (at some point) you choose to look at
one of them, in which case you follow the same procedure above.
In the unlikely event that you win the pot again, without having looked at either 'blind' hand, you may
choose to retain either (but only one), sight unseen, before the next deal. You cannot have three 'blind'
hands at once.
Note that at no stage when playing two hands 'blind' can you look at both and choose the better one - you
must look at just one and choose to keep it or fold it, before looking at the other.

The odds
Jon Garibaldi has provided the following analysis.
As there are so few total different hands, it is not difficult to calculate the prior probabilities.
There are a total of 22,100 different card combinations ( 52 * 51 * 50 / 3! ). The number of ways to make
each hand, and approx odds, are as follows:
Hand Combinations Probability Odds
Prial Threes 4 1/5525 5524 to 1
Other Prial 48 1/460 459 to 1
Running Flush 48 1/460 459 to 1
Run 720 1/31 30 to 1
Flush 1 096 1/20 19 to 1
Pair 3 744 1/6 5 to 1
High Card 16 440 3/4 3 to 1 on
(total combinations) 22 100
Obviously, these odds are affected by previous cards, if the deck isn't shuffled.
Advice on play
John Garibaldi has contributed the following advice.
1. Study the odds carefully and remember them.
2. Play by the odds.
3. Don't stick rigidly to playing by the odds!! You will lose very quickly, and never win a big pot if
you never bluff.
4. Playing 'blind' well is very difficult and takes years of practice. If you play it too often, and
non-expertly you will lose.
5. Don't bet too big, especially if you are used to Poker betting. As the Brag betting can continue
indefinitely, on the same amount (and indeed must, until there are only two players) the pot can get
very large even when each single bet seems low.
Variations
Some of the books imply that Brag is sometimes played with twos wild or with a wild joker added to the
pack. I do not know whether Brag is really played with wild cards - if you have experience of this, please

let me know. Apparently, a hand with wild cards beats the corresponding hand using natual cards, and a
hand with more wild cards beats one with fewer. For example, if twos are wild, 5-2-2 beats 5-5-2, and
9-2-7 beats 9-8-7.
Many books, especially in the late nineteenth and throughout the twentieth century, describe an entirely
fictitious form of Brag with poker-like betting and three wild cards or "braggers"( A, J and 9).
There is no evidence that Brag has ever been played that way, and it seems that this version derives from
a misreading of some of the early printed descriptions. This is discussed further in Jeffrey Burton in The
Playing-Card Vol XXIV No 3 (Nov-Dec 1995) and 4 (Jan-Feb 1996).
The following variations - 6, 7 and 9 card Brag and Crash - are almost more like trick-taking games than
vying games. They are nevertheless included on this page because they use Brag hand ranking, and
because they share the name Brag with the three-card game.
Six Card Brag

Everyone contributes an agreed stake to the pot, and the dealer deals out 6 cards to each player, one at a
time. If anyone has four cards of the same rank they declare this immediately and the best four of a kind
wins.
If no one has four of a kind, each player divides their six cards into two three-card Brag hands, placing
them face-down on the table with the higher on the left and the lower on the right. The player to dealer's
left begins by exposing his left hand. The other players in turn either pass or expose their left hands.
Whoever has the best left hand (or the first of these if there is a tie) then exposes his right hand. The
other players in turn do the same or pass.
If one player has the highest left hand and the highest right hand, or wins one of these and ties the other,
or ties for best with both hands, that player wins the pot. If the same two players tie for best left hand and
for best right hand then they split the pot equally between them. In any other case, no one wins, and the
pot is carried forward to the next deal, everyone adding another stake.
The ranking of the three-card hands is the same as in Three Card Brag (see ranking table above), except
that the highest prial is three sixes, and a prial of threes is nothing special, ranking between 4-4-4 and
2-2-2. The ranking of fours of a kind is similar - four threes are best, then four, aces, kings and so on
down to four twos.
Variation: some play that a six-card running flush - for example 3-4-5-6-7-8-9 of one suit - wins the
hand, beating four of a kind.
Seven Card Brag

This game is the same as Six Card Brag, except for the following.
Seven cards are dealt to each player.
If no one has four of a kind, each player discards one card face down before dividing the
remaining six into a left hand and a right hand.

The highest prial or four of a kind is a set of sevens, others ranking in their natural order - so the
order of precedence for prials and fours of a kind is 7-A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-6-5-4-3-2.
Some play that a seven card running flush beats four of a kind.
Nine Card Brag

This game is the same as Six Card Brag, except for the following.
Nine cards are dealt to each player.
If no one has four of a kind, each player divides their nine cards into three three-card Brag hands,
placing the highest of these face down to their left, the lowest to their right and the middle hand
between them.
The left hands are exposed first, beginning with the player to dealer's left. Whoever has the best
left hand (or the first of these if there is a tie) begins exposing the middle hands, and whoever has
the best of these begins exposing the right hands.
To win the pot, a player must win or at least tie all three hands. If this does not happen no one wins
and the pot is carried forward to the next deal.
The highest prial or four of a kind is a set of nines, others ranking in their natural order - so the
order of precedence for prials and fours of a kind is 9-A-K-Q-J-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.
Some play that a nine card running flush beats four of a kind.
Crash
This game, which is essentially thirteen card Brag, was reported by Arthur Taylor in his book on pub
games as being played in parts of Salford and Manchester. I would be grateful if any Crash players could
let me know whether the game is played in other places, and whether the rules given below are accurate.
There are four players and all the cards are dealt. Each player discards one card from their 13 card hand
and forms the rest into four Brag hands. It is not stated, but it seems likely that these have to be arranged
in decreasing order of strength, as in 6, 7 and 9 card Brag, with the best hand on the left, then the next
best, then the next and the lowest on the right.
The hands are compared in turn, using the same ranking as in Three
Card Brag, and the winner of each of the four comparisons scores a
point towards game. It is not stated what happens in case of a tie - I
suggest that that point is probably not scored. Normally, the first
player to accumulate seven or more points over a series of hands
wins the game. However, if one player wins all four hands of one
deal, that player wins the game outright. This is known as a "crash".
The game is usually scored on a peg board, as illustrated. Each
player starts in one corner and the winner is the first player to reach
the central hole.


Last updated 21st July 2000

Rules of Card Games: stovahra
Stovkahra
This page is based on research by Tom Svoboda and is a revised version of an article published by
John McLeod in the September/October 1997 issue of The Playing-Card, journal of the International
Playing-Card Society.
Technical note - this page uses ISO 8859-2 (Latin 2) encoding to display Czech accented letters. Here is
a test page, which you can use to check whether these characters are displayed correctly by your browser.
Introduction
Trappola originated in Venice and was described by Cardano in his Liber de Ludo Aleae, written in 1564.
In the following centuries it spread to Central Europe, where it became extremely well known and
developed many variations. These continued to be played with a special pack of cards whose designs
were derived from the Venetian pattern. These packs had 36 cards, consisting of ace, king, knight, jack,
10, 9, 8, 7, 2 in the Italian suits of coins, cups, swords and batons. Forms of Trappola were especially
popular in the Czech lands and survived there until the twentieth century, but since the second world war
the special Trappola cards are no longer made and the game was thought to have died out. The reverse
game Coteccio, played in Trieste, was its nearest known living relative. But now, thanks to the researches
of Tom Svoboda of Prague, we know that Trappola is not dead. The game of Stovkahra, also known
as Brko, which is played to this day in the village of umice in Romania, is a genuine Trappola game,
perhaps the last of its kind.
umice is a village of about 500 inhabitants, situated in the Bant region of Romania, about 40 km
north-west of Orsova (which is on the Danube, about 150 km east of Beograd). In the first half of the
nineteenth century, this region was on the frontier of the Austro-Hungarian empire and Czechs and other
citizens were given government incentives to settle there; they were granted land and freedom from
taxes. In 1918 the region became part of Romania and most of the Czech settlers returned to their
homeland, but nine Czech villages still exist there; umice is one of them. The people speak good
archaic Czech and have little contact with their Romanian neighbours. Their isolation was ended in 1989
when contact with the Czech Republic was re-established and travel became possible. Now many of the
younger people from these villages are moving to the Czech Republic, and it seems likely that the Czech
villages in Romania will not survive for more than 15 years or so.
Tom Svoboda visited this region in summer 1997, and enquired about the card games played there.
There are local versions of normal Czech games such as Ferbl, 21 and 66, but in umice they also play a
form of Trappola. The game is called Stovkahra (meaning "hundred-game") by older people but among
the younger players it is known as Brko (which means a matchstick or small piece of wood). It is
played exclusively by men, and the whole male population of Sumice seems to know the game; they play
fast, enthusiastically and loudly, banging the cards down on the table. Many of the players are farmers; in
the winter months when they have little to do, and are sometimes cut off from the outside world for long
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periods by snow, they play cards every day.

Of course, traditional Trappola cards are no longer generally available. Regular production ceased when
the last packs were made in Prague in 1944, and probably they had been unobtainable in Romania long
before this. The Romanian Czechs therefore adapted Stovkahra to be played with the German suited 32
card pack, but the point values of the cards and combinations remain unmistakably those of Trappola.
Also, the characteristic bonuses of 26, 52 or 10 for winning the last trick, the first trick or an intermediate
trick with the lowest card of a suit have been retained. These bonuses have been transferred from the
twos of the Trappola pack to the sevens, which are the lowest cards in the German suited pack. Prague
pattern cards are used when possible, but since these are also hard to obtain in Romania, the game has
recently been played with Tell cards imported from Hungary.
Players, cards and objective.

Stovkahra is a point-trick game, played with a German suited pack of 32 cards. There are 4 players in
fixed partnerships, partners facing each other. Deal and play are clockwise. The rank of cards in each suit
(from high to low) and their point values are:
ace ...... 6 points
king ...... 5 points
upper knave (svrek) ...... 4 points
lower knave (spodek) ...... 3 points
ten ...... 0 points
nine ...... 0 points
eight ...... 0 points
seven ...... 0 points
The objective is to be the first team to score a total 100 or more points. Points are scored for
combinations held in a player's hand, for cards taken in tricks and as bonuses for winning certain tricks. It
will usually take several deals to reach 100 points.
Combinations
A player who holds three or four cards of the same rank (other than nines or eights) can declare them
before the lead to the first trick. The scores for combinations are:
four aces ...... 40 points
three aces ...... 30 points
four tens or four sevens ...... 20 points
three tens or three sevens ...... 10 points
four kings, upper or lower knaves ...... 12 points
three kings, upper or lower knaves ...... 6 points
It is not compulsory to declare a combination, but only declared combinations are scored. When
declaring, the rank and number of cards must be stated, but when declaring three of a kind it is not

necessary to say which card is missing. There is no score for carte blanche or carta bianca (hands without
picture cards, which scored points in earlier versions of Trappola).
Bonuses
The team which wins the last trick scores an extra 6 points. For winning a trick other than the first or the
last with a seven there is a bonus of 10 points. A team which wins the last trick with a seven scores a
bonus of 26 points (which includes the normal 6 for winning the last trick). A team which wins the first
trick with a seven scores a 52 point bonus.
Dealing, trumps
The cards are shuffled only before the first deal of a game; for subsequent deals the cards are simply
gathered together and cut by the player to the dealer's right. After the cut, the bottom card of the pack is
shown to everyone and its suit is trumps. The cards are dealt out in packets of three to each player, then
two, then three, so that everyone has eight cards. The first three cards are dealt face up to the player to
dealer's left; the rest of the cards are dealt face down as usual. Exposing this player's first three cards is
meant to compensate for the advantage that the non-dealer's team have in playing first.
Play
After everyone has declared any combinations they wish to, the player to dealer's left leads to the first
trick. Players must follow suit if they can, and anyone who cannot follow suit must play a trump. Subject
to these constraints, players are obliged to beat the highest card so far played to the trick if they can. The
trick is won by the highest trump in it, or, if it contains no trump, by the highest card played of the suit
led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
Scoring
The first team to reach 100 points or more wins a game, for which they get one brko (matchstick) if the
losers had 50 or more points, or two brka if the losers had less than 50 points. It is possible to reach 100
points in the middle of the play. If a player who has just declared a combination or won a trick thinks that
his team has 100 or more points, he can announce "dost" (enough) instead of leading to the next trick.
This stops the play and the card points are counted. If the team which said dost really do have enough
points, they win one or two brka depending on whether the other team had more or less than 50. If they
were mistaken, in that they actually have less than 100 points, the other team win two brka irrespective
of their own points score.
The winners of each game always have the choice of increasing their own brka by the amount won (one
or two) or reducing the other team's brka by the same amount. The overall winners of the series of
games are the first team who collect ten or more brek.

Notes
If a team reaches 100 points but forgets to say dost, they risk letting the other team win by reaching 100
and saying dost; a team which announces dost correctly wins even if the other team actually reached 100
points earlier without noticing.
In practice, the only way to win the first trick with a seven, scoring the bonus of 52, is to trump with the
seven of trumps. It is an accepted part of the game that if the player to dealer's right has the seven of
trumps and is void in another suit, that player will try to signal to the leader to play this suit, by mouthing
the name of the suit when the opponents are not looking.
As a variation, it can be agreed that when a team reach 10 brek, the series of games is continued to see
which team is the first to reach 20. If the first team to 10 also reach 20 first, they are the winners of two
series of games; if the other team reaches 20 first the result is a draw.


Rules of Card Games: Bridge
Contract Bridge
When this page was first written (in late 1995), there was already a fair amount of bridge-related
information on the Internet, but most of it was aimed at people who already knew how to play. This page
was produced to fill the gap by explaining how bridge is played. The explanation is intended for people
who have some experience of cards and card games, but no knowledge of bridge.
As I write this update (in February 1997), several other sites with information of use to bridge beginners
have appeared. Some of these appear among the links at the end of this page.
Types of Bridge
Rubber Bridge
Players and Cards
Deal
Bidding
Play
Scoring
Duplicate Bridge
Boards
Scoring
Teams of Four
Pairs
Procedure and Ethics
Stop and Alert
Unauthorised Information
Chicago
Chicago with Duplicate Scoring
Chicago with Russian Scoring
Bridge Resources on the Internet
Rules and advice
http://www.pagat.com/boston/bridge.html (1 de 18) [04/05/2001 9:47:37]

Online bridge
Bridge software
Links pages
Bridge Equipment Suppliers and other Bridge related pages
Types of Bridge
Contract Bridge was invented in the 1920's and in the following decades it was popularised especially in
the USA by Ely Culbertson. Bridge currently occupies a position of great prestige, and is more
comprehensively organised than any other card game. There are clubs, tournaments and championships
throughout the world.
Rubber Bridge is the basic form of Contract Bridge, played by four players. Informal social bridge games
are often played this way, and rubber bridge is also played in clubs for money.
Duplicate Bridge is the game normally played in clubs, tournaments and matches. The game is basically
the same but the luck element is reduced by having the same deals are replayed by different sets of
players. At least eight players are required for this. There are some significant differences in the scoring.
Two types of duplicate bridge will be covered:
teams of four
pairs
Chicago Bridge is played by four people (like rubber bridge), but a game is complete in four deals.
Contract Bridge developed from Auction Bridge, which is different mainly in the scoring. In Auction
Bridge, overtricks count towards making game, so it is only necessary to bid high enough to win the
contract - there is no incentive to bid all the tricks you can make.
Before Auction Bridge there was Bridge-Whist (at the time this game was just called Bridge). In
Bridge-Whist there is no bidding at all - the dealer simply names a trump suit and the dealer's partner is
dummy. Either opponent may double before the lead to the first trick, and if doubled, the dealer's side
may redouble.
Rubber Bridge
Players and Cards
There are four players in two fixed partnerships. Partners sit facing each other. It is traditional to refer to
the players according to their position at the table as North, East, South and West, so North and South are
partners playing against East and West. The game is played clockwise.
A standard 52 card pack is used. The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5
4 3 2.

Deal
The cards are shuffled by the player to dealer's left and cut by the player to dealer's right. The dealer
deals out all the cards one at a time so that each player has 13. Turn to deal rotates clockwise.
It is traditional to use two packs of cards. During each deal, the dealer's partner shuffles the other pack
and places it to the right. The dealer for the next hand then simply needs to pick up the cards from the left
and pass them across to the right to be cut. Provided all the players understand and operate it, this
procedure saves time and helps to remember whose turn it is to deal, as the spare pack of cards is always
to the left of the next dealer.
Bidding
There is next an auction to decide who will be the declarer. A bid specifies a number of tricks and a
trump suit (or that there will be no trumps). The side which bids highest will try to win at least that
number of tricks bid, with the specified suit as trumps.
When bidding, the number which is said actually represents the number of tricks in excess of six which
the partnership undertakes to win. For example a bid of "two hearts" represents a contract to win at least
8 tricks (8 = 6 + 2) with hearts as trumps.
For the purpose of bidding the possible trump suits rank as follows: no trumps (highest), spades, hearts,
diamonds, clubs (lowest). A bid of a larger number of tricks always beats a bid of a smaller number, and
if the number of tricks bid are equal, the higher suit beats the lower. The lowest bid allowed is "one club"
(to win at least 7 tricks with clubs as trumps), and the highest is "seven no trumps" (to win all 13 tricks
without trumps).
It is also possible, during the auction, to "double" a bid by the other side or to "redouble" the opponents'
double. Doubling and redoubling essentially increase the score for the bid contract if won and the
penalties if lost. If someone then bids higher, any previous doubles and redoubles are cancelled.
The dealer begins the auction the turn to speak passes clockwise. At each turn a player may either:
make a bid, which must be higher than the previous bid if any;
say "double", if the previous bid was by an opponent, and has not already been doubled;
say "redouble", if the previous bid was by one's own side and has been doubled by an opponent,
but not yet redoubled;
pass, by saying "no bid" or "pass". This indicates that the player does not wish to bid, double or
redouble on that round, but a player who has passed is still allowed to bid, double or redouble at a
later turn. NB. Either "no bid" or "pass" is permissible, but you should stick to one term or the
other. "No bid" is usual in Britain; "pass" is usual in the USA.
If all four players pass on their first turn to speak the hand is said to be passed out. The cards are thrown
in and the next dealer deals.
If anyone bids, then the auction continues until there are three passes in succession, and then stops. After
three consecutive passes, the last bid becomes the contract. The team who made the final bid will now
try to make the contract. The first player of this team who mentioned the denomination (suit or no

trumps) of the contract becomes the declarer. The declarer's partner is known as the dummy.
Example of an auction (North dealt):
North East South West
pass 1 heart double 3 hearts
3 spades pass 4 spades pass
pass pass
North-South will try to win at least 10 tricks with spades as trumps; North, who mentioned spades first, is
the declarer. South's double of one heart was cancelled by West's bid of 3 hearts.
The Play
The player to the left of the declarer leads to the first trick. Immediately after this opening lead, the
dummy's cards are exposed. The dummy should arrange them neatly in suits, so that all the cards are
clearly visible, with the trump suit if any to dummy's right (declarer's left).
Play proceeds clockwise. Each player must if possible play a card of the suit led. A player with no card
of the suit led may play any card. A trick consists of four cards, and is won by the highest trump in it, or
if no trumps were played by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
Dummy takes no active part in the play of the hand. Whenever it is dummy's turn to play, the declarer
must say which of dummy's cards is to be played, and dummy plays the card as instructed (as long as it is
legal). Dummy is not permitted to offer any advice or comment on the play. When dummy wins a trick,
the declarer specifies which card dummy should lead to the next trick. If when calling for a card the
declarer specifies the suit only, dummy is to play the lowest card of that suit.
Scoring
As its name suggests, rubber bridge is played in rubbers. A rubber is the best of three games. A game is
won by the first team to score 100 or more points for successful contracts, over several deals if
necessary.
A side which has already won one game towards the current rubber is said to be vulnerable. A side
which has not yet won a game is not vulnerable. A side which is vulnerable is subject to higher bonuses
and penalties than one that is not.
The score is kept on a piece of paper divided into two columns headed WE and THEY, for the two
teams, with a horizontal line part-way down (see example). Scores for successful contracts are entered
below the line, and count towards winning a game. Other scores, such as bonuses for tricks made in
excess of the contract (overtricks), or penalties for tricks short of the contract (undertricks) are entered
above the line, and do not count towards winning the game.
Score for making the contract
For a successful contract, the score below the line for each trick (in excess of 6) bid and made is as
follows:
If trumps are Clubs or Diamonds, 20 per trick

If trumps are Hearts or Spades, 30 per trick

If there are No Trumps, 40 for the first trick, and 30 for each subsequent trick.
If the contract was doubled the above scores are doubled. If it was doubled and redoubled, they are
multiplied by 4.
In addition, the declarer's side scores an extra 50 points above the line if they succeed in a doubled
contract. This is sometimes known as "50 for the insult". For making a redoubled contract the bonus is
100 above the line.
Because of the difference in score, clubs and diamonds are called the minor suits and hearts and spades
are the major suits.
Slam bonus
A contract to make 12 tricks is known as a small slam. A contract to make all 13 tricks is called a grand
slam. For bidding and making a slam, declarer's side get an extra bonus above the line, depending on
their vulnerability, as follows:
Slam bonus small slam grand slam
not vulnerable 500 1000
vulnerable 750 1500
Score for overtricks
If the declarer's side wins more tricks than were bid, and were not doubled, then in addition to the score
below the line for the contract, they score for the overtricks above the line at the same rate as for bid
tricks - i.e. 20 per trick if a minor suit was trumps; 30 per trick in a major suit or no trumps.
If the contract was doubled or redoubled, the bonus for overtricks does not depend on the trump suit, but
does depend on whether the declarer's side was vulnerable as follows:
Score per overtrick doubled redoubled
not vulnerable 100 200
vulnerable 200 400
Penalty for undertricks
If the declarer's side win fewer tricks than they bid, neither side scores anything below the line, but the
declarer's opponents score above the line. This score depends on the declarer's side's vulnerability, and
whether the contract was doubled or redoubled, as follows:
Undertrick penalty: not vulnerable vulnerable
Not doubled - each undertrick: 50 100
Doubled - first undertrick: 100 200

Doubled - 2nd and 3rd undertrick: 200 each 300 each
Doubled - subsequent undertricks: 300 each 300 each
Redoubled undertricks cost twice as much as doubled undertricks.

Honours
The top five trumps (A K Q J 10) are called honours. If one player holds all five of these cards, that
player's side scores a bonus of 150 above the line. Four honours in one hand score 100. If there are no
trumps, and a player holds four aces, that player's side scores 150 for honours.
Scores for honours are to be claimed at the end of the play (it is assumed that the players will remember
what they held).
As there is no skill in scoring for honours, players often agree to play without the honour bonuses.
Game and Rubber
A side that accumulates 100 points or more below the line has won a game. A new line is drawn under
the scores. Anything the opponents had below the line does not count towards the next game - they start
from zero again.
It is important to notice that, starting from zero and in the absence of doubles, to make a game in one
hand you need to succeed in a contract of at least three no trumps, four spades, four hearts, five clubs or
five diamonds.
The side which first wins two games wins the rubber. For this they get a bonus of 700 if they won it two
games to zero, or 500 if it was two games to one. Both sides scores are then totalled and the side with the
higher score wins the difference in money (if playing for money) from the side with less.
If play ends for any reason with a rubber unfinished, then a side with a game gets a bonus of 300 points,
and a side with a part score (i.e. a score below the line towards an uncompleted game) gets a bonus of
100.
Example of Rubber Bridge scoring
The scoresheet of a completed rubber might look like this (the letters in brackets refer to the footnotes -
they would not appear on the scoresheet):
WE | THEY
|
500 (f) |
50 (f) |
100 (f) |
200 (e) | 500 (i)
300 (b) | 30 (g)
60 (a) | 30 (c)
=============|============== <-- the line
60 (a) | 100 (c)
-------------|--------------
360 (f) | 90 (d)
-------------|--------------
60 (h) | 40 (g)

| 90 (i)
(a) we bid 2 hearts and made 10 tricks - 60 below the line for the contract and 60 above for the overtricks
(b) they bid 4 spades, we doubled them, and they took only 8 tricks - we score 100 for their first
undertrick and 200 for the second
(c) they bid 3 no trumps and made 10 tricks. This gives them a game (100 below the line). Another line is
ruled to indicate this.
(d) they bid and made 3 spades
(e) they bid two diamonds and made 6 tricks - they are now vulnerable so we score 100 for each
undertrick.
(f) we bid 6 hearts; they doubled us, but we won all 13 tricks. We score 360 (180 x 2) below the line for
our doubled contract, giving us a game; 100 above for our doubled non-vulnerable overtrick; 50 above
for making a doubled contract; and 500 bonus for a small slam bid and made.
(g) they bid one no trump and took 8 tricks; note that their 90 was part of the previous game, so the 40
below does not give them a game.
(h) we bid 3 clubs and made exactly 9 tricks.
(i) they bid 3 hearts and took exactly 9 tricks giving their second game and the rubber, for a bonus of 500
(two games to one).
Adding up the scores, we have 1690 and they have 880. Therefore we have won by 810 points (even
though they won the rubber).
* Note on recent changes in scoring
Some details of bridge scoring were changed recently. Before the changes, the penalty for doubled
undertricks was 100 for the first and 200 each for all others (and twice as much for a redoubled contract).
Also the bonus for making a redoubled contract was 50, not 100, and the bonus for a part score in an
uncompleted rubber was 50, not 100.
Partnership agreement and conventions

As in most card games, partners are forbidden to convey information to each other by talking, gestures,
facial expression, etc. However there is considerable scope for partners to exchange information within
the rules of the game by their choice of bids or cards played.
The bidding mechanism is such that if a player makes a bid (or double or redouble), it is always possible
for the player's partner at their next turn to override that bid with a higher bid. This makes it possible for
partners to assign arbitrary meanings to bids. Bids which can be taken at face value - that is they convey
a genuine wish to play a contract to take the relevant number of tricks or more with the trump suit stated
- are called natural. Bids which carry an agreed meaning other than this are called artificial or
conventional.
For example if we are partners, we might agree that a bid of one club by me shows a strong hand, but has
nothing to do with wanting clubs as trumps. Provided that we both understand this, you will not leave me
to play a contract of one club, but will make some other bid, natural or artificial.
The main restriction on agreements between partners about the meaning of bids is that all such
agreements must be declared to the opponents. A bidding system is a comprehensive set of partnership

agreements about the meanings of bids.

Players should declare their system (if any) at the start of a session. If it is at all complicated, this is done
by means of a convention card which sets out the meanings of bids. In addition, any player, at their turn
to bid or at the end of the auction, may ask for and be given an explanation of the opponents' bidding
agreements. The explanation should be given by the partner of the player who made the bid in question.
Similar considerations apply to the play. Partners may agree on the meaning of the choice of card played
in certain circumstances. For example we may agree that when leading from a sequence of adjacent high
cards such as K-Q-J we always lead the highest. Again, the opponents are entitled to know about such
agreements. They should be declared on the convention card, and may be asked about during the play.
In rubber bridge one does not often come across complicated systems and partnership agreements. One is
often playing with an unfamiliar partner, or in an informal setting. Complicated agreements are more
often encountered in duplicate bridge, where the players are often long standing partners who have
devoted considerable effort to agreeing their system.
Duplicate Bridge
In rubber bridge, although the better players have a noticable edge and will undoubtedly win in the long
run, the outcome of a single rubber depends heavily on which side is dealt the better cards. The idea of
duplicate bridge is to eliminate this element of luck, by having the same hands played more than once,
by different sets of players.
Suppose we are partners and play a hand of duplicate bridge as North-South. Instead of being rewarded
for our absolute score on that hand, our score is compared with those of other players who played the
same deal as North-South against other opponents. We win if we score better than other players managed
with our cards, and lose if we score worse.
Boards
An almost essential piece of apparatus for playing duplicate bridge is a set of duplicate boards, and a
pack of cards for each board. Each board contains four pockets marked North, East, South and West in
which the cards for the four players are stored. Each board also carries a number to identify it, and has
marks showing which of the players is dealer and whether each team is vulnerable or not. The usual
marking of the boards is as follows:
Board 1: dealer North; neither side vulnerable
Board 2: dealer East; North-South vulnerable
Board 3: dealer South; East-West vulnerable
Board 4: dealer West; both sides vulnerable
Board 5: dealer North; North-South vulnerable
Board 6: dealer East; East-West vulnerable
Board 7: dealer South; both sides vulnerable
Board 8: dealer West; neither side vulnerable

Board 9: dealer North; East-West vulnerable

Board 10: dealer East; both sides vulnerable
Board 11: dealer South; neither side vulnerable
Board 12: dealer West; North-South vulnerable
Board 13: dealer North; both sides vulnerable
Board 14: dealer East; neither side vulnerable
Board 15: dealer South; North-South vulnerable
Board 16: dealer West; East-West vulnerable
Before the boards are played the cards are shuffled, dealt and placed in the pockets, by a neutral person
or by a player in the presence at least one opponent. Alternatively the cards may be dealt by computer,
with the aim of ensuring perfect randomness. Generally, the computer produces printed slips (curtain
cards) which specify which cards should be in each hand on each board; a neutral person then has to
construct the hands according to the curtain cards and put them in the pockets. It is also possible for the
playing cards to be physically sorted and placed in the boards by a machine controlled by the computer.
When about to play a board, the players take their cards from the appropriate pockets, check to see that
they have 13 each, and then bid as usual. The mark on the board showing the 'dealer' in practice just
indicates which player is to begin the bidding. During the play, the cards are not played in the centre of
the table but in front of the players. At the end of each trick, all four players turn their played card face
down. It is customary to overlap the played cards, with the longer axis of the card pointing to the winners
of the trick (i.e. the cards belonging to tricks you have won are placed upright from your point of view,
and the ones belonging to lost tricks sideways). That way you can easily see how many tricks you have
won. Also, if the cards are kept in order, any dispute about revokes can be settled by reconstructing the
play. At the end of the play, each player's cards are replaced in the correct pocket, ready for the next time
the board is to be played.
Scoring
Because duplicate bridge depends on comparing the results on individual boards, it is necessary that each
group of players who play a board should start from the same position. Therefore it is not practicable to
play rubbers, in which scores are carried forward from deal to deal and affect the tactical situation.
Instead, each board is scored in its own right, and does not affect the scores for subsequent boards.
The concept of vulnerability is however retained. Each board is marked to show whether both sides, one
side or neither side is vulnerable for that board. You still need to score at least 100 points for tricks bid
and made to make a game, but on each board, both sides start with zero points towards games - there are
no 'part scores' carried forward.
In place of the rubber bonus, there are game and part score bonuses:
Making a game when vulnerable: 500 points
Making a game when not vulnerable: 300 points
Making a part score any time: 50 points
The rest of the scores are the same as in rubber bridge. So for example:
if we bid 2 spades and make 4 (10 tricks) we score 170, that is 60 for two spades bid and made, 60

for two overtricks and 50 for the part score;

if we bid 4 spades and make it when we are not vulnerable we score 420 (120 for the contract and
300 for the game);
if we bid 4 spades and make it when we are vulnerable we score 620 (120 for the contract plus 500
for the game).
These scores are of course not yet the final scores. They have yet to be compared with the scores
achieved by other people who have played the same cards as us on this board. The method of doing this
comparison varies according to what kind of duplicate is being played. Perhaps the commonest types are
teams of four with international match point (imp) scoring, and match pointed pairs.
Teams of Four
A match can be played between two teams of four - eight players in all. Each team consists of two
partnerships, and you need two tables - preferably in separate rooms so that players cannot overhear
events at the other table. Before starting the players agree how many boards will be played - this could be
24, 32, 48 or more, depending on the seriousness of the match and the time available. A 24 board match
should easily be completed within three hours.
Call the tables 1 and 2 and the teams A and B. Then the pairs of team A sit North-South at table 1 and
East-West at table 2, and the pairs of team B occupy the other seats. Take a convenient number of boards
- say boards 1 to 12 - and give the first 6 to table 1 and the other 6 to table 2. As each table finishes their
6 boards they pass them to the other table to be replayed. When all 12 boards have been played at both
tables, it is a convenient time to have a break and compare scores.
It may be agreed that for the next session, the two pairs of one one of the teams should swap places. This
gives each pair the opportunity to play against both pairs of the opposing team. The procedure about the
number of sessions in a match and the choice of seats for each session may be laid down by the organiser
of the event - otherwise it needs to be agreed between the team captains.
Each player should have a scorecard to record the score on each board. The card has a row for each
board. The beginning of North's card from table 1, when completed, might look like this:
Board Final Score IMPs
Deal # Vul Contract By Tricks Plus Minus Plus Minus
N 1 - 4S S 10 420
E 2 NS 5D* W 8 500
S 3 EW 3NT W 12 690
W 4 All 2H N 9 140
In the contract column 5D* means 5 diamonds doubled. The 'By' column shows who was declarer. The
score is recorded from North's point of view - so when West goes down in 5 diamonds it is positive. The
IMPs can only be filled in when this card is compared with one of the cards from the other room.
Suppose that our team mate East on table 2 has a card like this:
Board Final Score IMPs
Deal # Vul Contract By Tricks Plus Minus Plus Minus

N 1 - 4S S 11 450
E 2 NS 4H N 10 620
S 3 EW 6NT W 12 1440
W 4 All 4H N 9 100
Now the differences can be converted to IMPs for the team. The following standard table is used:
Point difference IMPs
0 - 10 0
20 - 40 1
50 - 80 2
90 - 120 3
130 - 160 4
170 - 210 5
220 - 260 6
270 - 310 7
320 - 360 8
370 - 420 9
430 - 490 10
500 - 590 11
600 - 740 12
750 - 890 13
900 - 1090 14
1100 - 1290 15
1300 - 1490 16
1500 - 1740 17
1750 - 1990 18
2000 - 2240 19
2250 - 2490 20
2500 - 2990 21
3000 - 3490 22
3500 - 3990 23
4000 or more 24
So in the example, on the first board the difference between the two tables was 30 against us, and we lose
1 IMP. On the second board we lose 3 IMPs. Although on table 1 we defeated West's 5 diamonds, on
table 2 with the same cards we allowed North to play and make 4 hearts. On board 3, where we bid the
small slam on table 2, while they stopped in game on table 1, we gain 13 IMPs for a 750 point difference.
On board 4 both Norths made 9 tricks in hearts, but we gain 6 IMPs because we just bid 2 hearts rather
than 4. Overall we are 15 IMPs up on those four boards.
After each scoring interval, the captains of the teams should check that the scores agree. The purpose of
every player keeping score is to make it easier for errors to be traced and corrected.
At the end of the match, the result is the difference in IMPs between the teams. Sometimes there is then a
further conversion of this margin into a match result, in which some fixed number of victory points is
apportioned between the teams. There is no standard conversion table, but here is an example table for a
24 board match:

IMP difference Victory Points
0 - 2 10 - 10
3 - 6 11 - 9
7 - 11 12 - 8
12 - 16 13 - 7
17 - 21 14 - 6
22 - 27 15 - 5
28 - 33 16 - 4
34 - 39 17 - 3
40 - 46 18 - 2
47 - 54 19 - 1
55 or more 20 - 0
In the example, if we were still 13 IMPs ahead having played 24 boards, using this table we would win
the match 13-7. If the match was part of some larger competition, such as a league, then we would score
13 victory points and our opponents would score 7.
There are also events in which many teams of four compete. There are various ways of organising these.
At any particular time in such an event you will be playing a part of a match against some other team,
and at some time your team-mates will play other cards of the same boards against the other half of that
same team. The scores are eventually compared to find how many IMPs you won or lost against that
team.
Pairs
This is the game most usually played in Bridge clubs, and there are also many tournaments organised this
way. As implied by the name, it is played between a number of fixed partnerships or pairs. For a pairs
event you need a minimum of three tables (6 pairs, 12 players), and it works better with more players -
say 10 tables (40 players) or more.
Generally you play two or three boards at a table - this is called a round - and then one or both pairs
move to another table and play other boards against other opponents. The movement will be organised by
the director in such a way that no one ever plays boards they have played before, or against opponents
they have played before.
The score for each hand is recorded to a travelling scoresheet, which is kept in the board. None of the
players may look at this sheet or take it out of the board before the board has been played. North is then
responsible for entering the result and showing the completed sheet to East-West to check that it has been
done correctly. Each pair has a number to identify them, and this must also be entered on the scoresheet,
to show whose result it is. North is also responsible for the movement of the boards - checking at the start
of the round that the correct boards are being played and passing them on at the end of the round.
At the end of the whole session, each scoresheet will contain the results of all the pairs who have played
that board. The scoresheets are then collected by the organisers and the scores compared. Each pair is
awarded 2 match points for each pair who scored worse than them on that board, and 1 match point for
each pair who scored equally.

A completed score sheet might look like this:

Board No. 1
Pair No. North-South Match points
NS EW Contract By Tricks Plus Minus NS EW
1 8 4S N 10 420 5 7
2 13 3NT S 10 430 8 4
3 11 5C* E 8 500 12 0
4 9 4S N 10 420 5 7
5 14 4S N 11 450 10 2
6 12 5S N 10 50 0 12
7 10 3S N 10 170 2 10
Then the total match points scored by each pair over all the boards are calculated. This is generally
converted to a percentage for each pair of the points they scored compared to the theoretical maximum.
This gives a fair comparison between pairs who have played different numbers of boards. The winners
are the pair with the highest percentage. There may be prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.
Sometimes the movement is such that the North South pairs stay put and the East-West pairs remain East
West throughout. In this case the results for the East-West pairs and the North-South pairs are separate,
and there are two winning pairs. To enable all the pairs to be placed in a single ranking order, the last
round is sometimes played with an arrow switch. This means that the players who were previously
North-South play the East-West cards for that round and vice versa.
Duplicate bridge procedure and ethics

During a duplicate event, where play will be in progress at several tables at the same time, it is important
that players to not see, overhear or otherwise take an interest in the play at the other tables. Any attempt
to do so would be cheating, as it might give unauthorised information about the distribution of cards or
the result of a board which the player would later be playing. For similar reasons, partners should not
discuss the boards they have played in the hearing of other players until the end of the event (or a suitable
break at a time when everyone has played the same boards).
In some places devices are used to enable the bidding to proceed silently, reducing the chance of hearing
bids from another table. The best arrangement is for each player to have a bidding box, which is a box
containing cards displaying all the possible bids, pass, double and redouble. At your turn to bid you
display the relevant card. All the cards used for bids remain on view until the end of the auction, thus
also avoiding the problem of players forgetting or mishearing part of the bidding. A cheaper but less
satisfactory method is to use a large card with a compartment for each possible bid; at your turn you
point to the bid you wish to make.
In an event of any size, there will be a tournament director whose job is to ensure that the play flows
smoothly. This person will deal with any infringements of the rules that occur, referring when necessary
to the laws. If some irregularity occurs, such as a bid out or play out of turn, an illegal bid or play, or
discovering that the cards have been wrongly boarded (the hands contain more or fewer than 13 cards),
the director should be called to the table. This should not be construed as an accusation of cheating - the
purpose of calling the director is simply to ensure that the irregularity is sorted out fairly and in
accordance with the rules. The instructions and decisions of the director should be followed and

respected at all times. In a serious tournament, if you strongly disagree with the director's ruling, it
should be possible to appeal against the director's decision. The procedure for this varies according to the
nature of the event - the director should be able to advise you on the options.
Stop and alert

In tournament bridge, if you make a bid at a level higher than necessary in that denomination (a "jump"
bid), you are supposed to precede your bid by saying "stop" (or displaying your "stop" card if you are
using bidding boxes). The next player must then pause before bidding or passing. The reason behind this
is that after a jump bid the next player may have reason to hesitate, as your unexpectedly high bid might
have disrupted the course of action which that player was planning. The player is forced by the stop rule
to hesitate anyway, so avoiding giving unauthorised information. Example:
North bids "one heart"
East bids "stop; four spades"
South pauses and then passes
As South was forced to pause, North gets no clue as to whether South would have bid if it were not for
East's interruption.
When a player makes an artificial bid, the partner of the bidder alerts the opponents to the fact that the
bid is artificial, by saying "alert", displaying the "alert" card if using bidding boxes, or knocking the
table. The rules as to which bids are regarded as artificial and need to be alerted vary somewhat from
place to place.
Unauthorised information
This is information which you obtain as a result of some irregularity in the game, rather than as a
legitimate deduction from the bidding and play. Unauthorised information might arise from:
hesitation or undue haste in bidding or playing a card
seeing another player's cards
extraneous remarks made during the game; questions about the bidding or play; also gestures, tone
of voice, etc.
seeing or overhearing events at another table
The principle is that you are allowed to take advantage of anything done by your opponents at your table,
but you are obliged to ignore any unauthorised information gained from your partner's actions or other
tables.
In fact if you do obtain unauthorised information from your partner, you should not only ignore it but be
prepared to prove that you have done so. This means that if you are involved in any kind of close
decision you ought to take the action opposite to the one indicated by the information from your partner.
For example if during the bidding your partner passes after a hesitation, you must pass too unless you
have a cast iron case for bidding, otherwise you might be accused of making use of the unauthorised
information that your partner nearly had a bid.
In bridge it is illegal to behave deliberately in such a way as to try to give spurious information to the

opponents. For example if you have only one card of a suit that is led, it is illegal to hesitate before
playing it, creating the impression that you had more than one card to choose from. On the other hand
there is no ban on making deceptive bids and plays to confuse the opponents - as long as these are not
part of an undisclosed partnership agreement. You are free for example to play a card different from what
might be expected from your holding, as long as you do it smoothly and without comment. Similarly you
are free to make a bid which is inconsistent with your system to upset the opposition, provided that this is
as much of a surprise to your partner as it is to the opponents.
Chicago
There are several versions of this game, also known in the official rules as Four-Deal Bridge. As this
name suggests it is a game for four players which is complete in four deals, unlike Rubber Bridge, where
the length of a rubber is indefinite. This greater predictability has made it popular in some American
clubs where Rubber was formerly played.
The vulnerability varies from hand to hand in a fixed pattern as follows:
Hand 1: Dealer North; neither side vulnerable
Hand 2: Dealer East; North-South vulnerable
Hand 3: Dealer South; East-West vulnerable
Hand 4: Dealer West; both sides vulnerable
The game bonus is 500 when vulnerable, 300 when not vulnerable. If a team makes a part score this is
carried forward to subsequent deals until one side makes a game. A team which has an outstanding
part-score at the end of the fourth deal scores a bonus of 100.
Note: the original version of Chicago had the vulnerability reversed in hands 2 and 3, so that the dealing
side was vulnerable. The more modern scheme, which has the non-dealing side vulnerable as shown
above, tends to lead to more competitive bidding.
Chicago with Duplicate Scoring

Chicago is sometimes played using duplicate scoring. There is no accumulation of part scores or games
from deal to deal - each deal is scored separately, and a team making a part score gets an immediate
bonus of 50 as in duplicate. The sequence of vulnerability is fixed as in the standard version.
A multiple of four hands can be played, repeating the sequence of vulnerabilities as often as necessary.
The result is simply the total score over the deals played.
Chicago with Russian Scoring

The following method of scoring Chicago originated in Russia. It eliminates some of the luck of the deal
by introducing an element of IMPs scoring.
On each deal, there is a target score which depends on the number of high card points held. The cards are
played in front of the players, as in duplicate. At the end of the play, the high card points held by each
side are counted, according to the following scale:

each ace: 4 points

each king: 3 points
each queen: 2 points
each jack: 1 point
There are 40 points in all. The team which held more high card points finds its target score, which
depends on whether they were vulnerable or not, from the following table:
High Card Target
Points Not Vul. Vulnerable
20 0 0
21 50 50
22 70 70
23 110 110
24 200 290
25 300 440
26 350 520
27 400 600
28 430 630
29 460 660
30 490 690
31 600 900
32 700 1050
33 900 1350
34 1000 1500
35 1100 1650
36 1200 1800
37 1300 1950
38 1300 1950
39 1300 1950
40 1300 1950
The difference between the target score from the above table and the actual score is then converted to
IMPs, using the standard IMP table. The total IMP scores over a series of hands are totaled to give an
overall result.
For example, suppose we are East-West, and on the second deal of a Chicago we bid three hearts and
make 10 tricks. We then count our high card points and discover that between us we had 24. We were
vulnerable, so our target score from the table was 290. We actually scored 170 (90 for the contract plus
30 for the overtrick plus 50 for the part score). So we are 120 points short of our target. Therefore using
the IMP table, our score for this hand is minus 3 IMPs.
Bridge resources on the Internet

Other pages with rules and advice

Bridge is one of the few card games with official rules. Here is a link to The Laws of Bridge.
There is much useful information in the Internet Bridge Archive, which contains the FAQ for the
newsgroup rec.games.bridge.
The Bridge World home page has some good introductory material for beginners, as well as problems, a
book list, samples from their magazine, and links to other sites.
For an introduction to bidding, Chris Hasney's book on The Basic American Bidding System is available
to read on-line.
Here is the web site of the British magazine Bridge Plus.
The Bridge Today University provides Bridge lessons by e-mail.
The Bridge Trix site includes a regular Bridge column by Bobby Wolf, and details of his series of Bridge
Mentor CDs.
Warren's Free Bridge Workshop offers instruction based on "Standard-American Goren Party Bridge"
techniques.
The BridgePassion.Com site offers a course of Bridge lessons, plus links.
Sites for playing Bridge online
OKBridge
Bridge Player Live
Game Zone
Floater
Yahoo! Games
PlaySite
Games Square (Acol players especially welcome)
Winbridge
Excite Games
www.won.net
Pogo
Playlink
Latin Bridge - the first Spanish language on-line Bridge club

Bridge software
Bridge Baron - three-time winner of the world computer bridge championship; choice of bidding systems
and conventions; choice of random (recreatable) deals, deals to specified profile or preset deals; online
option in Windows version.
Lee Edwards' Convention Card Editor for Windows is a free program that allows you to enter
information and print out your convention card in the correct format for your country (over 30 different
formats supported).
Rodney A. Ludwig's Meadowlark Software: Home Page
MVP Card Games have a shareware Bridge program
Garry McKay has written a Bridge computer program for Windows. It is available from Garry McKay's
home page and from his Bridge Page.
Other WWW pages with useful Bridge links

The American Contract Bridge League has a links page and a library page.
Jude Goodwin-Hanson maintains a page of Great Bridge Links
Rodney A. Ludwig's Bridge Odyssey
ECats Bridge
Bridge Equipment Suppliers and other Bridge related pages

The Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies site has an on-line catalog of their equipment and links to other
Bridge pages.
At the Grand Slam bridge site you can order cards and various other equipment, and there is a discussion
forum for Bridge players.
Finesse Bridge breaks is a UK based company which organises Bridge holidays.
Martin Holcombe runs Bridge Holidays at S'Algar in Menorca.
The Australian Youth Bridge page gives details of forthcoming events and results.


Rules of Card Games: Brisca
Brisca
Brisca is a popular Spanish game, very similar to the Italian game Briscola.
Rules of Brisca will eventually appear on this page. Meanwhile, you can read a description of Brisca on
Jos M. Carrillo-Muniz's page on Games with the Spanish Pack.

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Rules of Card Games: Briscola
Briscola
This page is based on a contribution from Paolo Marino who runs the Italian Game Reference site.
Introduction
Rank and Value of Cards
Two-player Briscola
Four-player Briscola
Six-player Briscola
Three-player Briscola
Five-player Briscola
Other Briscola WWW Sites
Introduction
Briscola is a trick taking game - that is, the object of the game is to take cards which gives you (or your
team) a high score. It is played with a 40 card deck. It is often played with Italian cards, which have suits
of coins, cups, batons and swords, but you may play using a standard card deck, just by removing the
Jokers, eights, nines and tens.
Briscola may be played with two, three, four or six players. There is a special version for five players,
which is strongly recommended.
Rank and value of cards

In order to define which card wins a particular trick, we must first define a card ranking, given from
highest to lowest:
ace, three, king, queen, jack, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2.
Also, the cards have a point value:
ace: 11 points
three: 10 points
King: 4 points
Queen: 3 points
Jack: 2 points
The remaining cards have no point value.
As you see, the total value of cards in the deck adds up to 120 points. The player (or team) which scores
at least 61 points in a game wins. Games can end in a draw when both reach the same point total (60),
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and usually Briscola is played to the best of three or five games.
Two player Briscola

This is the easiest version of the game, and will serve as a basis for the multiplayer versions.
One of the two players shuffles the deck and deals three cards to each player. He then takes a card (the
seventh, in this case) and puts it face up near the pile of undealt cards, which are placed face down. The
face-up card suit defines which will be the Briscola suit for the game. The Briscola suit is the trump suit,
i.e. the suit which always takes all other cards, card ranking notwithstanding.
The game starts. The first to play is the player to the right of the dealer. In the two player version, this
means that the non-dealer (A) will start.
A leads one of his three cards, face up.
B plays one of his cards, and wins or loses the trick according to these three simple rules:
1. If B plays a card of the same suit as the card led by A, then the trick is won by whoever played the
higher card - the winner takes both cards away, and puts them, face down, in a pile near him.
2. If B plays a card which has a different suit from the card which A led, but neither card is a Briscola
(trump), A wins the trick, and the cards will go to A, even if B's card was of higher rank.
3. If B plays a card of a different suit from A's, and one of the cards is a Briscola (trump), then the
player of the Briscola wins the trick.
Example (Briscola is the four of spades):
Player A leads the 5 of clubs.
Player B plays the ace of clubs. B takes the trick (Rule 1).
Player A leads the 5 of hearts.
Player B plays the King of clubs. Player A takes the trick (Rule 2)
Player A leads the ace of diamonds.
Player B plays 6 of spades (briscola). He wins the round (Rule 3).
Note that Briscola is unlike many card games, in that there is no obligation for the second player to play
a card of the same suit as the first card or to trump it, just because he can. The second player is free to
play any of his cards.
Note that if both players play a briscola, rule 1 dictates that the higher ranking card wins.
After each trick, each player draws a card from the pile of undealt cards, and the game goes on. The
player who won the trick will lead to the next one.
Eventually the undealt cards will be used up, and one of the two players will have to draw the face up
Briscola card. The game then continues, without drawing cards, until all the cards have been played.
At the end, each player takes the pile of cards he won in tricks during the game, and counts up the points
according to the point scale shown above. The player with more points wins, or if each has 60, it is a

draw.
Variation
Some people play that if the turned-up card, the one that indicates the trump suit, is an ace or a three (the
two strongest cards), the card is put back in the middle of the deck and another card is turned up.
Four player Briscola

The game remains more or less the same, but the two pairs of players sit face to face, and each pair plays
as a team, like in Bridge. Playing proceeds counter-clockwise.
When playing the 4 or 6 players versions, players should avoid talking about the cards they have in hand.
However, some players use a system of signalling, using facial expressions to indicate what cards they
have.
The player to the right of the dealer leads first. The other players may play ANY card (there is no
requirement to follow suit). If no one plays a Briscola the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
If one or more players plays a Briscola, the highest Briscola wins.
Each player in turn, starting with the winner of the trick, then draws a card from the undealt pile. The
winner of the trick then leads to the next one.
When the undealt cards are used up, the next player draws the Briscola card, and the game continues
without drawing until all the cards have been played.
Example:
The players are A, B, C, D, placed around a table like this:
A
-----
D | | B
-----
C
A and C play together against B and D. A deals the cards. Briscola (the thirteenth card) comes up as a
three of hearts.
D, who sits counter-clockwise from A, plays first, and leads the 4 of spades.
C plays the Jack of spades.
B plays the two of hearts.
If A does not play a higher Briscola, all four the cards will go to the D & B team.
A thinks that for this meagre booty (the Jack is only two points, after all) it is not worth using a
Briscola, or perhaps he does not have one; anyway, he plays the 5 of clubs.
The trick is taken by the B & D team.
B leads to the next trick.

Signals
One system of signals in use to indicate high Briscola cards is as follows:
Ace stretch the lips over the teeth
Three distort the mouth to one side
King glance upwards
Queen/Knight show the tip of the tongue
Jack shrug one shoulder
Six player Briscola

This works in the same way as the four player version. The two teams are made up of three players each:
A B C
-----------
| |
-----------
D E F
A, C and E play against D, B, F. The deck is reduced to 36 cards by taking away the two's.
Three player Briscola

It's played the same as the two player version, and the deck is reduced to 39 cards by taking away a 2. All
three players try to gain the highest number of points.
Briscola Bastarda [Five player variant]

Briscola Bastarda (Bastard Briscola) is probably the most enjoyable version of this game. The base
mechanics remain the same, i.e. object of the game remains to gain the highest number of points, a
briscola suit exists and so on, but there are two important twists to the basic game.
The deal
All the 40 cards are distributed among the players. Each receives eight cards, so no cards remain on the
table, and everyone sees from the start all the cards in his/her hand.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the right of the dealer, everyone in turn "declares" how many points he will
probably score in the game, based on the cards he has in hand. Each bid must be higher than the previous
one; a player who does not wish to bid higher can pass. A player who has passed cannot bid again during
the auction. The bidding continues, for several rounds if necessary, until all the players except one have
passed.

The highest bidder then "calls" the Briscola, i.e. decides which card will act as Briscola for the game. He
declares which is the selected card to the other players. (Ace of clubs, for example). The called card
identifies the briscola suit, but serves also to define which of the remaining players will team up with the
first one: the three remaining players form a team which is opposed to the caller/holder pair.
The problem is that no-one, except the holder, knows which one of the players will team up with the
caller.
Play
The actual play is the same as in a "traditional" Briscola game. The play continues until all cards have
been played.
The holder should avoid revealing his identity until the time comes to play the called card. The other
players should try to deduce which player is playing with the caller, and adjust their strategy accordingly.
Scoring
At the end of the game, points gained by the caller and by the holder are counted together.
If the total is equal to or more than what the caller declared before the game, he gets 2 points, the holder
takes 1 points, and the three other players get -1 (negative) point each. If the total is less than the declared
amount, the three players get 1 points each, while the caller loses 2 points and the holder 1 point.
At the start of the game, the players should agree how many points they will play to - usually 10-15
points. Further games are played until someone wins by reaching this total.
Additional Notes
The caller can, if he has an exceptionally good hand, call for a card he has in its own hand. This will gain
(or lose) him 4 points, while his opponents still gain/lose 1 point each.
The game is extremely funny: players need to decide whose side the others are on, mainly by observing
the cards played during a round (it's forbidden to talk about the cards in one's own hand, as usual). The
holder should walk a thin line between gaining points for himself and his partner, while avoiding being
discovered too soon.
Variation
Some people play a different method of bidding. Players state the rank of the Briscola they wish to call
(e.g. ace, three, king, ...), the objective being always to win at least 61 points. Each player in turn must
pass or bid a lower rank than the previous bidder. So the bidding is won by whoever is prepared to call
the lowest card. If someone bids "two", the bidding can continue by other players offering to call a two
and win more than 61 points, and then the player who was prepared to call a two and win most points
would win the bidding.

Other Briscola WWW sites and software

The InGame site also offers information about Briscola, including an on-line game.
The freeware and PRO versions of Gianfranco Marzano's Briscola computer program are available from
his Home Page dei giochi di carte italiani.
Don Neeper's freeware four-player Briscola game can be downloaded from

http://www.crocker.com/~dneeper/briscola.zip. The author writes: "There are only two files in the .zip
file, briscola.exe and briscola.hlp so there really aren't any installation instructions."
You can download Luca Belgiovane's free Briscola progam for Windows 95.


Rules of Card Games: Brus
Brus
Translated November 1992 by Anthony Smith from the Swedish in Kartofilen 3/92, p23. Revised
February 1993 after correspondence with Ali Jerremalm. Edited by John McLeod.
Brus is unlike other card games in that the players play with unplayable cards! It is played on the
Swedish island of Gotland.
A 36 card pack is used, obtained from the ordinary 52 card pack by removing the ranks 2 - 5, but in Brus
the cards are given a new ordering and in some cases new names.
18 cards are called playable cards, ranking from highest to lowest:
(Spit), (Dull), (Brus), , , ,
, , , , , , ,
, , , , .
The sevens act as trick cards when led but are not called playable cards. There is no order of ranking
among the sevens. Sevens can neither beat other cards, nor can they be beaten.
The other 14 cards in the pack (three 8s, four 10s, four queens and three kings) are unplayable cards and
are unusable, except that the king of clubs is the outcome card, possession of which decides
some games which would otherwise be drawn.
Brus is a partnership game for either two teams of two with partners sitting opposite, or two teams of
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Rules of Card Games: Brus
three with partners alternating.

The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's right cuts. In the four-handed game each player is dealt 9
cards; in the six player game each player is dealt 6.
Forehand leads first and play then proceeds clockwise. First if forehand has any sevens he lays them on
the table. As sevens cannot be beaten, each seven led counts as a trick. Forehand then leads a playable
card. Each of the other players in turn must play a higher card if they can. A player who cannot beat the
previous card played does not discard but passes (i.e. does not play a card to that trick). When every
player has had a chance to play, whoever played the highest card wins the trick. The winner of the trick
leads to the next trick, by first playing any sevens he has and claiming them as tricks and then leading a
playable card. If a player on lead has no sevens or playable cards left, the turn to lead passes on to the
next player in rotation. Notice that because not every player plays to every trick the total number of tricks
played may be greater than the number of cards dealt to each player at the start.
Play continues until one team has six tricks, which wins them one point, unless they took the first six
tricks in a row in which case they win two points for Jan. If all the playable cards are exhausted and
neither team has taken six tricks then a team with five tricks and the outcome card (king of clubs) can
count it as their sixth trick and win. Note that since the outcome card is an unplayable card it cannot
change hands and remains in the possession of the player who was dealt it. If the game cannot be decided
even in this way then there is no score and the same dealer deals again.
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Rules of Card Games: Buck Euchre
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Related Games (Euchre Group) |
Related Games (Rams Group)
Buck Euchre / Dirty Clubs

Introduction
Cards and Deal
Bidding and Dropping Out
The Play
Scoring
Dirty Clubs
Three Player Version
Variations
Introduction
Buck Euchre, also known as Cut-throat Euchre or Dirty Clubs, is a North American Euchre variation
in which everyone plays for themselves. As in games of the Rams group, there is a penalty for any
individual who wins no tricks. There seem to be several different versions of Buck Euchre. This page
first describes one for four players played in Ohio, USA, based on a contribution from Ed Eby, then the
game of Dirty Clubs, based on a contribution from Rik. Finally a three player version from Indiana is
explained, using information from Natty Bumppo's Columbus Book of Euchre. Clearly other
combinations of the rules given here are possible.
Since Ed Eby's and Rik's descriptions are unfortunately somewhat incomplete, I have made some
assumptions about the missing rules. These are in italics. I hope that someone will be able to confirm or
correct the details of these version.
Cards and Deal

There are four players, each playing for themselves. A a 24 card deck is used, consisting of
A-K-Q-J-10-9 in each of the four standard suits. As in Euchre, the trump suit ranks differently from the
others. The top trump is the jack of the trump suit (right bower), second is the other jack of the same
colour (left bower), and then follow the other cards of the trump suit: ace, king, queen, ten, nine. The
other suits rank normally from high to low: A-K-Q-(J)-10-9. If there are no trumps, all suits rank from
high to low A-K-Q-J-10-9.
The first dealer is chosen at random, and thereafter the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand. The
dealer deals a hand of five card face-down to each player, dealing the cards two or three at a time, in two
rounds. The next card card is turned to indicate the proposed trump suit.
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Bidding and Dropping Out

If the turned up card is a club, then clubs are automatically trump. There is no bidding or dropping out
and everyone must take at least one trick to avoid penalty.
If the turned up card is not a club, the trump is determined as in Euchre. Starting with the player to the
left of the dealer, each player has an opportunity to order up the turned card, confirming that suit as
trumps. If it is ordered up the dealer takes it and discards a card face-down. If the first three pass, the
dealer can take the turned up card, confirming its suit as trumps, or turn it down. If the dealer turns it
down then each player in turn has the chance to name a trump suit different from that of the turned card.
As soon as a player orders up the trump, or the dealer takes the trump, or a player names a trump suit,
that player (the trump maker) is committed to try to win at least three tricks. Now each of the other
players in turn, starting with the player to the trump maker's left, must say whether they will stay in or
drop out. Anyone who stays in must take at least one trick or suffer a penalty. If you drop out you avoid
the risk of a penalty for taking no tricks, but since you are not playing you have no opportunity to score
for tricks taken.
If the turned trump is not ordered up and not taken by the dealer, and no one names trump on the second
round of bidding, then the hand is played without trumps and there is no opportunity to drop out. Each
player must take at least one trick or suffer a penalty.
The Play
The player to dealer's left leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can. A player who has
no card of the suit led may play any card. When there are trumps, the left bower (the other jack of the
same colour as trumps) counts for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. A trick is won by the best
trump in it, or if no trumps are played, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to
the next.
Scoring
Everyone starts with 25 points and the first player to reach or pass zero wins. At the end of the play, each
player subtracts one point for each trick that they win, except that:
if you make trumps and are set (euchred), failing to win at least three tricks, you cannot subtract
anything for the tricks you take but instead you must add five points to your score;
if you stay in (not having made trumps) and take no tricks you must add five points to your score.
Players who dropped out neither add not subtract any points.
If anyone manages to take all five tricks, they immediately win the entire game. If this does not happen,
more hands are played until someone reaches or passes zero. If two or more players get to or past zero on
the same hand the player who goes furthest below zero wins. If they have the same score, it is a tie.

Dirty Clubs
This is similar to the Buck Euchre game described above except for the following.
Everyone starts with 20 points rather than 25.
If the turned card is not a club, there is a single round of bidding. Starting to the left of the dealer, each
player bids the number of tricks they would be prepared to win if allowed to name trumps. The minimum
bid is one, and each player in turn must either bid higher than the highest bid so far or pass. After the
bidding, the high bidder names trumps or specifies that there will be no trumps, and is allowed to take the
turned up card and discard one card from hand face down. The bidder can exchange the up-card even if it
is not a trump, and clubs can be called trump even if they are not turned up.
Starting to the left of the bidder, each of the other players chooses to stay in or drop out, and then the
play and scoring proceed as in Buck Euchre described above.
It is possible to play Dirty Clubs with more than four people by adding extra low cards to the pack -
eights, sevens and so on, as needed.
Three Player Buck Euchre

In the three player Columbus version of Buck Euchre, four hands are still dealt, but no card is turned up.
Three of the hands belong to the players and the fourth is a spare hand, called the widow. Each player in
turn, having looked at their own hand, has an opportunity to exchange it for the face-down widow, if no
one else has already done so. The player to dealer's right has the first opportunity to exchange, then the
dealer, and finally the player to dealer's left.
The bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer and goes round the table clockwise as many
times as necessary. A bid is the number of tricks the player offers to win if allowed to choose trumps, but
no suit is mentioned as part of the bid. The lowest possible bid is "one". It is legal to bid more than five
as a sacrifice. Each number bid must be higher than the previous one. If you do not wish to bid higher
you can pass, and this does not prevent you from bidding in future if the turn comes around to you again.
When two players in succession have passed, the third player (the highest bidder) names the trump suit or
announces that there are no trumps. Then each of the other players in turn announces whether they will
play or drop out.
Each player starts with just 15 points. The scoring is the same as in the other versions: you subtract a
point for each trick that you win, except that a bidder who fails to win at least the number of tricks bid,
and any other player who stays in and takes no tricks, must add five points. In this version, winning five
tricks just allows you to subtract five points, not win the whole game.
The aim is to reach or pass zero. A player whose score is five points or less is not allowed to drop out,
but must play every hand. If two or even all three players get to zero in the same hand, the winner is the
one whose score is most negative.



Rules of Card Games: Bullshit / Cheat / I Doubt It
Bullshit / Cheat / I Doubt It

This page is based on a contribution from Mike Stabosz
This game is generally called Cheat in Britain and Bullshit in the USA. In many books it appears as I
Doubt It. The game can be played by from 2 to 10 players.
One standard pack of 52 cards is used. All the cards are dealt out to the players; some may have more
than others, but not by much. The object is to get rid of all your cards. Select at random who should go
first and continue clockwise.
On the table is a discard pile, which starts empty. A turn consists of discarding one or more cards face
down on the pile, and calling out their rank. The first player must discard aces, the second player discards
two, the next player threes, and so on. After tens come Jacks, then Queens, then Kings, then back to
Aces, etc.
Since the cards are discarded face down, you do not in fact have to play the rank you are calling. For
example if it is your turn to discard sevens, you may actually discard any card or mixture of cards; in
particular, if you don't have any sevens you will be forced to play some other card or cards.
Any player who suspects that the card(s) discarded by a player do not match the rank called can
challenge the play by calling "Cheat!", "Bullshit!" or "I doubt it!" (depending on what you call the
game). Then the cards played by the challenged player are exposed and one of two things happens:
1. if they are all of the rank that was called, the challenge is false, and the challenger must pick up the
whole discard pile;
2. if any of the played cards is different from the called rank, the challenge is correct, and the person
who played the cards must pick up the whole discard pile.
After the challenge is resolved, play continues in normal rotation: the player to the left of the one who
was challenged plays and calls the next rank in sequence.
The first player to get rid of all their cards and survive win any challenge resulting from their final play
wins the game. If you play your last remaining card(s), but someone challenges you and the cards you
played are not what you called, you pick up the pile and play continues.
Variations
If there are a lot of players, you may use two or more packs shuffled together.
For some people the sequence of ranks which have to be played goes downward rather than upward,
beginning A, K, Q, J, 10, ...
Some people play that you can (claim to) play either the next rank above or the next rank below the rank
announced by the previous player. For instance if the player before you played some cards an said "two
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Rules of Card Games: Bullshit / Cheat / I Doubt It
tens", and you do not wish to challenge, you have a choice of playing jacks or nines.
Some play that you can try cheat by playing more cards than you claim to have played - for example say
three eights while playing three eights and a jack. This can be challenged in the usual way and you pick
up the discard pile if your play did not match your call.
Another description of this game can be found on Khopesh's Bullshit page.
Two closely related games are described on other pages:

Another version of I Doubt It!, in which players must all play (or claim to play) the same rank.
The Russian game Verish' ne Verish' ("trust - don't trust"), which is similar to the above.

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Rules of Card Games: Bura
Bura
This page is based on information from Alexey Lobashev.
Introduction
Players and Cards

Deal
Play
Ending the Play
Special Combinations
Note on Cheating
Variations
Kozel (Goat)
Introduction
The game of Bura is particularly characteristic of Russian prisoners and ex-prisoners. Bura is a rather
unusual point-trick game, in which it is possible to lead several cards at the same time provided that they
are of the same suit.
Players and Cards

Most often Bura is played by two people using a 36-card pack, but up to six players can take part. The
ranking from high to low and the point values of the cards in each suit are:
Card: ace ten king queen jack nine eight seven six
Value: 11 10 4 3 2 0 0 0 0
The main aim is to be the first player to take at least 31 points in tricks.
Deal
Everyone puts an equal stake into a pot, and the cards are dealt out singly until each player has three. The
next card is turned face up to show the trump suit, and the rest of the stock is placed crosswise face down
on top of it.
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Play
When there are two players, the non-dealer leads to the first trick. If more than two people play, play is
clockwise and it is usual for the player to the left of the dealer to lead to the first trick. A player may lead
a single card, or any two or three cards of the same suit together. The other players in turn must play the
same number of cards as were led. They can play any cards they wish - there is no requirement to follow
suit. A card can be beaten by a higher card of the same suit, and any non-trump card can be beaten by
any trump.
To beat a combination of two or three cards that were played together, you need to beat each of the cards
with a better card.
Example: diamonds are trumps; A leads the queen and 7 of spades; B plays the diamond 9 and the spade
jack, which beats A's lead. C holds the diamond king and 8 and the spade 9. In order to beat B's play, C
would need to play both of his trumps. Alternatively C could throw the diamond 8 and spade 9, keeping
the trump king for later, and leave B to win the trick.
Completed tricks are stored face down in front of the player who won them. After each trick the players
draw cards from the stock, one at a time in clockwise rotation, starting with the winner of the trick, until
everyone has three cards again. Then the winner of the trick leads to the next. If there are not enough
cards left in the stock to go around, the remaining stock cards are not used, and the players continue
playing from the cards in their hands without drawing.
Ending the play

The play continues until someone stops the game, claiming to have 31 or more points in their tricks.
Players are not allowed to look back at the tricks they have won to count the points taken - they must
remember what they have. After a claim, the claiming player's tricks are exposed and the card points are
counted. If the claim is true the winner takes the pot and the players contribute to a new pot for the next
hand. A player who claims wrongly, having taken 30 points or fewer, has to double the pot. Either way,
the next hand is dealt by the player who claimed. If no one has claimed by the time that all the cards have
been played, then there is no winner. The cards are thrown in, everyone adds another stake to the pot, and
the same dealer deals again.
Special Combinations
There are a few twists to the basic game. The first is that certain combinations allow you to take the lead
even if you did not win the previous trick. In descending order of priority, these are:
Bura - any three trumps.
Three aces.
Molodka (young lady) - three cards of the same suit (not trumps).
If two or more players announce the same type of combination at the start of the same trick, the lead
belongs to whichever of the players would normally have played earliest to the trick. A Bura wins the pot
and ends the play. If two or more players have Bura, the one whose turn to play to the next trick was

earliest leads his Bura and the holders of the other Buras play theirs in turn; whoever wins this trick wins
the pot.
Note on Cheating
If three or more people play Bura, there is scope for some of the players to collude by throwing each
other high cards. You should therefore be wary of playing Bura against more than one opponent, unless
you are playing with people whom you trust completely, or for stakes so small that you do not care about
losing.
Variations
Some people play that three aces also win the pot (if no one has a Bura). Other players do not recognise
the combinations of three aces or Molodka at all.
A popular variation is to play with closed cards. In this version, the lead to a trick is face up, and any
play which is used to beat the best combination in the trick so far is also face up as usual. All
non-winning cards and combinations must be played face down. It is also legal to play face down a card
or combination that might have won, but if played face down it loses its power and cannot win the trick.
No one, not even the winner of the trick, is allowed to see these face down cards until someone claims 31
points. This introduces an extra element of risk into the game - you do not know exactly what cards you
have won, but in order to claim 31 before your opponent you may sometimes need to take a chance on
having collected enough points.
Bura can also be played with a 32-card pack without the sixes.
According to one description the player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, dealer playing second to
the trick.
Kozel
There is also a rather rare variation called Kozel (goat). In this, there can be up to five players, and four
cards are dealt to each player. The only possible leads are a single card or three cards of the same suit. A
Bura of three trumps or a hand of 4 aces wins the pot. If neither of these happens, the hand is played out
to the end, the players replenishing their hands after each trick while the stock lasts. When all the cards
have been played the points in the players' tricks are counted and the player who has most points wins the
pot (in case of equality the pot is divided).


Rules of Card Games: Calabresella
Calabresella / Terziglio
This page has grown from a description provided by Michael Labranche
Calabresella (also known as Terziglio) is an Italian game for three players. (It can be played by four with
the dealer receiving no cards for the hand.) It is closely realted to the four player game Tressette. It is a
point-trick game with bidding, requiring a fair amount of skill. It is notable for the slightly unusual card
order (threes high) and the fact that there are never any trumps.
The Cards
A 40 card pack is used, usually with the Italian suits: swords, batons, cups and coins. In each suit the
cards rank as follows: 3 (highest), 2, A, King (Re), Knight (Cavall), Jack (Fante), 7, 6, 5, 4 (lowest). It is
also possible to play with French suited cards: from a 52 card pack you need to remove the 10s 9s and 8s,
and the cards rank 3 2 A K Q J 7 6 5 4.
The cards have point values and the object is to take tricks containing valuable cards. There is also a
score for winning the last trick. The values are as follows:
Each ace 1 whole point
Each 3, 2, re, cavall or fante 1/3 of a point
Winning the last trick 1 whole point
Deal
The deal and the play of the cards rotates counter-clockwise throughout the game. The dealer gives out
twelve cards to each player in packets of four. The left-over four cards go face-down in the center of the
table to form the monte.
Bidding
Starting with the player to dealer's right and proceeding counter-clockwise, each player has one chance to
bid. The highest bidder will play alone against the other two players in partnership and attempt to take
the majority of the points. There are three possible bids; from lowest to highest they are:
Chiamo: the bidder calls for a card from the opponents and can exchange some cards with the
monte;
Solo: the bidder can exchange cards with the monte but does not call a card;
Solissimo: the bidder neither calls a card nor exchanges cards.
Each player in turn may either pass or bid. Each bid must be higher than any preceding bid:
if someone has already bid Chiamo a subsequent player may only pass or bid Solo or Solissimo;
if someone has bid Solo a subsequent player may only pass or bid Solissimo;
after a bid of Solissimo, no further bids are possible.
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If all three players pass then the deal rotates and a new hand is dealt.
Exchanging Cards
Calling a Card
If the bid was Chiamo, the bidder calls for a card, naming its rank and suit. This will normally be a high
card which is missing from the bidder's hand, for example a three. If one of the opponents holds the
called card, that player passes it, face up, to the bidder.
Taking the Monte

If the bid was Chiamo or Solo, the bidder now turns the four cards of the monte face up for all to see.
They are then added to the bidder's hand, which now contains either 16 or 17 cards.
If the bid was Chiamo and the called card was obtained, the bidder now chooses one (unwanted) card and
gives it, face up, to the player who originally held the called card.
The bidder then discards any four cards face down to form a new monte. The value of these cards will
count for the winner of the last trick. All three players should now have 12 cards.
Solissimo
If the bid is Solissimo, the bidder is not allowed to use the monte. In a normal Solissimo, no one sees the
monte cards until they are won by the winner of the last trick at the end of the play.
However, the bidder of a Solissimo may choose to increase the stake for the game by saying dividete or
scegliete. The game then becomes a Solissimo aggravato.
Dividete means that the opponents each draw two cards from the monte, without having
previously looked at them and without showing them, and then each discard any two of their 14
cards face down.
Scegliete means that the opponents turn the monte face up and choose which cards they should
each take (they can be distributed in any way - not necessarily two each). Each opponent then
discards face down as many cards as they took, so that everyone has 12 cards.
The Play
The player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick, unless the bid was Solissimo, in which case the
bidder leads. Play to the trick is counter-clockwise and the player playing the highest card of the suit led
wins the trick and leads to the next trick. There are no trumps.

Scoring
After the tricks have all been played, the winner of the last trick claims the monte, and the bidder and
opponents total their points. To win the hand, the bidder must have a majority of the points, that is at
least 6 whole points. In this case the bidder receives an amount from each opponent depending on the
bid. If the bidder fails to take 6 points, the bidder must pay the same amount to each opponent. The
amounts won or lost for the different bids are as follows:
Bid Amount
Chiamo 1
Solo 2
Solissimo 4
Solissimo - dividete 8
Solissimo - sceliete 16
The following events affect the score:
Cappotto: if the bidder wins or loses all the tricks, the amount won or lost is doubled.
Stramazzo: if the bidder wins (or loses) all the points without winning (or losing) all the tricks -
that is, if the trick(s) won by the losing side contain less than one point (the point for the last trick
does not count in this case), the amount won or lost is multiplied by three.
Variations
There is a simplified variation of Calabresella which is found in several American card game books. I am
not sure whether this is a real game - it may just have arisen as an incomplete description of the Italian
game, which was then copied from book to book. I would be grateful for any information as to whether
the game is really played this way in the USA (or anywhere). The main differences are as follows:
The name of the game is given as Calabrasella (the 7th letter being 'a' rather than 'e').
The game is sometimes said to be played clockwise.
The deal is in packets of two, not four.
The player may either bid play or pass. Play is equivalent to chiamo in the Italian game. There is
no Solo or Solissimo, so the bidding ends when someone calls play.
Having received the called card from an opponent, the bidder immediately (before exchanging
with the monte) gives back one card face-down to that opponent.
Before seeing the monte (here called the widow), the bidder dicards up to four unwanted cards face
down. The bidder then exposes the widow for all to see and chooses an equal number of cards
from the widow to replace the discarded cards. The replacement cards are added to the bidder's
hand and the unchosen widow cards are added to the discards.
The bidder's left-hand opponent leads to the first trick, or in some versions the bidder's right-hand
opponent leads.
The values of the cards are all multiplied by 3 - so the aces and the last trick are worth 3, and the
threes, twos and pictures are worth 1. Obviously this does not affect the game.
The bidder needs at least 18 of the 35 available points to win. The amount won or lost is the

difference between the points won by the bidder and the total points won by the opponents. If the
bidder wins all the tricks, the bidder receives 70 from each opponent; and conversely, a bidder who
was unfortunate enough to lose all the tricks, would pay 70 to each opponent.

Rules of Card Games: Camicia
Camicia
This description was contributed by Stefano Cirolini.
Camicia is a of pure luck for two players. It is the Italian version of Beggar My Neighbour, and like that
game, it is a children's game. The American game Egyptian Ratscrew is also related.
The cards
An italian deck of 40 cards is used (you can use also a 52 cards deck - though I never did). Suits are
ignored. There are two types of cards: aces, two and threes are attack cards, the other are normal
(cannon-fodder) cards.
The play
All the cards are dealt to the two players, face down, so that they end up with a packet of 20 cards each.
The players then alternate to turn the top card of their packet face up and put it in a pile on the table. If
the card is 'normal', no action is taken and the play passes to the other player.
When an 'attack' card is played by one of the players, the other player has to play a number of cards
corresponding to the face value of the attack card, that is one card for an ace, two cards for a two, and
three cards for a three.
If all the cards played in response to an attack are normal, the attacking player takes the pile of played
cards and puts then face down to the bottom of their packet.
If one of the cards played in response to an attack is an attack card itself, the former attack is null, and the
new attack is processed.
When a player runs out of cards, that player loses the game.
Note
This game becomes a war of attrition, since as you win cards, your attack cards become more diluted in
your packet, and you become more vulnerable to attacks. Moreover, the attack cards that give you the
highest gain (the threes) are also the most vulnerable to counterattacks, while the aces, which can capture
only a card a time, are more secure.

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Rules of card games: Canasta
Canasta
Players and Cards
Object of the Game; Melds
The Deal
The Play
Drawing and Melding
Threes
Initial Meld
Frozen Discard Pile
Going Out
Scoring
End of the Game
Strategy
Variations and other Canasta WWW pages
Canasta Software
Players and cards

There are four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other.
Two 52 card standard packs plus 4 jokers are shuffled together to make a 108 card pack.
Object of the game; Melds

The aim is to score points for melds, which are sets of cards of equal rank (such as four kings, six fives,
etc.), which are placed face up on the table. The two players of a partnership keep their melds together,
and can add cards to each other's melds. You can never get rid of cards by adding them to an opponent's
meld. All jokers and twos are wild cards which can be used to subsititute for other cards in melds. Cards
which are not wild are called natural. To be valid, a meld of up to seven cards must contain at least two
natural cards and must not contain more than three wild cards.
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Threes cannot be melded in the usual way - they are used for special purposes. Jokers and twos can
only be used as substitutes - you cannot for example have a meld of five twos.
A meld of seven cards or more is called a canasta; this earns bonus points for the team that makes it. A
canasta is more valuable if all the cards in it are natural - a natural canasta is indicated by squaring up the
cards and placing a red cards on the top. A mixed canasta is one which includes wild cards, but it must
include at least four natural cards - it is stored with a black card on top, or with one of the wild cards in it
at right-angles.
Further cards of the same rank and wild cards can be added to a completed canasta. Once a meld has
more than seven cards there is no limit to the number of wild cards it can contain. Of course, if you add
wild cards to a natural canasta you thereby degrade it to a mixed canasta.
It is not allowed for one team to have two separate melds of the same rank. Any further cards melded by
the same team which are the same rank as an existing meld are automatically merged into that meld. It is
however quite possible and not unusual for the two teams each to have a meld of the same rank.
The play ends when a player gets rid of all the cards from their hand, by melding them and by discarding
their last card if necessary. This is called going out. In order to go out, your team needs to have melded
at least one canasta.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random, and thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
Each player is dealt 11 cards, and the rest of the cards are put face down in a pile. The top card is taken
off, and placed face up next to the pile. This is the start of the discard pile. If it is wild or a three, turn up
another card and place it on top, continuing until a card which is not a wild card or three is turned up.
Each player must immediately place face up in front of them any red threes they were dealt, and draw an
equal number of cards from the top of the face-down pile to replace them.
The Play
The player to the left of the dealer plays first, and then the turn to play rotates clockwise. Each turn is
begun by drawing the top card from the face-down pile or taking the whole of the discard pile. The
player may then meld some cards (and must do so if the discard pile was taken). Each turn is ended by
discarding one card face-up on top of the discard pile.
One member of each side keeps the melds belonging to that side face up in front of them.
Drawing and Melding

A player may always opt to take the top card of the face down pile.
Alternatively, the player may take the whole discard pile, subject to the following conditions:
1. The discard pile can never be taken if it has a black three or a wild card on top;

2. When taking the pile, the player must immediately use the top card of it in a meld, and that meld
must be valid without needing to use other cards from the discard pile (though other cards from
the pile can be added to it);
3. If it is the first meld by their team in that deal, the player must play from hand at least two natural
cards matching the top card of the discard pile, and the meld must score at least the required
minimum points;
4. If the discard pile is frozen (contains a wild card or red three), the player must play from hand at
least two natural cards matching the top card of the discard pile;
5. If their team has already melded and the discard pile is not frozen, it may be taken provided that
either
the player plays two cards from hand matching the top card of the dicard pile, of which at
least one is natural, or
the top card of the discard pile matches one of the partnership's existing melds.
When making a meld using the discard pile you should first put down any cards from your hand needed
to make the meld valid; then add the top card of the discard pile to create the meld, and only then take the
whole of the rest of the discard pile into your hand. Note that the top card may not be used to make a
meld with other cards in the discard pile. For example if there is a 5 on top of pile, you may not use any
other fives from the pile to complete the meld, but you may add any fives from the pile, after you have
made the meld with the top five.
It is also permissible to meld having drawn a card from the stock, by playing the necessary cards from
hand, either creating new melds or adding to the team's existing melds. If the team has not yet melded,
the minimum points condition for initial melds still applies.
Threes
Red threes are bonus cards. When a red 3 is drawn, the card must immediately be put face-up on the
player's side with their melds, and the player draws a replacement card from the face-down stock.
Although red threes score bonus points they do not count as meld - independently of any red threes a side
still needs to satisfy the minimum point requirement for their first meld.
The only way a red 3 can get into the discard pile is if it was turned up at the end of the deal and covered.
If this happens, then when the discard pile is taken, the player puts the red three face-up, but does not
draw a replacement card.
Black threes are stop cards. By discarding a black three you prevent the next player from taking the
discard pile. Black threes cannot be melded, except that a player who is going out may meld three or four
black threes as part of that last turn. Such a meld of black threes cannot contain wild cards.
Initial Meld
To achieve the needed canasta, one must first make a meld. A meld is 3 or more cards of the same rank,
with at least two natural cards. Further wild and natural cards may be added to the meld later.
The first meld made by a partnership must be worth at least a certain minimum number of points. The

value of a meld for this purpose is obtained by adding up the values of the cards in it.
The card values are as follows:
Jokers 50 points each
Aces and 2s 20 points each
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 10 points each
7, 6, 5, 4, and black 3 5 points each
The minimum value of a side's initial meld depends on their score accumulated in previous rounds as
follows:
Previous score Minimum initial meld
negative 15 points (i.e. no minimum)
0 - 1495 50 points
1500 - 2995 90 points
3000 or more 120 points
A player may put down a meld of more than three cards, or more than one combination at once to meet
the minimum. Bonuses for red threes, canastas, etc. cannot be counted towards meeting the minimum, so
you could have a complete canasta in your hand which you were unable to put down because it does not
meet the minimum requirement. However, if having drawn from the stock you are able to meld your
entire hand, including a canasta, without having previously melded any cards, you may do so (with or
without a final discard) and go out without having to meet any mimimum points requirement.
Frozen Discard Pile

If the discard pile contains a wild card or a red three it is said to be frozen. To show that it is frozen, the
relevant card is placed at right angles in the pile, so that it is still visible after other cards are discarded on
top of it.
A frozen discard pile can only be taken by a player who holds in hand two natural cards matching the top
card of the discard pile, and uses these to make a meld. This meld can either be a new one, or could be
the same rank as an existing meld, in which case the melds are merged.
For example, suppose the pile is frozen and our team already has a meld of 4 sevens on the table. If the
player before me discards a seven, I cannot pick up the discard pile unless I have two further sevens
concealed in my hand. If do have 2 sevens in my hand, I can add them and the discarded seven to our
meld (making a canasta), and take the pile.
Going Out
Once a player's side has a canasta, the player may go out by melding all their cards, or by melding all but
one, and discarding the last card. You are not allowed to get rid of all you cards in this way if your side
does not yet have a canasta - you must play in such a way as to keep at least one card after discarding.
This means that if your side has no canasta you are not allowed to meld all your cards except one. If you
did this your discard would cause you to run out of cards completely, which is illegal unless you are
going out.

It is not always an advantage to go out as soon as you are able to; the cards left in your partner's hand
will count against you, and you may in any case be able to score more points by continuing. After
drawing from the stock or taking the discard pile, if you are able to go out but unsure whether to do so,
you may ask your partner "may I go out?". Your partner must answer yes or no, and the answer is
binding. It is not compulsory to ask your partner - if you wish you can just go out without consultation.
Once a player goes out, play stops and the round is scored.
The other way play can end is if there are no more cards left in the face-down stock. Play can continue
with no stock as long as each player takes the previous player's discard and melds it. In this situation a
player must take the discard if the pile is not frozen and if the discard matches any previous meld of that
player's side. As soon as a player is entitled to draw from the stock and chooses to do so, the play ends
and the round is scored: both teams score their melds and subtract the value of cards left in their hand; no
one scores the 100 point bonus for going out.
If a player draws a red three as the last card of the stock, the red three is placed face up as usual and then,
since there is no replacement card that can be drawn from the stock, the play immediately ends. The
player who drew the red three is not allowed to meld nor discard.
Scoring
The partners' points are added together. The base score is
100 points for being the one to meld out;
an extra 100 points for going out (making 200) if the player went out concealed - that is, the
player's whole hand is melded in one turn, and includes at least one canasta. The player must not
have previously melded and must not add any cards to partner's melds;
500 points for each natural canasta - that is a canasta with no wild cards (jokers or 2's);
300 points for each mixed canasta - that is a canasta including wild cards.
100 for each red 3 you have, only if you made at least one meld;
an extra 400 points (making 800) if the partnership has all four red threes.
To this base score, add the total value of all the cards melded, and subtract the value of any cards left in
the players' hands.
If a partnership did not manage to meld at all, then each of their red threes counts minus 100 instead of
plus - and if they are unlucky enough to have all four red threes they score minus 800.
End of the game

When one or both teams have 5,000 or more points at the end of a hand, the side with the higher total
score wins, and the margin of victory is the difference between the scores of the two teams.

Strategy
Tuomas Korppi has written a Canasta Strategy Guide.
Variations and other Canasta WWW pages

Many people play a more restrictive rule on when it is allowed to take an unfrozen discard pile. In this
variation the pile can never be taken with one matching card and a wild card, or to add to a completed
canasta. The discard pile can still be taken (if not frozen) to add the top card to a meld of 6 cards or
fewer.
Hand and Foot is a variation in which each player is dealt two sets of cards: a "hand" and a "foot".
Pennies from Heaven is a variation related to Hand and Foot, in which to go out you need a natural
canasta, a mixed canasta, a wild card canasta and a canasta of sevens. Railroad Canasta is a similar
variation.
Here is another variation, Albany Canasta, described by Duane Bristow.
Alan Kunstman's Canasta Uruguaya page describes a form of Canasta played in Latin America (Uruguay
and Chile).
Canasta Five is a three pack canasta variation originating in New Zealand. Two cards are drawn from
the stock, and the advantage of taking the discard pile is lessened by only allowing the top five cards to
be taken.
Samba is a variation in which it is possible to meld cards in sequence in a suit as well as sets of equal
cards.
Canasta Software
Mark-Jan Harte has published a Canasta program.
Canasis is a Canasta program for Windows or DOS; you can play against the computer and the Windows
version can be played over the Internet.
Canasta can be played on-line at Yahoo! Games.


Rules of Card Games: Carioca
Loba / Carioca
This page is based on a description from Belinda G. Lehmkuhle of Loba as played in Central America,
which is a version of Contract Rummy.
Eduardo Valcarcel writes that in Argentina a similar game called Carioca is played. The differences
between Carioca and Central American Loba are described at the end of this page. There is also a
somewhat different game called Loba which is played in Argentina. This is described on a separate page.
Players and Cards

Central American Loba requires two ordinary 52 card decks plus 4 jokers, making 108 cards in all. It is
usually played with from 2 to 4 players, but can be played with as many as 5.
Terms
Trio
Three of a kind - that is, three cards of the same rank, such as three eights. The three cards do not
need to be of different suits, so for example 9- 9- 9 is a valid Trio.
Escalera
Four cards of the same suit in sequence - such as 4- 5- 6- 7 - like a Straight Flush in
Poker, but with four cards, not five. The ace can be counted high or low, at the player's choice - so
J- Q- K- A and A- 2- 3- 4 are both valid escaleras. Ace cannot be both high and
low at once, so K- A- 2- 3 is not valid.
Summary
Loba is a series of six rounds. In each round, the players strive to get rid of all their cards, and when one
any player manages this, the round is over. The other players receive a penalty based on adding up the
point values of the cards left in their hands. The player with the fewest points at the end of the six rounds
is the overall winner.
How to play a round

The first dealer is chosen at random. The deal and play are counter-clockwise, so the next round will be
dealt by the player to the right of the dealer for the current round.
Each player is dealt eleven cards. The next card is placed face up on the table, to start the discard pile,
and the remaining stock of undealt cards is placed face down beside it. This is the draw pile.
Play begins with the player to the right of the dealer, and players take turns in counter-clockwise order. A
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player's turn consists of three parts:

1. Drawing a card: a player must draw either the top card on the discard pile or the top card on the
draw pile;
2. Putting down cards: this is optional, and is described below;
3. Discarding one card from his hand to the discard pile.
Putting down cards

The object is to get rid of all the cards from your hand, and this can only be achieved by putting down
cards (sometimes called melding). In order to be allowed to put down any cards at all you must first
collect in your hand the combination required for the round being played. This is called the contract, and
it becomes more difficult on each successive round. The contracts are:
Round 1 - dos (two) trios (6 cards)
Round 2 - un (one) escalera, un trio (7 cards)
Round 3 - dos escaleras (8 cards)
Round 4 - tres (three) trios (9 cards)
Round 5 - dos trios un escalera (10 cards)
Round 6 - dos escaleras un trio (11 cards)
When a player has the complete combination of cards required for that round, he may put them down,
face up on the table, in front of himself. Note that he is not required to put down as soon as he is able to
do so - he can wait until a later turn if he wishes. Also, he must have the complete set of cards before he
can put down. For example, in the first round, he may not put down just one trio - he must put down two
at once. When putting down the combination required for the round, the player may not put down any
additional cards with them on this turn - the set must be exactly as determined by the round. Extra cards
can be added in later turns.
In all but the very last round, after a player has put down his initial contract, the play continues as usual
to the right. (In the final round however, the first player to put down gets rid of all of the cards in his
hand, thus ending that round.)
Once a player has put down the initial contract for the round, he is allowed in subsequent turns to put
down cards from his hand to extend any trios or escaleras which are already on the table - his own or
other people's. A trio can be extended by playing further cards of the same rank, and an escalera can be
extended by adding cards to either end of the sequence. An ace can count as high or low, but not both at
once. It is theoretically possible to have a sequence with aces at both ends:
A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A, the first ace being low and the second high.
For example, if a trio of 4- 4- 4 is on the table, a player may add one or more fours to that stack.
Or, if someone has put down the escalera 3- 4- 5- 6, he may add either a 2 or a 7 to the
escalera.
A player who has put down his initial contract for the round is not allowed to put down any new trios or
escaleras on subsequent turns. After the initial contract, further cards can only be put down by adding to
existing trios and escaleras. He may add as many such cards as he wishes on his turn, but is not forced to
play cards just because they fit. Remember, in each turn he still must begin by drawing one new card

from either pile and end his turn by discarding a card.
Scoring
Once any player has gotten rid of all his cards, the round is ended. Each of the other players must add up
the values of all the cards remaining in their hands. Each player's total is his score for that hand, and is
added to his previous cumulative score.
Cards are counted as follows:
Number cards are worth their face value in points.
Jack = 11 points
Queen = 12 points
King = 13 points
Ace = 14 points
Joker = 25 points
The Jokers
Jokers are wild! However, you may only use one Joker per escalera or trio in putting down your initial
contract. That is, in round two, you could put down Joker- 4- 5- 6 and Joker- 7- 7, but, you
cannot put down Joker-Joker- 5- 6 and 7- 7- 7. In later play (that is after putting down the
inital contract), you may put down as many Jokers on a single escalera or trio as you want.
A Joker at the end of an escalera may be changed in value. That is, if the escalera has Joker- 4- 5-
6, you could tuck a 3 between the Joker and the 4, making the Joker take on a value of 2, or
you could add a real 2, leaving the joker to represent the 3.
You may not change the value of a Joker that is in the middle of an escalera. That is, if the escalera is
3-Joker- 5- 6, you cannot tuck a card in; as that joker is not on the end of the escalera, you cannot
change its value. Also you cannot move a joker from one end of an escalera to the other; if a player puts
down 9- 10- J-Joker, you cannot add a 7, counting the Joker as a 8, because the Joker was
originally played at the top end of the sequence. It would, however, be legal to add a 8, a Q or a
K
Variations
Players may agree before the game begins that the jokers will be worth 50 points rather than 25.
Players may agree to value the jacks, queens, kings and aces at ten points each; this makes the count
faster.

Carioca
The game Carioca played in Argentina is similar to Central American Loba. The main difference is that
Carioca has seven rounds instead of six. The contract in the seventh round is three escaleras. As you
need twelve cards for three escaleras, for that round each player is dealt twelve cards. In this last round
the first player to put down must get rid of all their cards.
A Joker included in any place within an escalera may be replaced and moved to another place in the
same escalera. For example, in an escalera made up of 2-3-Joker-5, the Joker may be replaced by a 4
and moved to either end.
Another difference is the points assigned to the cards. In Carioca jokers are valued at 50 points, aces are
worth 20 and jacks, queens and kings are 10. The rest of the cards are worth their face value in points.


Rules of Card Games: Carousel
Carousel, Vatikan, Shanghai,

Manipulation, Tile Rummy
This page is about a group of rummy variations in which the melds on the table can be rearranged. At
your turn, in order to meld extra cards, you can reorganise the existing melds, breaking them up and
regrouping them into new melds in any way you wish provided that you add at least one new card, and
you end with all the table cards forming valid melds. In these games there is no discard pile - players can
only draw and meld. Cards not melded are retained in the player's hand.
A number of different versions are described on this page:
Carousel - in which from one to three cards are drawn per turn
Vatikan - in which zero or one cards are drawn per turn

Shanghai (contributed by Doug Stein) - in which unlimited cards can be drawn in a turn
Manipulation (contributed by Paul Welty) - another version with unlimited drawing
Tile Rummy - a game similar to Vatikan played with tiles, also known as Rummikub.
If you are not familiar with Rummy games, please refer to the Basic Rummy page for definitions of
meld, group, sequence, stock, draw etc.
Carousel
This can be played by two people using a pack with one joker (53 cards) or by 3-5 people using a double
pack including two jokers (106 cards). Ten cards are dealt to each player.
A turn consists of drawing one or two cards from the stock and then melding, or drawing three cards
without melding. You always begin by drawing a card; you must then either meld or draw a second card.
If you draw a second card you must either meld or draw a third card. If you draw a third card you are not
allowed to meld on that turn, and the turn passes to the next player.
Melds are sequences or groups of three or more cards. In a sequence, ace can be high or low but not in
the interior of a sequence (so Q-K-A and A-2-3 are valid but K-A-2 is not). In a group, the cards must be
of different suits (no duplicates). A joker can stand for any desired card.
In order to meld you must play one or more cards from your hand face up on the table, and arrange the
cards on the table in such a way that they form valid sequences or groups. At the beginning of the game,
when nothing has yet been laid out, the first player to meld will have to play one or more complete
sequences or groups from hand. Subsequent players can form new sets, add to existing sets, and break up
existing sets to reform them into new ones. The only requirements for a valid meld are that you must add
to the table at least one card from your hand, you cannot take any cards from the table, and all the cards
you leave on the table must be arranged into valid disjoint sets.
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When a joker is played to the table, the player must state what card it represents, and its value cannot be
changed, unless the joker is released by substituting the actual card that the joker represents.
Example: someone plays 8- 9-joker, with the joker representing the 10. A
subsequent player cannot simply add the 6 to this sequence, changing the joker to
represent the seven, but a player with a real 10 could play this, substituting it for the
joker, and then use the released joker in another meld, specifying a new card for it to
represent.
A joker released in this way cannot be taken back into the player's hand - it must immediately be used it a
new meld.
The object of the game is of course to get rid of as many cards as possible from your hand. Cards
remaining in hand are worth penalty points: jokers are worth 25, picture cards 10, and other cards face
value (aces 1). If after drawing one or two cards and melding the cards remaining in your hand add up to
5 points or fewer you can knock. This immediately ends the play (there is no laying off of cards as in
Gin Rummy), and the player with fewest points in hand is the winner.
In the two player game the winner scores the difference between the number of points in the two players'
hands. With more than two players, the winner scores the differences from all the other players, added
together (for example if the winner has 4 and the others have 6, 12 and 17, then the differences are 2, 8
and 13 so the winner scores 23 (2+8+13)).
In addition, if the winner is someone other than the knocker, the winner scores an undercut bonus of 10
points. If there is a tie between the knocker and another player, the other player wins and scores the
undercut bonus. If two players either than the knocker tie for lowest, they both score as though they had
won, and both get an undercut bonus.
If you win by getting rid of all of your cards, you score a bonus of 25 in addition to the sum of the points
in the other players' hands.
If no one has knocked when the stock is exhausted, everyone has one more turn to meld (obviously
without drawing from the stock). Then all the hands are counted and the lowest wins (if two tie for
lowest both win).
The game ends when someone's score reaches or exceeds 150. They then get a bonus of 100 and each
other player receives a bonus of 25 for each deal they have won.
Vatikan
This game is described in Andrew Pennycook's "A Book of Card Games" and is supposed to be of
Central European origin.
There are from two to five players and a double pack with two jokers (106 cards) is used. Thirteen cards
are dealt to each player.
At your turn you must either draw one card or meld one or more cards. You cannot both draw and meld
in the same turn. The valid melds are sequences and groups as in Carousel, and the jokers are used and

substituted in the same way.

The first time that each player melds, they must begin by putting down a sequence of three cards in suit
from their hand. Having done this they can then, in the same and in subsequent turns, add more cards and
rearrange melds to form seuences and groups at will.
The game ends when someone manages to get rid of their cards, and that player wins outright. There is
no scoring.
Shanghai
This description was contributed by Doug Stein. Note that there is also a different game called Shanghai
Rummy, which is a type of Contract Rummy and is described on the Contract Rummy page.
The object of the game is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards by melding cards in your hand
with those on the table in legal group and run combinations.
Players and Deck

The game can be played by 3-5 players; 4 or 5 players make the best game. It is best to use two standard
52-card packs shuffled together with no jokers. Cards rank from Ace (low) to King (high). It would be
possible to accommodate more than five players by adding extra decks, but with so many cards the game
becomes less interesting.
The Deal
The dealer deals each player 10 cards in batches of 3, 3, 3 and 1. The undealt cards are placed face down
to form the reserve stock. In subsequent hands, deal passes to the left.
The Play
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, and continuing clockwise, each player in turn plays cards
from hand to the table. Cards played must be melded in one or both of the following two ways:
Set meld:
a set meld is a grouping of at least 3 and no more than 4 cards of the same face value but different
suits. Therefore, 3- 3- 3 is a valid set meld. This meld could be expanded by adding the
(missing) 3. However, the combination 3- 3- 3 is invalid, as all suits in a set meld must be
unique.
Run meld:
a run meld is a grouping of at least 3 cards of the same suit in sequence. Therefore, 7- 8- 9
is a valid run meld. Note that Ace is a low card, so while A- 2- 3 is valid, Q- K- A is
not, and nor is K- A- 2. Run melds can theoretically be up to 13 cards in length, assuming a
run of Ace-2-3...J-Q-K in the same suit.
A player can create melds by providing all the necessary cards from his hand, (in which case he would

have to play at least 3 cards from his hand), and / or can add cards to a meld already on the table. For
example, if the meld 8- 9- 10 was already on the table, a player could add a 7 from his hand. A
player should always play as many cards as possible. In the previous example, if the player held 7-
J- Q, he could play all three cards to the existing meld.
A player who can meld one or more cards must do so. You do not necessarily have to meld all the cards
that you can, but if you are able to meld you must put down at least one card, and the turn then passes to
the next player.
A player who does not hold any cards that can be successfully melded must draw the top card from the
face-down stock. If this card enables him to play he must do so; if not, he draws further cards from the
stock until he can play. As soon as he can play, he does so, and the turn passes to the next player.
As soon as a player plays (melds) his last card(s), the hand is over.
Shanghai
A "Shanghai" is when a player rearranges the melds on the table in order to allow the playing of cards
from his hand. A player may freely rearrange the melds on the table so long as, upon completion of the
player's turn, all cards on the table are formed in legal melds. A couple of examples:
3- 4- 5- 6
Table: You hold: 6
3- 4- 5- 6
3- 4- 5
You "shanghai" the 6 and 6 from their current
Rearranged: 3- 4- 5
melds and remeld with your 6.
6- 6- 6
7- 8- 9
Table: 7- 8- 9 You hold: 7 9 J
8- 9- 10
You remeld the runs into a combination of runs and
sets. Note that you could have played only the J if
7- 7- 7
you hadn't shanghaied cards. With some
8- 8- 8 rearrangement you managed to get rid of three cards!
Rearranged:
9- 9- 9 Note that if you also held Q Q Q that you
9- 10- J could play those card in addition to the 7 9
J!
Scoring
The player who went out scores zero points. All other players score 1 point for each card left in their
hand. There is no set ending to the game - you just continue until the players agree to stop settle up for
(say) a nickel a point.

Hints and comments

Some table etiquette:
Players should announce "one card" if they end their turn with one card
"Test rearrangement" is OK. In other words, players are allowed to freely move cards around (on
their turn) in order to decide whether or not they can reconfigure the table to accept cards from
their hand. Other players should watch to assist restoring back to the original configuration (or to
any legal configuration) in case the player decides that he can't do what he had in mind (and
therefore either needs to draw cards or simply make a less aggressive play).
Note that it is both bad manners and illegal to pretend to be unable to meld when you can, and
thereby to draw more cards than necessary in the hope of collecting enough to make an aggressive
(ie multi-Shanghai) play.
Hints:
4-card sets are ripe for Shanghai, since one card can be stolen and still leave a valid set. Two 4
card sets close in sequence provide an easy way to get rid of at least one card. For example, if 4-
4- 4- 4 and 6- 6- 6- 6 are on the table, a player can obviously play any single 5 by
building a run using the extra 4 and 6 from the table.
The end cards of a 4+ card run are ripe for Shanghai, as are the middle cards on a 7+ card run.
Manipulation
This section is based on a contribution from Paul J. Welty
Manipulation is almost the same game as Shanghai, described above. There are 3-5 players and two
standard 52 card decks are used. It would be possible for more than 5 people to play; in that case a third
pack should be added. Seven cards are dealt to each player. The person to the left of the dealer plays first.
At your turn you must meld if you are able to. If you cannot meld you draw cards one at a time from the
stock until you can. As soon as you are able to you must stop drawing and meld.
The possible combinations that can be melded are sets of three or more cards of the same rank (which
must be of different suits), or runs of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. In runs, the ace
counts high only: Q-K-A is valid but K-A-2 and A-2-3 are not. Sets are kept on one side of the table and
runs on the other. You can also meld by manipulating existing combinations on the table, rearranging the
cards in any way you like, provided that you add at least one new card to the table from your hand, and
you leave all the cards on the table arranged into valid combinations.
The first player who uses all their cards wins the hand. The others count what they have left in their
hands against them, scoring penalty points as follows:
Aces - 15 points each
Tens and face cards - 10 points each
All other cards - 5 points each

The game can be played to 200 or 300 points by prior agreement. When a player's cumulative point score
reaches or passes the agreed target, the player who then has the lowest score wins.
Tile Rummy
A kind of manipulation rummy is played with a set of numbered and coloured tiles, as used in Turkey for
the game Okey, and possibly also in other parts of the Middle East. Possibly there are other traditional
games played with these tiles, and I hope that people will let me know about these, and where they are
played. In Israel, Western Europe and America the equipment for this game is sold under the trade name
Rummikub.
Tile Rummy is played with a special set of numbered tiles. The numbers run from 1 to 13 and there are
four colours: black, red, blue and orange. There are two tiles of each number and colour plus two joker
tiles, making 106 tiles in all.
There are from two to four players, and the game is played clockwise. At the start each player takes 14
tiles, which are kept on a rack so that the other players cannot see them. The remaining tiles stay
face-down on the table to form the pool.
The object is to be the first to get rid of all of your tiles by melding them in combinations on the table.
The possible combinations are:
groups, consisting of three or four tiles of the same number and different colours
runs, consisting of three or more consecutive numbers of the same colour.
Jokers can be used as substitutes for any numbered tile to make up a valid combination.
A turn consists of either drawing one tile from the pool or melding one or more tiles from hand by
placing them on the table.
The first meld made by each player must consist of one or more combinations formed entirely from that
player's hand, where the total numbers of the tiles used adding up to 30 or more. If a joker is used, it
counts as the number of the tile it represents.
Having placed an initial meld, in the same or subsequent turns a player can meld by rearranging the tiles
on the table to form new combinations provided that by the end of the turn at least one tile has been
added from hand, and all the combinations on the table are valid.
A combination which contains a joker can have further tiles added to it, but nothing can be taken from it,
nor can it be rearranged into other melds while there is a joker in it. However, a player who has in hand
the tile which the joker represents can substitute the real tile for the joker and then use the joker in some
other combination on the table.
Because of the complexity of the possible rearrangements, some players set a time limit for a turn, for
example one minute. At the end of your turn you say "pass", and the next person can play.
The first player who manages to play all their tiles wins. The other players add up the numbers on the
tiles remaining in their racks, counting jokers as 30. They each score minus the total of their remaining
tiles, and the winner scores plus the total of all the losers' tiles.

The Game Cabinet has published a page of Rules of Okey by Enric Capo. That page gives rules similar
to those above, but in most parts of Turkey the name Okey is used for a different rummy game played
with these same tiles.


Rules of Card Games: Caribbean Poker
Caribbean Poker
This is not really a poker game, in that players do not bet against each other. It is an American casino
game in which each individual plays against the bank. You ante and you and the bank get five cards
each. After you have seen your hand and the bank's first card you must either
make a call bet, increasing your stake by an amount equal to twice your original ante, or
surrender, in which case the bank wins your ante.
There is then a showdown.

If the bank does not have A-K or better your bet is returned, plus an amount equal to the ante.
If the bank does have A-K or better you win if your hand beats the bank's (see poker hand ranks).
The bank pays out even money on your ante and fixed odds on your call bet as follows:
evens for a pair or high card
2-1 for two pairs
3-1 for three of a kind
4-1 for a straight
5-1 for a flush
7-1 for a full house
20-1 for a four of a kind
50-1 for a straight flush
100-1 for a royal flush
If the bank has A-K or better and your hand is worse than the bank's you lose your ante and call
bet.
Rules of Caribbean Poker can also be found on the winneronline.com site.
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Caribbean Stud Poker rules and tips.

http://www.pagat.com/banking/caribbean.html [04/05/2001 9:48:21]

Rules of Card Games: Casino
Casino
This page is partly based on contributions from Kim Scarborough, Janet Levy, Scott Grengs and Rachel
Hooley. Jonathan Dushoff contributed the versions from Swaziland and Lesotho and Faizal Asmal the
South African version. The historical introduction draws on an article by Franco Pratesi: Casino from
Nowhere to Vaguely Everywhere (The Playing-Card Vol XXIV No 1 July/Aug 1995 pages 6-11)
Introduction
The Players, the Cards and the Objective
The Deal
The Play
Scoring
Variations
Swazi Casino
The play
The end of the play, and scoring
Two-player versions
Notes on tactics
Sotho Casino
South African Casino
Introduction
Casino is the only fishing game to have become popular in English speaking countries. Although it is
traditionally supposed to have originated in Italy, there is no direct evidence of it having been played
there, at least under that name, though many other Italian fishing games are known. Casino first appears
in the card game literature at the end of the eighteenth century in London, and shortly afterwards in
Germany. In the late nineteenth century it became fasionable in America and a number of new variations
were developed. There is a dispute about the correct spelling of the name - the earliest sources use the
spelling Casino, but a tradition has grown up among later writers to spell it with a double 's': Cassino.
The standard Anglo-American version of Casino is described first, followed by some interesting versions
from southern Africa (Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa) in which captured cards remain in play and
can be reused in builds.
http://www.pagat.com/fishing/casino.html (1 de 13) [04/05/2001 9:48:27]

The Players, the Cards and the Objective

The game works best with from 2 to 4 players, though in theory more could take part. It has the
distinction of being one of the few games which will deal out evenly to two, three, or four players. Four
players can play in partnerships, two against two, with partners sitting opposite each other.
A regular 52 card deck is used. Each numeral card (ace-ten) is counted as its numerical value (ace = 1,
two = 2, etc). The aim is to capture cards from a layout on the table, by playing a card from hand which
matches in number a table card or the sum of several table cards. Picked up cards are accumulated in a
pile to be counted at the end of the round.
The Deal
The dealer deals four cards to each player and four cards face up in the centre (these centre cards are laid
out separately so that all are visible). Traditionally, the deal is in twos: two cards to each other player,
two to the table, then two to the dealer, then repeat. However, some players prefer to deal the cards
singly. The remainder of the deck is temporarily put aside. After everyone has played their four cards,
another hand of four cards is dealt to each player from the remaining cards, but no more cards are dealt to
the table after the first deal. After these cards have been played there is another deal, and this continues
until all 52 cards have been dealt (this takes 6 deals for 2 players, 4 deals for three players, 3 deals for 4
players). The dealer must announce "last" when dealing the last cards. After the last cards have been
played and the hand scored, the deal passes to the left for the next round.
The Play
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise, each player in turn must play
one card out from hand face up on the table. This card may or may not capture one or more cards from
the table.
In case of a capture, when the other players have had an opportunity to see the capturing card, the
player picks up this card and the captured cards and stores them all face down in a pile.
If there is no capture the played card remains face up on the table.
Irrespective of whether a capture was made or not, the turn passes to the next player.
In detail, the possible types of play are as follows:
1. Capturing with a face card
If the card played is a face card (king, queen or jack) which matches the rank of a face card on the
table, the face card on the table may be captured. This is the only possible capture with a face card.
If the table contains more than one matching card only one may be captured.
Example:The Q and Q are on the table, and the Q is played. The player may capture one
of the queens from the table but not both.
2. Capturing with a numeral card
A numeral card (Ace, 2, ..., 10) can capture any numeral cards on the table which are of the same

rank as the card played, and any sets of numeral cards which add up to the rank of the card played,
with the following restrictions:
cards which are part of a build (see below) can only be captured by a card of the rank
announced for that build;
when sets are captured, each captured card can only counted as belonging to one such set.
Example If an eight is played it could capture one, two or three eights from the table. It could also
capture a five and a three, or a four and two twos. If the following cards are on the table: A 2 3 5 6
8, then an eight could capture 8 6 2 5 3 or 8 5 2 A, but not all six cards.
3. Building
A numeral card may be played and combined with other cards on the table, placing them together
to form a build. A build can be made out of any collection of numeral cards which can be captured
by a single numeral card according to rule 2 above. The player making the build must announce
the capturing number (saying, for example, "building 5"), and must hold a numeral card which can
later make the capture.
Cards which have been made into a build can subsequently only be captured as a unit, never
separately.
When you make a build, it must include the card you just played - you cannot create a build
consisting entirely of cards that were already on the table.
Examples
If there is a 5 on the table, a player holding a 3 and an 8 may put the 3 on the 5 and
announce "building 8"; these cards can now only be captured by an 8.
If there is an ace and a two on the table, a player holding two threes and a six could play one
of the threes and either:
1. capture the two and the ace;
2. combine the played three with the ace and the two and announce "building 6";
3. combine the played three with the ace and the two and announce "building 3";
It would not be legal to play the three on the ace, building four, or on the two, building five,
as the player does not hold a four or a five.
4. Capturing a build
A build can be captured by playing a numeral card of the rank which was announced when the
build was made. It is thus possible to "steal" a build created by another player, if you have the right
numeral card.
If on your turn, the table contains a build which you created or added to yourself, and no other
player has added to it since your last turn, you are not allowed simply to trail a card (as in rule 6)
on your next turn. You must either make a capture of some kind, create another build, or add to a
build (i.e. follow rule 3, 4 or 5). It is always possible to capture in this situation - if nothing else,
you must hold the capturing card for the build you just made, otherwise your build was illegal.
While capturing a build, you can also capture any loose cards on the table that add up to the same
number. For example you have made a build of 9 and there is a 5 on the table. If the player before
you plays a 4, you can capture the 4 and the 5 at the same time that you take in your build.

It is not possible to capture a build with a card of any other rank than that announced for the build.
For example the table contains a 4 and a 3 combined into a build of 7, plus a separate 2. You
cannot play a 9 to take the build of 7 plus the 2 - the build can only be captured with a 7.
5. Adding to a build
There are two ways of adding to a build:
1. If a build on the table consists of a single set of cards which add up to the capturing number,
you may add a card from your hand to it, increasing the capturing number, provided that you
also hold a card which will capture the new build. At the same time you may incorporate
additional cards from the table into the build, either to make up the capturing number or
because they are equal to the new capturing number.
Example A The table contains a build consisting of two threes, announced as a build of six.
If you hold a two and an eight, you can add the two to the build announcing "building 8".
The next player, holding an ace and a nine, could then add the ace and say "building 9". If
the original build of two threes had been announced as building three (rather than building
six), it would not be possible to add to the build.
Example B The table contains an ace, a two and a four; the ace and the four have been
combined by a previous player into a build of five. You hold a three and a ten. You can play
your three, combine it with the five-build and the two on the table and announce "building
ten".
Example C The table contains a three and a four, built into a seven, and a separate nine.
You hold a two and a nine. You can play your two, combining it with the seven-build to
make nine, and at the same time incorporate the nine on the table into the build, saying
"building nine".
2. You may add to any build by playing a card from your hand which, either alone or
combined with other cards on the table which are not yet in builds, matches the existing
capture number of the build, provided that you hold a card which can capture the combined
build.
Example The table contains a 9-build consisting of a 5 and a 4, and there is also a 3 on the
table. You hold a six and two nines. You can play your 6, combining it with the 3 and the
existing build to make a new build of 9. Then on your next turn (provided that no one else
captured) you could add one of the nines from your hand to the build. Finally, on the
following turn, you could capture the whole build with your second nine.
Note that when making or adding to a build, you must contribute a card to it from your hand. You
cannot just combine various cards which are already on the table to form a build. Note also that
once a build contains more than one card or sets of cards which add to the capturing number, the
capturing number can no longer be changed.
6. Trailing
If you simply play a card without building or capturing, the card is placed face up on the table
alongside any other layout cards and remains there to be captured or built on in future. It is then
the next player's turn. Playing a card without building or capturing is sometimes called trailing.
You are allowed to trail a card even if that card could have made a capture.

Example Suppose that in a four player partnership game your partner has two tens and you have
one. Your partner plays a 10 and the next player does not take it. On your turn, if you suspect that
your partner has a second 10, you can play your 10 and not capture, leaving both tens on the table
for your partner.
The only case in which trailing is not allowed is when there is a build on the table which you were
the last player to add to.
When all the cards have been played in the final deal, the last player who made a capture also wins any
cards which are left on the table. That is why it is important that the dealer should announce "last" when
dealing the last cards.
Hint on tactics: it is often good for the dealer to hold back a face card to play last if possible; this will
capture a matching face card on the table and thereby also win any other table cards that remain.
Scoring
Each player (or team) counts their score based on the pile of cards they have won. There are eleven
possible points in each hand:
whoever has the Most Cards gets three points;
whoever has Most Spades is one point;
each Ace is worth one point (capturing an ace with another ace is called "cash" by some players)
the ten of diamonds, called Big Casino or the Good Ten, is worth two points;
the two of spades, called Little Casino or the Good Two, is worth one point.
If there is a tie for most cards or most spades, no one gets those points.
Whoever first reaches a total of 21 or more points, over however many rounds it takes, wins the game. If
two people reach the target on the same round, whoever has the higher score wins. If there is a tie,
another round is played.
Variations
Building Rules
Building is the most intricate part of the game, and there are several variations in exactly what is allowed
when creating or capturing builds. For example:
Some players allow a player to trail a card and simultaneously make a build by combining other
cards on the table, not including the card played.
Some players allow a player who has a build on the table simply to trail a card on subsequent
turns, leaving the build in place.

Scoring
Other targets for winning the game are possible - some play to 11 points; some play to 50.
Some people, instead of scoring three points for cards, award two points to the player with most cards
and one point to the player who made the last capture during the game.
Sweeps
Some people play that a Sweep is worth one point. A sweep occurs when a player takes all the cards
from the table, leaving it empty and forcing the next player to trail. When making a sweep, the capturing
card is stored face-up in the pile of won cards, so that the number of sweeps can be checked when
scoring. Capturing the last cards from the table at the very end of a round does not count as a sweep.
Royal Casino
Another variation is to count face cards as numbers; jacks have a value of eleven, queens twelve, and
kings thirteen. Thus, a queen can take a five and a seven. Some players also allow the ace to be worth
one or fourteen at the discretion of the person who plays or captures it. English and American books call
this version of the game Royal Casino. A similar game is popular in Sweden and Finland - see Cristian
Seres' Kasino page.
Swazi Casino
This interesting version of Casino, which is popular in Swaziland, was contributed by Jonathan Dushoff.
The building process is different from that of Anglo-American Casino. Captured cards are kept face up,
and the top card from your pile of captures can be taken by your opponents to add to their builds.

Swazi Casino is played by 2, 3 or 4 people using a standard 52 card pack. The version for 3 or 4 players
is described first. When there are four players, the players sitting opposite each other are partners. The
usual direction of play is anticlockwise.
For the purpose of capturing, pip cards from 2 to 10 have their face values, jacks count as 11, queens 12,
kings 13 and aces 1 or 14.
The dealer shuffles the cards and the player to the dealer's right (who will be the first to play) cuts four
cards out of the middle of the deck, and puts them face up in the centre of the playing area to form the
initial layout, and returns the deck to the dealer (who plays last). The dealer then deals out all of the
cards to the players, one at a time. The first dealer is chosen at random; subsequently the deal passes to
the right after each hand.
Some people have rules disallowing certain cuts. The game is rather uninteresting if there are too many
scoring cards in the layout at the start. Also, when there are four players, the pair that plays first has a big
disadvantage at the end, which is balanced by their having the first chance to capture at the beginning,

but the benefit of making the first move is reduced if too many big cards are cut. There are many
variations, but it is suggested that if the initial layout contains either
cards with a scoring value of three or more points (e.g. 10 and an ace), or
three or more picture cards,
then the four cards should be put back in the pack, which is reshuffled and the cut repeated.
The play
All captured cards are kept face up in a single pile in front of the player who captured them. In the
four-player version, partners share a pile. New captures are added to the top of the pile. When you
capture several cards at once, you may sort the captured cards however you like. The capturing card,
however, must go on top of your pile. You do not show the other players in what order you have
arranged the captured cards in your pile. When playing with partnerships, you may sort the cards you
capture, or if your partner is looking after your team's capture pile you may hand the cards to your
partner to sort instead.
In the centre of the playing area is the layout of face up cards which are available for capture by the
players. At the start of the game there are four single cards in the layout. As the game progresses, these
can be captured, or further single cards can be played there. It is also possible for cards in the layout to be
combined into builds - piles of cards with a specific total value which are treated as a single unit until
they are captured. There are two types of build:
a single build is a pile of cards whose value is the sum of the values of the cards in it - for example
a single build of 13 could consist of a 6, a 5 and a 2.
an augmented build consists of two or more single cards or sets of cards, each of which adds up
to the same value - for example an augmented build of 12 could consist of two queens, or Q + 7+5,
or 6+6 + 8+3+A, or Q + Q + 10+2 + 3+3+6, etc.
Each build has an owner, who is responsible for eventually capturing it, unless it is first changed in value
or captured by another player. Single cards in the layout belong to no one in particular.
The turn to play rotates. Your turn can consist several actions, in any order. At some point during your
turn you must play exactly one card from your hand. The possible actions during a turn are:
1. to play a card from your hand to capture one or more single cards and/or a build from the layout;
2. to form a new build of your own;
3. to change the value of a build using a card from your hand;
4. to create or add to an augmented build;
5. to discard a single card from your hand to the layout.
Actions 1, 3 and 5 involve playing a card from your hand, so only one of these actions can be performed
during a turn. Actions 2 and 4 can involve playing a card from your hand, or can be performed using only
cards that are already in play. As long as no card from your hand is involved, you can perform as many
of actions 2 and 4 as you wish in any order, before or after playing from your hand.
Each type of action will now be described in detail:
1. The capture or "chow"

A capture can only be made by playing a card from your hand.

If you play a card from your hand that matches a single card in the layout, that single card is
captured.
If the card you play matches the sum of several single cards in the layout, you capture that
set of cards.
If the card you play matches the value of a build, you capture that build (no matter who
owns it).
If you play a card that matches several separate cards, sets or builds you can capture them all.
Note that you cannot capture cards directly from the top of an opponent's capture pile (though you
may be able to do so indirectly by first using them to augment a build - see below). Also, you can
only capture a build by matching its value - you cannot add the value of another build or card to
create a match. Example: in the layout is a build of 8 (5+3), a build of 6 (4+2) and a single 6. If
you play an ace (14) it does not capture anything. If you play a 6 it captures the single 6 and the
6-build.
If you play a capturing card as an action of type 1 or 5 (capture or discard), but fail to take all the
cards you are entitled to capture, any opponent can insist (if they wish) that you capture all the
cards that it is legal for you to take. (They might do this if they thought you would get an
advantage by leaving some of the cards that you should have captured in the layout). Alternatively,
if the opponents think that you have made a mistake by not capturing all the cards that you could,
they may let your play stand.
Note that it is legal to play a card that could have captured, but to use it in a build instead (action 2,
3 or 4). This is called drifting. If you use your played card legally for an action of type 2, 3 or 4,
the opponents have no right to make you capture instead.
2. Creating a single build
A single build can be formed from single cards already in the layout, with or without adding a card
from your hand. The player who forms the build becomes its owner. You are only allowed to form
a build if you have a card in your hand which can later capture that build.
Examples:
there is a 5, a 3 and a 2 in the layout and you have a 10 in your hand; you can combine the 5,
3 and 2 into a build of 10.
there is a 4 and a 5 in the layout and you have a 5 and an ace in your hand; you can play
your 5, combining it to the 4 and 5 to make a build of 14.
You are not allowed to use cards from any capture pile when creating a single build.
3. Changing the value of a single build
You can change the value of a single build only if all of the following conditions hold:
the build is currently owned by an opponent;
you change the value by adding a single card from your hand
you have a card in your hand that matches the new value of the build
By changing the value you take over ownership of the single build.
Example: if your opponent has made a single build of 9 and you hold a 2 and a jack, you can add
your 2 to the build and make it 11. You would not be allowed to do this if the 9-build had been

formed by yourself or your partner.

Note that it is not possible to change the value of a build and capture it in the same turn, as that
would involve playing two cards from your hand.
It is not possible to change the value of an augmented build
4. Augmenting a card or build
You can augment a build that is owned by yourself or your partner by adding further single cards
or sets of cards of the same value. When augmenting a build you can use single cards from the
layout, one card from your hand, and the top card of the opponents' capture pile(s). It is possible to
form a build and then augment it in the same turn.
If there is a single card in the layout which you can match with a card from your hand, you can
make this card into an augmented build by adding further cards to it, from the layout, from your
hand or from the top of the opponents' capture pile(s). You thereby become the owner of that
build.
You can augment a build owned by your opponent only if you also capure that build in the same
turn. Since you can only capture with a card from your hand, and you can only play one card from
your hand during your turn, any augmentation of an opponent's build has to be done using cards
from the layout or from the top of your opponents' capture pile(s).
You are not allowed to use a card from the top of your own (or partner's) capture pile to augment a
build.
The value of an augmented build can never be changed. Such a build can only be further
augmented and then eventually captured by a card of that value.
Only the card on top of your opponents' capture pile at any time is available to augment a build.
After it has been taken the card underneath it becomes available for use. Example: There are a 9
and a 2 in the layout. You have a 9 in your hand, the top card of an opponent's capture pile is a 5
and the next card underneath that is a 2. You are not allowed to take the 5 and 2 from the
opponent's pile with the 2 on the table to augment the build. However, if the layout had instead
contained a 9, a 7 and a 4, it would be legal to add the 4 with the opponent's captured 5 to make an
augmented build of nines, and then use the now exposed 2 with the 7 from the layout to augment
the build again.
If there are any cards in play (in the layout or on top of a capture pile) that can legally be added to
a build owned by you or your partner, any opponent can insist that you add such cards to your
build(s) before you end your turn.
5. Discarding a card
You are always free, for the play from your hand, to play a card that does not capture anything,
simply leaving it as a single card in the layout. There is no obligation (as in standard
Anglo-American Casino) to make a capture when you own a build.
You may not, however, abandon a build that you own by using up all of the cards that you could
have captured it with for other purposes.
It is never possible to break up builds, nor to combine two builds to form a build of higher value.
Note that the top card of an opponent's capture pile can only be used to augment a card or build. So
before you can make use of the card, you must already have a "base" in the layout which it can help to

augment. A base is
a build that belongs to you or your partner, or
a single card in the layout which does not match the value of any existing build, and which either
you could capture by matching it from your hand, or
you can prove your partner can capture it, because your partner previously made a build of
that value which was changed or taken by someone else and has not subsequently played a
card of that value.
There cannot be two builds of the same capture value on the table at the same time. That means that if
your opponent has (for example) a build of 13, you are not allowed to make a 13-build of your own
alongside it. You can make a second build of a value which your side already owns, but your must then
combine them into a single augmented build. Example: you own a 13-build and an opponent has created
a single build of 9 (6+3). If you have a 4 in your hand, you can play it to increase the 9-build to 13, but
you must then amalgamate this with your existing 13-build to make an augmented 13-build.
A single ace in the layout or in a player's hand or in a capture pile can be deemed to have a value of 1 or
14 according to the player who wants to use it in a build or capture. Once an ace is incorporated in a
build, its value is fixed until the build is captured. If you put two aces together to make an augmented
build you must choose and announce whether its value is 1 or 14.
Special rules for partnership play

If your partner owns a build whose value is then changed by an opponent, or which is captured by
someone other than your partner (including yourself), then you know that your partner holds a card of the
rank needed to capture that build. As long as your partner does not play a card of this rank, you are
allowed to create a new single or augmented build of this rank, which will be owned by your partner.
This is the only circumstance in which you can build for your partner, no matter how completely obvious
it is that your partner has the card in question from other cues.
If your partner plays a card that captures a build belonging to you or your partner, and you have a card of
that rank in your hand, you may ask your partner not to capture the build. Your partner may ignore your
request and capture the build anyway, or may instead use the played card to augment the build, in which
case you take over ownership of the build.
The end of the play and the scoring

When all the cards have been played, whoever made the last capture takes whatever cards are left in the
layout.
Each player or team then scores for the cards in their capture pile as follows:
Player (or team) with most cards 2 points (if tied the tieing players get one point each)
Player (team) with most spades 2 points (if tied the tieing players get one point each)
Two of spades ("spy two") 1 point
Ten of diamonds ("big ten") 2 points

Aces 1 point each
Thus a total of 11 points are scored for each deal.

Note that there is no extra score for sweeps (capturing all cards from the layout)
Swazi Casino: Two-player version

In the standard two-player version, after the cut twelve cards are dealt out to each player, and when these
have been played another twelve each are dealt. While playing your first twelve cards, there are two extra
restrictions:
It is illegal to discard a card without capturing while you own a build.
you are not allowed to have more than one build at the end of your turn (you may, however, make
a second build for the purposes of stealing cards from your opponent, as long as you chow one of
the two builds at the end of the turn).
Afterthe first twelve cards have been played, the layout is left intact and the remaining cards are dealt.
When playing your second twelve cards, the rules of play are as in three or four-player casino, without
the above restrictions.
An alternate two-player version is sometimes called "crazy casino". In this version, each player is dealt
eight cards, and the remainder form a face-down drawing pile from which you pick up a card after each
play, to keep eight cards in your hand, until all of the cards are gone. In this version, the first of the two
restrictions above - that you may not discard while you are building - applies until there are no cards left
in the drawing pile. The rule against more than one build is sometimes also enforced, but Jonathan
Dushoff suggests that this version of the game is better without it.
Notes on tactics
The tactics of this game centre around the builds - especially builds of high value. Suppose for example
that early in the game you find that you (or your team) have a monopoly of aces. Then you can make a
build of 14 that the other team cannot touch, and at every opportunity you augment it with more sets of
cards adding up to 14. Right at the end you capture a huge pile of cards with your last ace.
Sometimes there will be rival piles - for example one player (or team) building 14's and another building
12's. Build piles with a high capture value are most powerful, because they are easy to augment. If you
have a smaller value build pile - say nines - then it will be safe for your opponents to play a 10 or higher,
because these cards cannot be incorporated in your build. If your opponent has a pile of 13's or 14's, all
your cards are potentially at risk. If your opponent has a 13-build and you capture with (say) a 10, your
opponent may play a 3 from hand and then take your 10 together with the 3 to augment the build.
A large part of the tactics of the game is correct timing of when to capture. Although the ultimate
objective is to capture cards, capturing early can put you at a disadvantage, especially in the three-player
game, because your capture pile then becomes available to your opponents to augment their builds.
Because large value piles are so powerful, it is particularly important not to release your queens, kings
and aces too early if this may give your opponent a monopoly. To exploit this, if you and another player
have (say) a king each, you might start a 13-build early in the game to tempt your opponent to capture it,

leaving you with a 13 monopoly.

Drifting can be used as a way of signalling to your partner. Drifting is only safe when you know that
your opponents have no more of the card in question, or when you know that you and your partner
combined will still have two left. Therefore a drift by the player who owns the pile signals that he or she
has two more of the card in question; a drift by the other partner signals one more of the card in question
(unless the card played is appearing for the third time, in which case the build is safe anyway). Players
may drift reciprocally, so that both can be assured that the build is safe. For example, my partner builds
kings, and I have two. I might drift a king. If she also has two, then she knows that our build is safe, and
should then drift back at an early opportunity so that I will know, too.
Sotho Casino
Sotho casino differs from Swazi casino in that the picture cards lose their numerical value, and an ace
can only be one. Cards taken to the capture pile may not be sorted, but are left in whatever order they
accumulated on the build pile, with the capturing card on top. Partners keep separate piles, and you may
steal your partner's top card to help augment a build. Picture cards are placed in the capture pile beneath
all the numeral cards but above other picture cards. You may give your partner picture cards you captures
to store in your partner's pile (it seems unlikely that this would be very useful, but they do it).
South African Casino

Faizal Asmal provided a short description of a version of Casino that is popular in South Africa. This
resembles the Swazi and Sotho versions in that cards can be taken from an opponent's capture pile, but
the detailed rules are somewhat different. The South African game can be played by two, three of four
players. It is played with a 40 card pack, obtained by removing all the pictures from a standard 52 card
pack.
The first dealer is chosen at random. In subsequent hands the previous loser is the first person to be dealt
cards, and also starts the game. If there are two players, 10 cards are dealt to each player and there is a
second deal of 10 cards when these have all been played. For the three player game, 13 cards are dealt to
each player and one is placed face up on the table. For the four player game, 10 cards are dealt to each
player.
Note that with two or four players there are no face up cards on the table at the start, so the first player
cannot capture but must simply play a card. In South Africa, playing a card without capturing is called
drifting.
All captured cards are kept face up in a single pile in front of the player who captured them. New
captures are added to the top of the pile. When you capture several cards at once, they must be placed on
your pile in numerical order, with the lowest card on top. The top card of each player's capture pile is
available to be captured by other players along with the face up cards on the table.
If you have a build on the table you are not allowed simply to drift; you must either add to your build or
capture something.
A player who already has a build on the table may steal the top card of a player's capture pile to

incorporate into the build, provided that the building player simultaneously adds a card to the build from
hand. Example: Player A has a seven and two eights in hand; on the table is a build of 8's and a lone
seven; the top card of player B's capture pile is an ace. Player A has various options:
1. play his seven, steal player B's ace and add both to his build of eights;
2. add one of his eights to his build;
3. play one of his eights, capturing his build, the loose seven on the table, and the ace from player B's
pile.
When there are two players, after both players have played their first ten cards there is another deal of ten
cards each. In this second phase the rules are slightly different: players are always allowed to drift, even
if they have a build on the table.
When all the cards have been played, whoever made the last capture takes whatever cards are left in the
centre of the table.
The scores are as follows:
Player with most cards - 2 points (if tied the tying players get one point each)
For having at least five spades - 1 point
Two of spades - 1 point
Ten of diamonds - 2 points
Aces - 1 point each


Rules of Card Games: Spite and Malice
Spite and Malice

This is a kind of competitive patience (solitaire) game for two players. It is also known as Cat and
Mouse. Both players try to be the first to get rid of a pile of "pay-off cards" by playing them to centre
stacks which are begun with an ace and continue in upward sequence to a king. This is not a physical
race (as in Spit or Racing Demon where play is simultaneous) - in Spite and Malice the players take
turns.
There are quite a few different versions of Spite and Malice around. First I will give what seems to be the
most widely played version of the game. Then I will describe some of the more popular variations, and
finally I will explain the rather different version which appears in most of the card game books.
Deal, Layout and Terminology

The Play
End of the Game
More than two players
Variations
The Book Version
Software

Spite and Malice was originally a two player game, and it is easiest to describe this version first.
Versions for larger numbers of players will be fouind in the variations section. Two 52 card packs of
cards are needed. The cards in each pack rank from low to high: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q, with kings
wild. Suits are irrelevant in this game.
Deal, layout and terminology

The layout of the game is shown in the following diagram:
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To begin the game 20 cards are dealt face down to each pay-off pile, and a further 5 cards are dealt to
each player as their hand. The remainder of the cards are placed face down between the players to form
the stock. The top card of each pay-off pile is turned face up and placed on top. Whichever player has the
higher card showing will play first. If they are equal, both players shuffle their pay-off piles and turn up a
new top card. At this stage the centre stacks and side stacks are all empty.
The play
The object of the game is to be the first get rid of all the cards in your pay-off pile by playing them to the
centre stacks. Only the top card of your pay-off pile is available for play at any time; when you have
managed to get rid of the top card, you turn the next pay-off card face up and try to get rid of that.
The first card in each centre stack must be an ace, then 2, 3, and so on in sequence up to queen, each card
played being one higher than the card it covers. There cannot be more than three centre stacks at one
time.
The player whose first pay-off card is higher plays first, and thereafter the players take alternate turns. If
you have fewer than five cards in your hand you begin your turn by drawing cards from the stock to
bring your hand up to five cards. You may then make a series of moves, the possible moves being:
1. To play an ace to an empty centre stack, or to play to a centre stack the next higher card than the
card showing (for example a six on a five, or a jack on a ten, irrespective of suit). The card played
may come from your hand, from the top of one of your side stacks, or from the top of your pay-off
pile, and is played face-up on top of the centre stack.
2. To play a card from your hand face-up on top of one of your side stacks. This ends your turn. A
player cannot have more than four separate side stacks at one time; if you have no empty side
stacks then you must discard onto a side stack that already contains cards, making the card you
cover temporarily unavailable for play.

You may play as many cards to the centre stacks as you want, but as soon as you play a card to a side
stack your turn ends, and your opponent may play.
Note that you can never play a pay-off card to a side stack, or to move a card from one side stack to
another, or move a card from a centre stack to anywhere.
Kings are wild and can represent any card. You can discard a king to a side stack without committing
yourself as to what it represents. When a king is placed on a centre stack it represents the next higher
value than the card it covers.
If during your turn you manage to play all five cards from your hand, without playing to a side stack, you
immediately draw five more cards from the stock and continue playing.
If you complete a centre stack by playing a queen (or a king representing a queen) your opponent
shuffles the completed stack into the stock, creating a space for a new centre stack, and you can continue
playing.
End of the game

The game ends when someone wins by playing the last card of their pay-off pile to the centre. The game
can also end if the stock runs out of cards, in which case the result is a draw.
More than two players

Spite and Malice can easily be adapted for any number of players. Turn to play passes clockwise.
Depending on the number of players and how many cards you deal to the payoff piles, more decks may
need to be added - for example some play with one deck per player. Some play that the number of centre
stacks is limited to one more than the number of players - i.e. four for three players, five for four players,
etc.
Four people can play as partners; six people form three teams of two. Partners sit opposite each other. At
your turn you can play from your partner's pay-off pile or side stacks to the centre stacks, but you can
only discard to your own side stack. Play continues until one pair wins by playing all the cards from both
of their pay-off piles.
Variations
Number of Centre Stacks
Some players allow an unlimited number of centre stacks (but never more than four side stacks for each
player). In this case it is not necessary to remove completed centre stacks immediately, but you may
agree to wait until the stock is depleted.
Some play other limits on the number of centre stacks - for example a maximum of four.

Compulsory play of aces

Some play that aces cannot be retained in your hand but must be played as soon as drawn to start new
centre stacks. Also an ace appearing on your pay-off pile must immediately be played to the centre. In
this version there is no limit on the number of centre stacks.
Size of pay-off piles

Some people play with a different number of cards in the initial pay-off piles - for example 21 or 25.
Resolving Stalemates
Some people play that if the stock runs out the winner is the player with fewest cards remaining in their
pay-off pile. Only if the pay-off piles have equal numbers of cards is the result a draw.
Playing with jokers

Some people include jokers in the deck for Spite and Malice. The jokers are wild and can represent any
card. Some play that the kings remain wild as well; others play that only the jokers are wild, and that 13
cards are needed top complete each centre stack, ending with the king.
Masachusetts Variation
Benjamin Arnoldy has reported a rather different version of the game, played in Massachusetts. The
main differences are:
1. the payoff piles contain only 14 cards at the start;
2. one card is dealt face up to each side-stack at the start of the game;
3. immediately before making the side stack discard that ends your turn you must play a card from
your hand to each of your empty side-stacks; if you have insufficient cards in your hand to
complete your turn, you draw five new cards from the stock and begin a new turn.
The Book Version of Spite and Malice

When Spite and Malice is found in card game books, the versions described are normally rather different
from the one described on this page. The main differences in the book version are as follows.
Players and cards
There are always two players. The two packs get mixed together during the play, but need to be
separated out for each new game. To make this possible, the two packs should have different
backs. Pack A is a standard 52 card pack; Pack B has the usual 52 cards plus 4 jokers, making 56
cards in all. Pack A is dealt out face down to form the two 26-card pay-off piles. Each player is
dealt a five card hand from pack B, and the remainder of pack B is placed face down to form the
stock.
Discarding to side stacks restricted

Any card may be played to an empty side stack. If a side-stack already contains a card or cards, the
card played on top of it must be equal to or one less than the card showing (for example on a seven
you can play another seven or a six). When you play to a side stack this ends your turn, but you
may decide to end your turn without playing to a side stack if you wish. In fact you may be forced
to end without discarding to a side stack, because you may have no card that will fit.
Use of jokers
A joker can represent any card except an ace. You can discard a joker to a side stack without
committing yourself as to which of the possible ranks it represents. For example, if a side stack has
a nine followed by two jokers on top, the next card placed on the side stack could be a six
(counting the jokers as an eight and a seven), a seven, an eight or a nine (counting both jokers as
nines). When a joker is played to a centre stack it must represent the next higher value than the
card it covers. A joker cannot be used to start a centre stack, because a joker cannot represent an
ace. A joker can change its value as necessary when it is played from a side stack to a centre stack.
Restrictions on aces and twos
If you have an ace or two visible on top of your pay-off pile or one of your side stacks, it must be
played to a centre stack as soon as this is legal. If you have more than one such card you can
choose which to play first. Jokers are not affected by this restriction - you are never forced to play
a joker to the centre as a two, even if it is on top of a two on one of your side stacks.
Number of centre stacks
Some books allow an unlimited number of centre stacks to be formed. Others impose a limit of
four.
Passing and stalemates
If you cannot or do not wish to play any cards at all in your turn you can pass, and your opponent
plays again. Occasionally it will happen that your opponent is also unable or unwilling to move.
There is then a discussion. If neither player is prepared to break the stalemate the game ends at this
point. Some say that if either player has any aces and twos in their concealed hand which can be
played to the centre, they must play one such card to break the stalemate.
Some say that when a stalemate is reached, instead of ending the game, all of the cards in the
players' hands and on the table, except the remaining pay-off piles, are shuffled together, two new
five-card hands are dealt, and play continues.
Scoring
If you want to score, then you score 5 points for playing all your pay-off cards, plus one point for
each card remaining in your opponent's pay-off pile. If the game ends in a stalemate then the
player with the smaller remaining pay-off pile scores the number of cards difference between the
piles.
Software
Here is Mari JP Sderberg's Spite and Malice computer program. You can play against the computer or
against a live opponent over the Internet.
Net Spite and Malice, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a

human opponent over the Internet, LAN, modem or direct connection.


Rules of Card Games: Cau Robat
Cau Robat
This page is based on a contribution from Enric Capo Contents
Introduction
The deck
The deal
Playing
Cau, Recau, Contracau
Cleaning the Table
The score
Variants
Introduction
Cau robat is played in Catalonia, the north east part of Spain. It is an unusual children's fishing game,
somewhat similar to Scopa and Scopone although with less scope for skill. The game has been included
because of the unusual features of the Cau calls and the capture of sequences. Unfortunately the game
mechanism is rather cumbersome, especially the payment in cards for caus and cleaning the table;
because of this I cannot really recommend it is a game worth playing.
The Deck
Cau is played with a standard Spanish 40 card deck of four suits:
oros (coins)
copes (cups)
espases (swords)
bastons (batons)
- the cards in each suit running from 1 to 7 and 10 to 12, with the 10 called Sota (Valet), the 11 Cavall
(Horse) and the 12 Rei (King).
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Only the rank of the cards is important in the game. When making a sequence, the 10 follows the 7 and
the 1 follows the 12, so that (for example) 5-6-7-10-11 and 11-12-1-2-3 are valid sequences.
Any number of players can play, although the usual number is from 3 to 5.
The deal
The deal and play are anticlockwise. The dealer puts four cards (or five cards if there are five players)
face up on the table. If two or more of these cards have the same rank (for example two sixes) just one
card of that rank is left face up on the table; any others are shuffled back into the deck and replacement
cards dealt until the face-up cards are all different in rank. All of the remaining cards are dealt out to the
players three at a time (if there are five players deal two rounds three at a time and then a final round of
single cards).
The aim of the game is to take more cards than your opponents.
Playing
The player to the right of the dealer begins, and the turn to play passes around the table anticlockwise. In
your turn of play, you place one of the cards from your hand face up in the centre of the table; this may
capture one or more cards from table or from the other players. Players keep the cards they have won
stacked face up in front of them in a single pile.
If the card you play is the same rank as a card on the table, you capture it and place both cards face up in
front of you.
If there is on the table an unbroken ascending sequence of cards beginning with one equal in rank to the
one you play, you can capture the whole sequence. For example if the cards on the table are 1, 2, 4, 7, 11,
12 you can play an 11 and take 11-12-1-2, or play a 4 and take just the 4, or play a 1 and take 1-2.
The cards you take should be maintained in order and you must put them in a pile in front of you, face
up, with the one you played in top. For example, if you play a 6 to take 6-7, there will be a six showing
on top of your pile, under which is another 6, then a 7, followed by whatever was there before.
When you are capturing a sequence of cards from the table, if the top card of one of the other players'
piles fits in the sequence, you can capture their whole pile. Suppose that the cards on the table are 1, 2, 4,
7, 11, 12, and some player has a 3 on the top of their captured cards. You can play a 12 and take 12-1-2
from the table, the whole 3-pile and 4 from the table. Your pile will now have a 12 on the top, then 1, 2,
the whole 3 pile (with its order unchanged), 4 and then whatever was there before.
If you play a card that is not equal to any card in the centre of the table, you do not capture any cards;
your card remains where it is and can be captured by a later player.
Note that a pile belonging to another player cannot be captured by an equal card, but only as part of a
sequence. If in the above example you play a 3, it does not capture the 3-pile, but simply remains on the
table, capturing nothing.
If there is a card in the centre of the table which is equal to the top card of someone's pile, a player

capturing a sequence must take the centre card rather than the pile - so the centre card effectively protects
the pile. For example while there is a 5 in the centre of the table, a pile with a 5 in the top can not be
taken.
Cau, Recau, Contracau

If the player immediately before you plays a card that makes no capture, and you play a card that
matches that card, you say "cau" (pronounced "cow"), and the previous player has to pay you a penalty.
If the next player after you also has a matching card, that player can play it saying "recau" and capture
all three cards, unless the player after that has the fourth matching card, plays it saying "contracau" and
captures all four equal cards.
The card you capture with cau, recau or contracau can also be the start of a sequence. For example
suppose that the cards on the table are 5, 6, 12 and the player before you plays a 4, capturing nothing. If
you also have a 4 you can now play it, saying cau. You must now wait to hear whether the player after
you says recau. If there is no recau, you can take the 4-5-6 with your 4; if the next player does say
recau, playing a 4, that player can take the three fours, five and six, provided there is no contracau.
Note that a cau only takes place when a card played to the table is immediately matched by the very next
player. If that player does not match the card, the opportunity for a cau is lost; capturing that card later in
the game will no longer count as a cau.
Note also that to claim a cau you must capture the previously played card by equalling it. Capturing it as
part of a sequence is not a cau. For example suppose that 3 and a 5 are on the table and the player before
you plays a 6, capturing nothing. If you now play a 5, capturing the 5 and the 6, this is not a cau.
The payment for a cau is one card. That is, one card is moved from the top of the pile of the first player
(whose card was captured) to the top of the pile of the second player (who matched it). This payment is
made after the capture, so the card given in payment will be placed on top of the capturing card, which is
on top of the captured cards.
The additonal payment for a recau is two cards from the first player and one card from the player who
said cau. If A plays a card without capturing, B says cau and matches it and C says recau and matches it
again, but there is no contracau, then the payments are made in the following order: B pays one card to
C; A pays one card to B; A pays two cards to C.
If the following player (D) says contracau, the additional payment is three cards from A, two from B
and one from C. The order of payments is: C pays one card to D; B pays one to C and two to D. A pays
one to B, two to C and three to D.
When paying two or three cards to another player, they are transferred from pile to pile without
disturbing the order, so that the top card remains on top.
Cleaning the Table

If your play captures all the cards on the table, each player pays you one card. This is done in order of
play, starting with the player to your right; after you have taken your captured cards, each player in turn
transfers the top card from their pile to your pile.

If you clean the table with a cau (or recau or contracau) the payments for cau, etc. take place before the
payments for cleaning the table.
In the event that you have to pay a penalty but your pile of captured cards is empty, you owe the penalty
and should pay it as soon as you capture some cards.
The score
When everyone has played all the cards from their hands, each player counts the number of cards in the
pile in front of them. The player with most cards wins the hand, and the first player who wins an agreed
number of hands wins the game.
Variants
An alternative method of scoring is that each player gets one point for every 10 cards taken (i.e. no points
for nine cards or fewer, one point for 10-19 cards, two points for 20-29 cards, etc.) When someone has
21 or more points at the end of a hand the player with most points is the winner.
The following two variants simplify the game somewhat:
some play that a cau, recau or contracau does not allow you to begin a sequence - you can only
capture the equal card(s).
some play that in case of a recau or contracau, the payment (of two and three cards respectively)
is only paid from the first player to the last one; the player(s) in between do not give or receive any
cards.
For an easier game you deal just three cards, play them, deal again, play them and so on until all cards
are used, in the same way you do in Scopa.
For an even easier game, players keep their captured cards face down, and these piles cannot be captured.
As cau robat means "stolen" cau, this variant without stealing is simply known as cau.
Back to table of contents

Rules of Card Games: Cego
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Other Tarot Games
Cego
Introduction
Players
Cards
Values of the Cards
The Four Player Game
Deal
The Games
Bidding Procedure
The Play
The Scoring
Ending the Game
The Three Player Game
Variations
Pflicht-Ruber
Ministranten Version
Brunlingen Tournament Version
Oberwolfach Version
Schmidt Version
Cards counted in twos
Introduction
Cego is a special type of Tarok, played in south west Germany. It was developed in the early part of the
nineteenth century and became the national card game of Baden and Hohenzollern, where it remains
extremely popular. These are the only parts of Germany where genuine Tarok cards (here known as Cego
cards) are still in general use. (A game called Tarock is played in Wrttemberg and Bavaria, but that game
uses a normal 36 card German pack).
Cego is unusual among Tarok games in that an extra hand, the Cego, sometimes known as the Tapp or
Blinde, is dealt to the centre of the table. Many of the bids involve playing with this extra hand, retaining
only one or two of one's original cards and discarding the remainder. The discarded cards are sometimes
called the Legage. The idea of this type of bid derives from a version of L'Hombre, and survives in a few
other games, such as Vira.
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There are many local variations of Cego; the description on this page is based on games played in
Brunlingen in April 1997, in the Gasthaus zum Lwen and also with young members of the church (the
Brunlingen Ministranten). My thanks to Stephan Ocker for introducing me to the players.
The version played at the Gasthaus zum Lwen is described first, then the version played by the
Ministranten. Some other variations, including those mentioned in various published descriptions of Cego,
are given at the end.
Players
There are four or three active players. If five people want to play, the dealer sits out of each hand but pays or
receives the same as the defenders. The game is played anticlockwise.
The player to the dealer's right, who receives the first cards and speaks first in the bidding, is known as
Vorhand.
Cards
A special 54 card Cego pack consisting of 22 Trocke, which are permanent trumps, and 8 cards in each of
the four suits clubs (kreuz), spades (schippen, schip), hearts (herz) and diamonds (karo, eckstein, eck). There
are two different designs in use: in one various anmals are depicted on the Trocke; in the other, the Trocke
show domestic scenes. If you have no Cego cards, you could use instead an Austrian Tarock pack, or a
French Tarot pack from which the 1-6 in each black suit and the 5-10 in each red suit have been removed.
The Trocke from 1 to 21 are identified by large arabic numbers in the top centre. They rank from 1 (lowest)
up to 21 (second highest). The highest trump, which is effectively No. 22, is called der Gstie (or sometimes
der Geiger). It has no number and shows a musician. The lowest trump, Trock 1, is called der kleine Mann.
The cards in the black suits rank (from high to low) king (Knig), queen (Dame), rider (Reiter), jack (Bube),
10, 9, 8, 7. The cards in the red suits rank king, queen, rider, jack, 1, 2, 3, 4. The picture cards have no corner
indices for identification, but the kings wear crowns, the queens are female, the riders have horses and the
jacks are the other ones.
Values of the cards

The object of the game is (usually) to win tricks containing valuable cards. The cards values are:
Gstie, Trock 21, Trock 1 and kings 5 points each
queens 4 points each
riders 3 points each
jacks 2 points each
all other cards 1 point each
The cards are counted in groups of three, and two points are subtracted from the value of each group of 3
cards. If one or two cards are left over at the end of counting a pile of cards, one point is subtracted from this
group. The total value of the cards in the pack is 70 points.

If this method of counting is unfamiliar, see the counting points in Tarot games page for further explanation
and examples.
Four player game

Deal
The first dealer is chosen by cutting cards (highest deals); thereafter the turn to deal rotates anticlockwise.
The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's left cuts. The dealer places the top 10 cards of the pack face
down in the centre of the table, and then deals a single batch of 11 cards to each player. The cards dealt to the
centre of the table are known as das Cego, or sometimes der Tapp.
The Games
The game to be played is decided by bidding. In most cases, the player who wins the bidding (i.e. makes the
last bid) plays alone against the other three players in partnership (the defenders). The only exception to this
is the game Ruber, which is played without partnerships - everyone for themselves.
There are two types of game, which I shall call normal games and special games. In a normal game, the
bidder's objective is to take as many card points as possible. When counting the points taken, the cego cards
(the 10 cards that are out of play) are added to the tricks won by the bidder, and the cards in the tricks won by
the defenders are counted together. The bidder wins by taking more card points than the defenders, that is 36
or more, since there are 70 card points in total.
Normal Games
The possible normal games are as follows:

Solo
Everyone plays with the cards they were originally dealt. No one may look at the cego cards until after
the play.
Cego
The bidder selects two cards to keep (usually high Trocke), discards the other nine, and then picks up
the ten cego cards, making twelve. Finally the bidder discards one more card face down from these
twelve and plays with the remaining 11 cards. This exchange of cards is performed by the bidder,
without exposing any of the cards to the defenders.
Eine
The bidder can choose just one card to keep (generally a high trump). This card is combined with the
cego to form a new 11 card hand with which the bidder plays. The remaining 10 cards are discarded.
Again, none of the cards are shown to the defenders.
Eine Leere ("one empty")
The bidder can keep one card, which must be a numeral card of a suit (i.e. an "empty" card). This card
is placed face up on the table, the remaining 10 cards of the bidder's hand are discarded face down, and
the bidder picks up the 10 cego cards in their place, without showing them. The empty card which was
kept and exposed must either be led to the first trick, or the bidder must lead another card of the same
suit as the exposed card.

It is possible for a player who has no empty cards to play Eine Leere. In this case the bidder can keep a
picture card in a suit instead, for example a jack, and nominate this as an empty card. Such a card
counts as the lowest in its suit, and cannot win a trick. In fact the exposed "empty card" kept by the
bidder in Eine Leere can never win a trick. If the bidder chooses to lead a different card of the same
suit as the exposed card, the card which was originally exposed automatically loses any trick to which
it is played later.
Example: The bidder keeps the 8 but having found the king of clubs in the cego, decides to lead that
to the first trick instead. The king of clubs wins, as everyone has a club. Later in the hand, the bidder
has managed to draw all the defenders' trumps and none of them as any clubs left. If the bidder leads
the 8 now, it does not win the trick even though it is the only club. The second player can play any
card, this card determines the suit to be followed, and the highest card of that suit wins the trick.
Zwei Leere ("two empty")
The bidder keeps two numeral cards of the same suit, which are placed face up on the table, and
discards the other nine cards face down. The bidder then picks up the cego, and from it must discard
the lowest Trock, showing it to the defenders before adding it to the other 9 discards. The bidder must
either lead the two exposed cards to the first two tricks, or replace one or both of them by cards of the
same suit from hand and lead those. In any case, as in Eine Leere, whether they are played now or
later, the original exposed "empty cards" can never win tricks.
A player who does not have two numeral cards of the same suit can designate any two cards of the
same suit as "empty" and expose them, but as in Eine Leere, these become low cards and can never
win tricks.
Zwei Verschiedene ("two different")
The bidder keeps two numeral cards of different suits, which are placed face up on the table, and
discards the other nine cards face down. The bidder then picks up the cego, and from it must discard
the highest Trock, showing it to the defenders before adding it to the other 9 discards. The bidder
must lead the two exposed cards to the first two tricks - there is no option to lead other cards of the
same suits. As in Eine Leere and Zwei Leere, a player who does not have two numeral cards of
different suits can use picture cards for one or both of them instead; these then become the lowest cards
of their suits.
Der kleine Mann
The bidder must hold the kleiner Mann (Trock 1), which is placed face up on the table and must be led
to the first trick (which it will lose). The bidder's other 10 cards are discarded face down and replaced
by the 10 cards of the cego.
Special Games
There are four special games, in which the objective is different from that in the normal games. In all of the
special games, the cego is set aside and the players play with the cards they were dealt.
Ulti
The bidder's sole object is to win the last trick with Trock 1 (der kleine Mann). The bidder wins if this
succeeds and loses if it fails (which can happen in two ways: one of the defenders wins the last trick
with a higher Trock, or the Trock 1 is forced out before the last trick).
Piccolo

The bidder's aim is to win exactly one trick; the defenders win if the bidder takes no tricks or more
than one.
Bettel
The bidder wins by taking no tricks at all; if the bidder ever takes a trick the defenders win.
Ruber
In this game everyone plays for themselves. The player who takes the most card points in tricks loses.
Bidding Procedure
The bidding is in two phases. The purpose of the first phase is to find out if anyone wants to play Solo or
Ulti, and in the second phase the other games can be bid.
First phase of bidding

The bidding begins with Vorhand (the player to dealer's right) and continues anticlockwise until someone
says Solo or Ulti; a player who does not want to play either of these games passes by saying "Fort Solo" or
just "Fort". A bid of Ulti ends the whole auction - no further bids are possible and the Ulti is played. A bid of
Solo ends the first phase of bidding. If no one bids Solo or Ulti the first phase ends when everyone has said
"Fort".
Second phase after everyone said "Fort"

If everyone said "Fort", Vorhand must begin the second phase of bidding by saying "Cego" or "Piccolo" or
"Bettel". Vorhand is not allowed to pass. If Vorhand says "Cego", any of the other players who wish to play
Piccolo or Bettel can say so now, or at any time up to an including their normal turn to bid. A bid of Piccolo
or Bettel ends the bidding and is played. In the unlikely event that more than one player wants to play a
Piccolo or a Bettel, the player whose turn to bid is earlier (i.e. the nearest player in anticlockwise order from
Vorhand) has priority.
When Vorhand has said "Cego", as long as no one interrupts with Piccolo or Bettel, players have the
opportunity to bid the other normal games. The ranking of the remaining bids, in ascending order, is Eine,
Eine Leere, Zwei Leere, Zwei Verschiedene, der kleine Mann. If two players want to play the same game, the
player whose turn to bid was earlier has priority. However, at any stage, each player can only make the
lowest possible bid (jump bids are not allowed), and each player only enters the bidding after the bidding
between the previous players has been resolved.
So after Vorhand has said "Cego" the player to Vorhand's right has the choice of making the next higher bid,
"Eine" or passing, by saying "gut" (good). If this player says gut, the next player in turn has the same options,
and so on, round to the dealer. If a player says "Eine", then it is immediately Vorhand's turn to decide
whether to equal this bid, by saying "selbst" (myself) or to pass, by saying "gut". If Vorhand says "selbst"
then the player who bid Eine must either pass, saying "gut", or continue to the next bid "Eine Leere", in
which case Vorhand again has the choice of saying "selbst" or "gut". This competition between the two
players continues until one of them says "gut". The survivor will play the last game mentioned unless
someone bids higher. The bidding continues with the player to the right of the one who said Eine; this player
can either pass or bid the next higher game, in which case the survivor of the previous bidding can say
"selbst" or "gut". The bidding continues in this way until everyone has had a chance to speak and all players
but one have said "gut". This one surviving bidder plays the last game mentioned.

In the special case when Vorhand bids Cego and everyone else says "gut", Vorhand can choose whether to
play Cego or Ruber. This is the only case in which a game of Ruber can be played. The idea of a Ruber is
to punish a player who has failed to bid Solo, despite having a good hand; this player is likely to take most
points and thus lose.
Examples (A is Vorhand; B, C and D are the other players in antclockwise order; D is dealer).
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Fort Fort
Cego Gut Eine -
Selbst - Eine Leere -
Gut - - Zwei Leere
- - Selbst Gut C plays Zwei Leere
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Fort Fort
Cego Eine - -
Gut - Gut Gut B plays Eine
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Fort Fort
Cego Eine - Piccolo D plays Piccolo
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Fort Fort
A has the choice of playing Cego
Cego Gut Gut Gut
or Ruber
Second phase of bidding after a Solo bid

The bidding procedure after a Solo similar to the procedure when there is no Solo, except that:
the Solo bidder has highest priority, then Vorhand, and then the other players in anticlockwise order;
the next bid above Solo is Gegensolo (which means the same as Cego), then Eine, Eine Leere, etc., as
usual;
no special games (Piccolo, Bettel) can can be bid over a Solo.
So after a Solo bid, the second phase begins with Vorhand, or with the player to the right of Vorhand if it was
Vorhand who bid Solo. This player can bid "Gegensolo" or pass by saying "gut". Gegensolo (against the
solo) is the same game as Cego, but is worth more (as it is more difficult to win, given that the Solo player
has a strong hand). If the first player passes, the next player can bid Gegensolo or pass and so on
anticlockwise around the table, but skipping the player who bid Solo.
If all three opponents of the Solo bidder say "gut" the Solo is played. If someone bids Gegensolo the Solo
bidder can either equal this bid, saying "selbst" or pass by saying "gut". If the Solo bidder says "selbst", the
Gegensolo bidder can raise the bid to Eine, and so on just as in the bidding when there is no Solo. When one
of these players says "gut", it is the turn of the player to the right of the Gegensolo bidder (or if that is the
Solo bidder, the player to the Solo bidder's right) to make the next higher bid or pass, and so on.

Examples (A is Vorhand; B, C and D are the other players in antclockwise order; D is dealer).
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Solo -
Gut Gut - Gut C plays Solo
A B C D Result
Fort Solo - -
Gut - Gegensolo -
- Gut - Gut C plays Cego
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Solo -
Gegensolo - Selbst -
(A rather unlikely bidding
Gut Gut - Eine
sequence)
- - Selbst Gut C plays Eine
The Play
The bidder leads to the first trick. The other players must follow suit if they can. A player who cannot follow
suit must play a Trock if possible. If a Trock is led, the other players must follow with Trocks if they can. A
player who has no card of the suit led and no Trocks is free to play any card.
A trick is won by the highest Trock in it, or if no Trocks are played, by the highest card of the suit led. The
winner of a trick leads to the next.
In games in which the bidder's original hand was discarded, the bidder is allowed to look at the discarded
cards (the Legage) at any time until the end of the first trick, but not thereafter. In Solo, Ulti, Piccolo, Bettel
and Ruber, no one is allowed to look at the cego cards until the end of the play.
In the games Zwei Leere and Zwei Verschiedene, the bidder leads to the first two tricks. The two cards kept
from the bidder's original hand (which in the case of Zwei Leere may be replaced by other cards of the same
suit found in the cego) are placed face up on the table to begin the tricks, and each defender in turn plays to
both tricks. If the first two tricks are won by different players, the player who won with the higher card leads
to the third trick. In the case of Zwei Verschiedene it is possible that two different defenders could win the
tricks with equally high cards (for example two kings); in that case the player who played the king of the
higher suit leads to the third trick, the suits ranking in the order: clubs (highest), spades, hearts, diamonds
(lowest).
The Scoring
In a normal game, provided that the bidder wins at least one trick, the bidder counts the card points in won
tricks plus the cego (the ten cards which are out of play), while the defenders count the points in the tricks
they have won. There are 70 card points altogether; to win, the bidder needs more than half of these points -
that is at least 36.
If the bidder loses every trick, the cego counts for the opponents - so the payments are calculated on the basis

that the bidder has taken 0 points and the opponents have 70. Thus it is possible for the bidder to lose even
after discarding a Legage of 36 points - the bidder also needs to win at least one trick to avoid defeat.
The amount the bidder wins or loses is the difference between 35 and the number of card points taken,
multiplied by a factor which depends on the game which was played. The result is rounded up to the next
multiple of 5, and this is the amount (in Pfennig) which the bidder receives from or pays to each opponent.
The factor for a Solo is 2 if the bidder wins, but just 1 if the bidder loses. The factors for the other possible
normal games depend on whether they were bid against a Solo, as follows:
Game Factor if Solo was not bid Factor if bid over a Solo
Cego 1 2 (Gegensolo)
Eine 2 3
Eine Leere 3 4
Zwei Leere 4 5
Zwei Verschiedene 5 6
Der kleine Mann 6 7
The case when the bidders and the defenders take 35 points each is called Brgermeister, and the bidder
pays 5 Pfennig to each defender.
Examples:
The bidder wins a Solo with 41 points (the defenders have 29). The difference from 35 is 6;
multiplying by 2 (the factor for a won Solo) gives 12; this is rounded up to 15 and the bidder wins 15
Pfennig from each defender.
The bidder loses a Solo taking only 29 points. The difference is 6 and the multiplication factor is 1 (for
a lost Solo); 6 is rounded up to 10, and the bidder pays 10 Pfennig to each opponent.
The bidder wins Zwei Leere with 39 points. The difference is 4 and the multiplying factor is 4; the
product 16 is rounded up to 20 and the bidder wins 20 Pfennig from each opponent.
The bidder loses a Gegensolo (a Cego bid over a Solo), taking only 27 points; the bidder pays 20
Pfennig (8*2=16 rounded up) to each defender.
The bidder plays a Gegensolo, discarding 25 points, but takes no tricks in the play. The discarded cards
count for the opponents and the bidder must therefore pay 70 Pfennig to each defender (35*2).
The special games have fixed scores as follows:
Game Score
Ulti 80
Piccolo 30
Bettel 30
Ruber 30
If the game is Ulti, Piccolo or Bettel, each defender pays the appropriate amount to the bidder if the bidder

wins; otherwise the bidder pays each defender.

In a Ruber, all players count the points in their own tricks. The cego is not counted. The player who has
most points loses. If Vorhand loses, the payment to the other players is doubled (60 instead of 30). If there is
a tie for most points, and Vorhand is involved in the tie, then Vorhand loses. If there is a tie in which
Vorhand is not involved, then all the players who tie for most points have to pay 30 to each other player.
Ending the Session

A player who wishes to end the session says "der Gstie gibt ab". On the following deal it is noted who holds
the Gstie play then continues until that player's next turn to deal, and that player deals the last hand of the
session.
Three Player Game

When there are only three players, three cards - the 7, 7 and 4 - are removed from the pack, leaving
51 cards (there are 8 cards in the hearts suit but only 7 in the other suits). The deal is 12 cards to the Cego and
13 to each player.
The games Piccolo, Bettel and Ruber are not allowed; otherwise the games and bidding procedure are the
same as in the four player game.
In place of Ruber, there is a different method of penalising a player who fails to bid Solo with a strong hand.
For this purpose a strong hand is defined as follows:
any hand containing nine or more trumps
any hand containing eight trumps of which at least two are higher than the 17, and the remaining
cards belonging to at most two suits (so at least two suits are void)
A player whose hand satisfies either of the above criteria is said to "have a Solo". Passing (saying "fort Solo")
in the first phase of the bidding when you have such a hand is called "skinning" a solo (soloschinden).
If everyone says "fort Solo", the eventual highest bidder can, after looking at the Cego cards, claim that
someone has skinned a Solo. In this case all three players expose their cards, and if it turns out that one of the
players has indeed skinned a Solo, that player loses as though they had played in the game of the final bid and
lost every trick. If it turns out, on the other hand, that no one has skinned a Solo, the bidder who made the
accusation loses as though having lost every trick. Note that if, as the bidder, you find that your own hand
plus the Cego contains fewer than five Trocke in total, you are safe in claiming that someone has skinned a
Solo.
Variations
There are many local variations of Cego, and even within the relatively small town of Brunlingen several
different versions are played. Here are a few variations that I have so far collected from players and from
some of the published rule books. If any Cego players reading this would like to let me know about other
versions and where they are played, I would be happy to add this information to the page.

Pflicht-Ruber
This is a local variation from the Gasthaus zum Lwen in Brunlingen, where they play four-handed Cego
every Wednesday evening. At 23:00 there is a round of compulsory Ruber - one deal by each player. During
this round no other bidding is allowed; a Ruber is played on every deal.
In Pflicht-Ruber the loser pays 30 to each other player. There is no special penalty if Vorhand loses, but if
one player takes no tricks the loser must pay 60. If two players take no tricks the loser must pay 120 to each
other player. If three players take no tricks, the player who took all the tricks wins (rather than loses) 240
from each other player.
After the Pflicht-Ruber round, normal Cego is played again, but for 10 times the normal stake - that is 10
Pfennig per point rather than 1; so Ramsch, Piccolo and Bettel cost DM 3.00, Ulti costs DM 8.00, and so on.
Ministranten Version
These rules are based on games played in the Pfarrenhaus at Brunlingen with some of the Ministranten:
Christoph, Stephan, Georg and Richard. I shall just give the differences from the Gasthaus zum Lwen rules
set out above. The usual game is for four players.
Terminology
The cards in the centre are always called the Cego (not Blinde or Legage). The word Legage is used
for a discard that contains a large number of points.
The numeral cards in the suits (10, 9, 8, 7, A, 2, 3, 4) are called Brettli.
Piccolo is alternatively called Bikel
Ruber is also known as Luftkampf
The possible Games

When everyone passes Vorhand's Cego bid, there are some additional alternatives:
Dresch
A special game which can be chosen by Vorhand as an alternative to Ruber. The Cego is not used,
and the sole objective is to avoid winning the last trick; the winner of the last trick loses the game. The
players at the Gasthaus zum Lwen also knew of this game but disapproved of it, probably because
Vorhand can use it to punish one of the other players heavily, almost at random.
Geregelter Ruber
This is like a normal Ruber except that trumps must be played to the first three tricks. The holder of
the Gstie must play it on the first trick, the holder of the 21 must play it on the second trick, and the
kleiner Mann must be played on the third trick. A player with fewer than three trumps must play Brettli
to the tricks to which trumps cannot be played (for example if you had only two Trocke, 16 and 1, you
would play the 16 to the first trick, a Brettli to the second trick, and the 1 to the third). The winner of
the third trick leads to the fourth and play continues normally.
Wilder Ruber
This is just a normal Ruber, in which there is no special restriction on what can be played.

Bidding procedure
As usual, the first phase is begun by Vorhand and the possible bids are Ulti and Solo; a player who does not
want to bid either says Fort. A bid of Ulti ends the auction; a bid of Solo immediately starts the second phase.
If everyone said Fort in the first phase, Vorhand must begin the second phase by bidding Cego, and the
bidding continues anticlockwise. The possible bids for the next player are Eine, Piccolo and Bettel;
alternatively the second player can pass by saying "gut", and the next player has the same possibilities. A bid
of Piccolo or Bettel ends the auction - otherwise the bidding continues anticlockwise. A bid of Eine can be
overcalled by Eine Leere, which can be overcalled by Zwei Leere and so on through the normal games (no
jump bids are allowed). Piccolo and Bettel cannot be bid over Eine or higher normal bids. When the bidding
comes back to Vorhand, one of the other players having bid a higher normal game, Vorhand can bid the same
game by saying "selbst". A player who has passed cannot bid in a later round.
If after Vorhand has bid Cego everyone says "gut", Vorhand has a choice between playing Cego, Piccolo,
Bettel, Geregelter Ruber, Wilder Ruber or Dresch. Example:
A B C D Result
Fort Fort Fort Fort
Cego Gut Eine Eine Leere
selbst - Zwei Leere Gut
Gut - - - C plays Zwei Leere
If the first phase is ended by someone saying Solo, the second phase is begun by the player on the right of the
one who said Solo and continues clockwise. The Solo player cannot bid again. If all the other players say
"gut", the Solo is played. The only possible bid over a Solo is Gegensolo (which is a Cego against the Solo).
If someone bids Gegensolo, this ends the auction and the player who bid Gegensolo plays a Cego.
The Play
Generally this is the same as in the same as in the Gasthaus zum Lwen version. In a game in which the Cego
has been used, the bidder can look at the Cego until the end of the third trick.
There are difference in the games Eine Leere, Zwei Leere and Zwei Verschiedene:
1. For these games, the one or two cards you lay out must really be empty cards (Brettli). If you do not
have the appropriate cards in your hand you cannot make the bid.
2. The empty cards must be led to the first trick(s) - there is no opportunity to substitute other cards of the
same suit.
3. After these trick(s) have been taken by the opponents, it is the bidder who leads to the next trick. Play
than continues normally.
The Scoring
The scores are written down rather than paid out in money after each hand. Nevertheless, the normal stake is
1 Pfennig per point. So if a player wins 30 in a four player game, 90 is added to that player's cumulative score
and each of the other players loses 30 from their cumulative score.

In a normal game, the cards are counted in threes as usual, and the score is based on the difference of the card
points taken from 35. This is multiplied by the factor for the game being played, and then rounded to the
nearest 5 points, with a minimum score of 5 points won or lost.
The factors are the same as the Gasthaus zum Lwen version, except that a Gegensolo has a factor of 4 if
won, 2 if lost.
In case of a Brgermeister (a hand in which the points divide 35-35), the bidder loses the minimum of 5
points, but in addition must buy a round of Schnaps for the players.
The scores for the special games are somewhat different:
Game Score
Ulti 70
Piccolo 40
Bettel 50
Ruber 30
Dresch 70
If the loser of a Ruber took more than 30 card points, the payment is the number of card points taken,
rounded to the nearest five. If Vorhand loses a Ruber, the loss is 60 points, or twice the number of card
points taken rounded to the nearest five if this is greater.
In some circles, Piccolo is played as worth 35, rather than 40.

This is the equivalent game, without Ruber or Dresch, but with the possibility of challenging a player who
you think has skinned a Solo. The three cards removed were 4, 4 and 7, leaving clubs rather than
hearts as the long suit.
Penalties
The standard penalty for breaking the rules is that the offender pays 70 points to each other player. These
penalties were enthusiastically enforced by the players, especially in the following cases:
Misdeal. The dealer is allowed to stop the other players picking up their hands before the deal is
complete; once the dealer is satisfied that all is in order and allows the cards to be picked up, if any
hand or the cego has the wrong number of cards, the dealer is penalised
Incorrect discard. This can easily happen in a Cego game - having retained two cards and picked up
the 10 cards from the middle, you forget to discard a further card but lead to the first trick instead. The
deal is abandoned and you pay everyone 70.
Revoke. Failing to follow suit, or failing to play a Trock when you have no card of the suit led. Again
the deal is abandoned and you pay the penalty.

Brunlingen Tournament Version

Stephan Ocker gave me a rule sheet for a Cego tournament which had recently been held in Brunlingen.
Although incomplete, this sheet indicates yet another version of the rules. The main distinguishing features
are as follows:
Two sessions of 24 hands are to be played
You cannot bid against your own Solo - that is, once you have bid Solo and someone has bid
Gegensolo you are out of the bidding
The values of the special games are:
Ultimo: 80
Piccolo: 40
Bettel: 40
Ruber: 30
When scoring normal games, the difference from 35 is rounded up to the next multiple of 5 before it is
multiplied by the factor for the game being played
Oberwolfach Version
This is reported by Michael Dummett in his book "The Game of Tarot" (Duckworth 1980), on the basis of
games he played there in 1974. The prinicpal game there is the three player version. The main differences
from the three player game at Brunlingen will be listed.
1. There is no Ulti game.
2. In Eine Leere, Zwei Leere and Zwei Vershiedene, the empty cards must really be empty. If you do
not have the appropriate cards you cannot bid these games. There is no obligation to lead the empty
card(s) at the beginning - the bidder can lead any card.
3. In the highest normal game - here called die Pfeif', Bapperle or Pagat rather than der kleine Mann,
the bidder has the option, instead of leading the Trock 1 to the first trick, to say "ich spiele die Pfeif'
frei", take the card back into hand, and attempt to win the last trick with it. If the bidder does this but
fails to win the last trick with the 1 the game is lost. It is unclear how such a loss is scored; probably it
is as though the bidder had lost every trick.
4. When all three players say "Fort Solo" in the first phase of bidding, not only must Vorhand open the
second phase with "Cego", but the next player must overcall with "Eine". Vorhand is then free to hold
by saying "selbst" or pass by saying "gut", and the rest of the bidding is as usual.
5. If all three players say "Fort Solo", a player whose hand contains seven or more empty cards (numeral
cards in the suits) can throw the cards in, and there is a new deal by the next dealer.
6. A bid of Solo ends the first phase of bidding and the player who bid Solo cannot bid again. The second
phase begins not with Vorhand, but with the player to the right of the one who bid Solo. This player
can hold the third player's bids. For example the bidding might go:
A B C Result
Fort Solo Solo Gegensolo
Eine - selbst
gut - - C plays Eine Leere

7. The factor for Solo is 1 if it is won, but 2 if it is lost. This is the opposite way round from the
Brunlingen scores and makes Solo much less attractive.
8. To score a normal game, the difference of the points from 35 is divided by 5, ignoring any remainder,
and then 1 is added, and the result is multiplied by the factor for the game. The following table is given
for calculating the base value of the game:
Points won by Points won by
Base value
bidder opponents
70 0 8
65 - 69 1-5 7
60 - 64 6 - 10 6
bidder 55 - 59 11 - 15 5
wins
50 - 54 16 - 20 4
45 - 49 21 - 25 3
40 - 44 26 - 30 2
36 - 39 31 - 34 1
31 - 35 35 - 39 1
26 - 30 40 - 44 2
21 - 25 45 - 49 3
bidder 16 - 20 50 - 54 4
loses
11 - 15 59 - 59 5
6 - 10 60 - 64 6
1-5 65 - 69 7
0 70 8
The four player game at Oberwolfach follows similar principles. There is still no Ulti game, but Bettel,
Piccolo and Ruber are possible. There is no possibility for a player with seven empty cards to throw in the
hand.
In the second bidding phase after all players have said "Fort Solo", Bettel and Piccolo can be bid, as well as
the normal games. Bettel can overcall Piccolo, and both outrank the normal games. If Vorhand bids Cego and
the other three pass, Vorhand has the option of playing Cego or Ruber. The scores for the special games are
5 for Ruber, 10 for Piccolo and 15 for Bettel. These are in proportion to the lower scores for the normal
games, which are generally about one fifth of the Brunlingen scores.
In the four player game, a player who has 8 or more Trocke (here called Trucks), or 7 of which at least two
are higher than 17 and at least two voids, is said to have a Solo. If everyone says "Fort Solo" in the first phase
of bidding, the eventual bidder of a normal game, having looked at the cego cards (here called the Blinde)

can claim that someone has skinned a Solo, with the same effects as in the three player game.
Schmidt Version
The Cego cards made by F.X.Schmidt come with a leaflet giving rules of the game. These include several
small variations and mostly agree with the Oberwolfach version. Some differences are:
1. There is no possibility to throw in the hand if you have seven empty cards.
2. In Eine Leere, Zwei Leere and Zwei Verschiedene, the possibility of using other cards instead of
empty cards and the obligation to lead these cards at the beginning are mentioned as variations.
3. In die Pfeif', normally the Pfeif' must be led to the first trick. "Ich spiele die Pfeif' frei" is mentioned as
a variation, but in this case the bidder is only committed to win a trick with the Pfeif', not necessarily
the last trick.
4. It is mentioned as a variation that you can bid over your own Solo.
5. The leaflet is ambiguous as to whether the factor for Solo is 2 if won and 1 if lost or vice versa.
Cards counted in twos

Some published descriptions of Cego, notably those by Claus D Grupp, say that the cards are counted in twos
rather than in threes. The players at Brunlingen confirmed that this method is used in villages a few
kilometers to the west of there.
In this method of counting, the cards are grouped into twos, the values of each pair of cards are added and
one point subtracted from the sum. (See the counting points in Tarot games page for a general discussion of
counting). This gives a higher total of 79 points in the pack, and because the total is odd, no Brgermeister
(tie) is possible.
The side which has 40 or more points wins. The base value of the game is given by the table below. This is
multiplied by the factor for the game being played to obtain the score.
Points won by Points won by
Base value
bidder opponents
75 - 79 0-4 8
70 - 74 5-9 7
65 - 69 10 - 14 6
bidder 60 - 64 15 - 19 5
wins
55 - 59 20 - 24 4
50 - 54 25 - 29 3
45 - 49 30 - 34 2
40 - 44 35 - 39 1
35 - 39 40 - 44 1

30 - 34 45 - 49 2
25 - 29 50 - 54 3
bidder
loses 20 - 24 59 - 59 4
15 - 19 60 - 64 5
10 - 14 65 - 69 6
5-9 70 - 74 7
0-4 75 - 79 8


Rules of Card Games: Cuckoo
Cuckoo
Cuckoo is also known as Chase the Ace or sometimes Ranter Go Round in Britain. In the USA it is
often called Screw Your Neighbor, though (confusingly) this name is also sometimes used for other
card games, especially Oh Hell!. Though related games are sometimes played with special cards, Cuckoo
can be played with a standard 52 card pack. The direction of play differs in different countries - in what
follows we assume clockwise. Each player starts with an equal number of lives, say 3. Just one card is
dealt to each player. The object is not to be left holding the lowest card. Suits are irrelevant and the cards
rank K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (low).
Each player has one turn, beginning with the player to dealer's left, continuing clockwise round the table
and ending with the dealer. At your turn you may either keep your card or try to exchange it with your
left hand neighbour, in the hope of getting a better card. Your neighbour must accept the exchange unless
she has a king, in which case she exposes the king and you keep your card. The dealer, whose turn comes
last, can try to exchange with a card cut from the undealt stock, cannot do so if the cut card is a king.
After everyone has had a turn, everyone exposes their card and whoever has the lowest card loses a life.
If several players tie for lowest they all lose a life. Players who have lost all their lives are out of the
game, and the last person left in wins.
P.J. Ackerson reports an American version of Screw Your Neighbor for 3-26 players in which everyone
starts with four lives, represented by four equal piles of money placed in front of them. The last person
left in wins all the money. There are three possible rules on the way kings are used:
1. Some play that kings are traded like any other card and have no special effect.
2. Some play that anyone who is dealt a king must flip it face-up immediately after the deal. If there
are any kings in the deal then no one is allowed to trade and whoever was dealt the lowest card(s)
loses a life.
3. Kings get flipped over when someone tries to trade with one and no further trading takes place on
that deal.
Some also play with special rules about queens and jacks:
If someone tries to trade with you and you have a queen they instead must trade their card with the
person on their right. (If that person also has a queen, the player between the queens is not allowed
to trade).
If you have a jack and someone tries to trade with you, you show them the jack and they are not
allowed to trade. Trading continues with the person whose turn comes next.
David Murphy reports another American variation in which if two or more players have the same ranking
card at the end, they are safe from losing a life. If they end up lowest, the lowest unique rank loses. It is
not quite clear what should happen in the rare case where no one has a unique rank - I suggest that it
must be a draw, so that no one loses a life on that hand.
http://www.pagat.com/cuckoo/cuckoo.html (1 de 2) [04/05/2001 9:48:53]

Rules of Card Games: Cuckoo
There are further descriptions of Screw Your Neighbor on Peter Sarrett's site and the Drinking Games
site.
http://www.pagat.com/cuckoo/cuckoo.html (2 de 2) [04/05/2001 9:48:53]

Rules of Card Games: Chicago
Chicago
This page is based on a contribution from Dan Glimne.
Note: This page is not about the version of Bridge called Chicago (which you can find on the Bridge
page) nor about the American Poker variation Chicago (which you can find by a link from the Poker
page). This page is about a card game called Chicago which is currently popular in Sweden, especially in
the stergtland area, southwest of Stockholm.
Chicago is a game for 2 to 4 players, using a standard 52 card pack without jokers. Points are scored for
having the best hand according to poker ranking, but also in the final stage of the game the cards are
played to tricks, and points are scored by the winner of the last trick.
The game is played clockwise. The first dealer is chosen and random, and thereafter the turn to deal
passes clockwise after each hand. The dealer deals 5 cards to each player, one at a time. A hand consists
of three phases.
First phase
Each player, starting with the player on the dealer's left and proceeding clockwise, may discard (face
down) as many cards from his hand as he wishes and receive an equal number new cards from the pack,
replenishing his hand up to 5 cards again. There is no compulsion to discard any cards - for example if
you are dealt four aces and a king you can just keep them.
Then the player with the best poker hand scores points for it according to the following table:
Combination Score
one pair 1
two pairs 2
trips (three of a kind) 3
straight 4
flush 5
full house 6
four of a kind 7
straight flush 8
royal straight flush 52
For those not familiar with ranking of poker hands, an explanation will be found on the poker hands
page.
The actual procedure is that each player in turn, starting with the player to dealer's left, either announces
a poker combination (from the above list) which they have in their hand or passes. The turn to speak just
goes once round the table, ending with the dealer, and if you announce a combination it must be higher
than or equal to the previous highest combination announced in this phase - otherwise you must pass.
Note that no one shows their cards at this stage! This means that in theory you could cheat by claiming a
combination you do not have. This is unwise, however, as you will eventually have to show your cards,
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and if you are shown not to have the combination you claimed you lose the game.
When naming their combination, players just state the type of combination, as in the scoring table above.
If two (or more) players claim the same combination, and no one else claims anything higher, they
players involved in the tie each name the ranks of their cards, revealing information in stages, until the tie
is broken. If the two (or more) best hands are exactly equal, which is possible since there is no ranking
among the suits, no one scores. Also if everyone passes (no one even claims to have a pair) then no one
scores.
Example: A, B and C each claim a pair, and D passes. A claims a pair of nines, B a pair of fives, and C a
pair of nines. A claims to have a king and so does C. A's next best card is a seven, but C has a ten, so C
scores one point.
Second Phase
Once again each the player in turn discards as many cards as he likes and draws new cards up to 5. If a
player who scored in the first phase (or in case of a tie, any of the players who tied for highest
combination) chooses to break up the combination claimed in the first phase, they must show their cards
to the other players before discarding, to prove that they really had the cards they claimed.
When everyone has had a chance to discard, once the player with the highest hand scores points for it.
The scores and the procedure for announcing hands is the same as in the first phase.
Third Phase
For the third time, each player has an opportunity to discard cards and draw an equal number of new
cards. As before a player who by discarding breaks up a combination which was highest or equal highest
in a previous phase must show it before discarding.
This time there is no announcement of poker hands. Instead the cards are played out in tricks. There are
no trumps, and the sole objective is to win the last trick. The player to the left of the dealer leads to the
first trick. Players must follow suit, and a player with no card of the suit led may play any card. Whoever
plays the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next. The winner of the last trick
scores 5 points. When playing tricks, the cards are not thrown into the centre of the table (as in whist);
each player plays onto a face-up pile in front of himself, so that at the end of the play, the hands remain
intact.
After the winner of the last trick has scored his 5 points, all the cards are face up in front of the players,
and the player with the highest poker hand scores points according to the same system used in phases one
and two.
Thus during a hand, points are scored three times over for the highest poker hand (once in each phase),
and once for the last trick.

Chicago
A player who believes he can take all five tricks in phase three may declare a Chicago before the first
trick is led to. If he then indeed does take all five tricks, he scores 15 points for the Chicago. If however
another player takes any of the tricks, the hand is immediately over, no points are scored for the last
trick, nor for the highest hand at the end, and instead the player who declared the Chicago scores minus
15 points.
In order to declare a Chicago, a player must already have a cumulative score of at least 15 points; a
player's score may never fall below zero.
Ending the Game

A running total of each player's score is kept. As many hands as necessary are played until a player have
a score of 52 points or more at the end of a hand. Then the player with most points wins from each other
player the difference between their scores. A typical stake is 1 kr per point. If two or more players tie for
most points, the other players lose the amount by which they are below the winning total and the winners
share this equally between them. Example: at the end A has 53, B has 45, C has 53, D has 47. B loses 8
kr, D loses 6 kr, and A and C win 7 kr each. If A had 54 points instead then A would win 17 kr: 9 kr from
B, 1 kr from C and 7 kr from D.
A player whose score has reached 46 points or more at the end of a hand is no longer allowed to discard
cards and replenish in subsequent hands; he must play all three phases with the cards he is originally
dealt. Note that, this rule does not take effect in the middle of a hand when a player reaches 46, only in
subsequent hands.
Variations
Some people play that if two players have the same highest type of poker combination (three of a kind,
for example, regardless of which three of a kind), then no player scores.
Some players score 10 points for a straight flush, rather than 8.

Last updated 23rd December 1996

Rules of Domino Games: Chicken Foot
Chicken Foot
This is an American domino game played with a double 9 set of 55 tiles, or sometimes with a double 12
set of 91. The game begins in a cross format from the opening double, so that there are initially four free
ends. Dominoes are played with touching ends matching in number as usual. Doubles are played
crosswise, and after a double is played the next three plays must be next to the double. These are spread
out slightly like the toes of a chicken's foot, forming three new ends of the layout. The object as usual is
to be the first to play all your dominoes.
Descriptions of Chicken Foot can be found on the following sites:
Rules of Chicken Foot at the Domino Plaza site.
Chickenfoot rules from Game Cabinet

Chicken Foot instructions

http://www.pagat.com/domino/chicken.html [04/05/2001 9:48:58]

Card Games: Link to Chinese Ten
Chinese Ten
For a description of this fishing game, which originates from China, see Jen Bullock's Chinese Ten page.
http://www.pagat.com/fishing/chinten.html [04/05/2001 9:49:01]

Card Games: Link to Choi Dai Di
Choi Dai Di
This Chinese game seems to be a close relative of President / Asshole.
There is a short description on Nicholas Cheung's Choi Dai Di page.

Last updated 28 March 1997
http://www.pagat.com/climbing/choidaid.html [04/05/2001 9:49:04]

Rules of Card Games: Ciapano
Ciapan
This page is based on a contribution from Virgilio Ferrari.
Introduction
Cards
Deal
Play
Scoring
Variations
Software
Introduction
Ciapan, also known as Rovescino, Traversone, Tressette a non Prendere, Perdivinci or Vinciperdi
is a trick-taking game and is the reverse game of Tresette. The name Ciapan is in Milanese dialect (in
English it could be translated as "Don't catch it!") - Ciapan was very popular in Lombardy until the
1980s and still played there now. Like most Italian games it is played anticlockwise.
Ciapan can be played by 3, 4 or 5 players.
The Cards
A 40 card pack is used. In the North East of Lombardy the Italian suits: swords, batons, cups and coins
are used. In the South or North West of Lombardy the game is played with 40 cards of the Milanese pack
which has French suits (spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds). In each suit the cards rank as follows: 3
(highest), 2, Asso (ace), Re (king), Cavallo (horse, or queen), Fante (jack), 7, 6, 5, 4 (lowest).
The cards have point values and the object is to avoid taking tricks containing valuable cards. There is an
extra penalty for winning the last trick. The values of the cards are as follows:
Each 3, 2, re, cavallo or fante 1/3 of a point
The Deal
Deal (anticlockwise) 8 cards to each player for 5 players, 10 each for 4 players and 13 each for 3 players
(in this case the dealer receives 14 cards and discards one card, which will be given to the winner of the
last trick). Turn to deal passes to the right after each hand.
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The Play
There are no trumps. The player to dealer's right leads first. Any card may be led, and the other players
must play a card of the suit led if they have one. A player with no card of the suit led may play anything.
The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads to the next trick.
The Scoring
When all tricks have been played, the values of cards taken in tricks are counted. Each player except the
winner of the last trick scores as penalty points the value of the cards they have taken, disregarding any
fractions - for example a player who has taken three and one thirds point scores 3; a player who has taken
just two thirds of a point scores nothing. The scores of all the players for one hand should add up to 11,
so the player who won the last trick scores the difference between 11 and the total of the amounts scored
by the other players.
Example
Actual value of cards taken Penalty points scored
Player A: 3 1/3 3
Player B: 2 and the last trick 4
Player C: 1 2/3 1
Player D: 3 2/3 3
--------- ------ --
Total 10 2/3 + last trick 11, as always
In this case the last trick cost 2 points. It can in practice cost 1, 2 or 3 points depending on how the other
tricks are distributed among the players.
If one player wins all the points (not necessarily all the tricks), this is called Cappotto. The player with
all the tricks scores no points and the opponents score 11 points each.
Any player whose cumulative score is 31 or more points drops out of the game and does not play any
more. The last people left in play (1, 2 or 3 as players as agreed in advance) win the match. This will take
several deals.
Variations
Some play that the target score is 21 or 41 rather than 31.
Some play that when a player reaches or exceeds the target, the player with the lowest score immediately
wins.

Software
You can download Luca Belgiovane's free Traversone'95 progam for Windows 95.


Rules of Card Games: Cicera
Cicera
This page is based on a contribution from Virgilio Ferrari
Cicera is an Italian fishing game closely related to the popular game Scopa.
It is played in the province of Brescia and the technical terms are given in the dialect of Brescia. This
game is the reason why the Bresciane pack is made with 52 cards and not with 40 as other Italian packs.
(Trevisane cards are also made as 52 card packs because in that zone they play Scarabocin, which is
another variant of Scopa similar to Ccera)
Players
There are four players, two against two in fixed partnerships; you sit opposite your partner. As in most
Italian games, play is anticlockwise.
Cards
A Bresciane 52 card pack is used. The cards in each suit are Re (king), Cavallo (horse), Fante (jack), 10,
9 ,8 ,7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. It would also be possible to play with a standard international 52 card pack, but in
Brescia, the local cards are always used.
The Deal
Choose the first dealer at random. Turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The dealer shuffles
and the dealer's left hand opponent cuts.
Deal a packet of twelve cards face down to each player (anticlockwise, beginning with the player to
dealer's right), then four face up to the centre of the table. The players pick up their 12 card hands and
look at them.
The Play
The player to dealer's right plays first, and the turn to play passes anticlockwise, until all the cards in the
players' hands have been played.
A turn consists of playing one card from your hand face up to the table, which may capture one or more
table cards. In the event of a capture, both the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stored
face down in front of one of the members of the team that made the capture, like a trick. If there is no
capture the played card remains face up on the table. In either case the turn then passes to the next player.
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The numeral cards 1 to 10 have a capture value that is equal to the rank of the card (for example: tens
have a capture value of 10, sixes a capture value of 6, and so on). The courts (re, cavallo, fante) do not
have a numerical capture value.
The capturing rules are as follows:
1. if the rank of the card played matches that of a table card, the table card may be captured;
2. if a numeral card is played whose capture value is equal to the sum of the capture values of two or
more table cards, then that set of table cards may be captured;
3. if more than one capture is possible, because the card played matches more than one table card, or
there is more than one set which adds up to the capture value of the played card, or there is a
choice of capturing a single card or a set, the player of the capturing card chooses which to take,
but only one capture can be made on a turn - either one single card or one set adding up to the
capture value of the played card;
4. if the card played does not match any table card or sum of table cards, then there is no capture and
the played card remains face up on the table.
Important points to note:
there is no obligation to play a card which makes a capture - it is legal (and sometimes better play)
simply to add a card to the table;
even if you play a card which can make a capture, the capture is optional and you can choose
simply to add the played card to the other cards on the table without capturing;
if a card matches both a single card and a sum of cards on the table, the player can choose whether
to capture the single card or the group.
the court cards can only capture court cards of the same rank (for example: kings can only capture
kings - they cannot capture a set of cards which add up to 13).
After all the cards have been played, the last player who made a capture also takes any face up cards
remaining on the table.
The Scoring
At the end of the play, points are scored for the cards in each team's trick pile as follows:
The Cards
Two points are won by whichever team has taken the majority of the cards. If they split 26-26 the
points are not awarded.
The Swords
One point is won by whichever team has taken more cards of the swords suit.
Napula
If one team has taken the ace, two and three of swords, they score a number of points equal to the
highest sword card they capture in unbroken sequence with these - for example if they took the
A-2-3-4-5-6 and 8 of swords they would score 6 points (in addition to the point for swords).
La Mata

The team which takes the two of swords (la mata) scores one point.
Ten of coins
The team which takes the ten of coins scores one point.
Fante of cups
The team which takes the fante (jack) of cups scores one point.
Additional points can be won during the play of the hand. Traditionally, for each of these points, a card is
placed face up in the trick-pile of the capturing side, so that the number of extra points made by each side
can easily be seen when the scoring is done at the end of the play.
The points which can be won during the play are:
Sca (Italian: Scopa) (= scoop, or sweep)
You score one point for Scua when you play a card which captures the all table cards, leaving the
table empty.
Picada (Italian: Picchiata)
You score one point for Picada if you capture the card just played by the player to the left by
playing a card of the same rank.
Simili
You win a point for a capture in a single suit - that is, the card you play and the cards you capture
from the table all belong to the same suit (for example: the 3 and 4 of coins are on the table and
you capture them with the 7 of coins).
Quadriglia
You win a point for quadriglia (= quartet) if you play a card which captures a set of three or more
cards from the table.
It is possible to win more than one of these points with a single play. For example, if the 2, 3 and 4 of
coins are on the table and you capture them with the 9 of coins you win two points, one for Simili and
another one for Quadriglia. If those were the only cards on the table you would also score a third point
for Scua. Similarly, if the previous player played a card to the empty table and you have a card of the
same rank, you can capture the card played and you mark two points, one for Sca and one for Picada).
Winning the Game

The first team to have 51 or more points at the end of a hand wins. If both sides reach 51 in the same
hand the side with more points wins. If both are equal, play further hands until one side has more points
at the end of a hand.
Variations
Instead of dealing all 12 cards at once, the cards may be dealt one, two or three at a time.
There is a variant in which initially six cards are dealt to each player, and four cards face up on the table.
The remaining 24 cards are put aside until everyone has played their first six cards. Then the rest of the

cards are dealt out, so that each player has a new six card hand, and play continues until all the cards
have been played.


Rules of Card Games: Cch
Cch
This page is based on a contribution from Virgilio Ferrari.
The Italian name of the game is Cucco; in the dialect of Bergamo, it is called Cch. The version
described here was played at the end of 1970s near lake Iseo.
Cch is a partnership trick-taking game for four players, with partners sitting opposite. Like most Italian
games it is played anticlockwise. Adaptations for two and three players, and the five player variation
Zifuli are described at the end.
The Cards
Cch is played with the special Cucco deck, now manufactured only by Masenghini of Bergamo. The
deck consists of 20 pairs of identical cards - 40 cards altogether.
For the purposes of this game, the cards are divided into two suits of 20 cards. The first suit consists of
the so-called Figure (pictures), which are identified by Roman numbers from I to X (two of each card).
The second suit consists of Matte (Jokers) which are, in ascending order of rank: Matto (Fool),
Mascherone (Great mask), Secchia (Bucket), Nulla (Zero), XI Osteria (Inn), XII Gatto (Cat), XIII
Cavallo (Horse), XIIII Bragon, XV Cucco (cuckoo), Brescia (a Lion, here known as Brescia because
this city is called the Lioness of Italy).
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The cards have point values and the object is to take tricks containing valuable cards. The point values
are as follows:
Figure V, VI, VII, VIII, VIIII 1/2 of a point each
Figura X 1 whole point
Matte XI, XII, XIII, XIIII, XV, Brescia 1 whole point
Other cards no value
Thus there is a total of 19 points in the game.
The Deal
The dealer deals (anticlockwise) 10 cards to each player, in packets of five. The turn to deal passes to the
right after each hand.
The Play
must play a card of the suit (Figure or Matte) led if they have one. A player with no card of the suit led
must play a card of the other suit. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick; if two equal cards are
played to the same trick, the first played beats the second. The winner of the trick leads to the next.
The Scoring
When all the tricks have been played each side scores the value of cards it has won in tricks. The total
points available amount to 19 points and so the team which has 10 or more points wins.
If both sides have nine and a half points, the cards are recounted in a different way to break the tie. The

values of the cards for the recount are as follows:

V, X no points
I, VI, XI 1 points each
II, VII, XII 2 points each
III, VIII, XIII 3 points each
IIII, VIIII, XIIII 4 points each
XV (Cucco) 5 points each
Brescia 6 points each
So by this method of counting there are 82 points in the pack the team which has 42 or more points wins.
If the recount results in a second tie, both sides having 41 points, there is no winner.
Two or Three Players

If there are only two or three players the cards are dealt as for 4 players, but the cards for the absent
players are dealt face up, and are played by the partners of the missing players.
Zifuli
This version for five players was described by Anthony Smith in The Playing-Card Vol XX No 1 (1991)
p27.
The rank and values of the cards is the same as in Cucco, except that the Matto ranks between the Zero
and the Inn, instead of lowest. Eight cards are dealt to each player, in batches of four.
The Bidding
Before the play there is bidding to determine the partnerships. Beginning with the player on dealer's right
and continuing clockwise, each player passes or bids. The bidding continues for several rounds if
necessary, but a player who has passed cannot re-enter the bidding.
A bid is made by naming a card of which the bidder holds at least one copy. If the bid is successful then
the owner of the other copy of the card is the bidder's partner, but the partnerships do not become known
until the card is played. It is possible to call a card holding both copies of it; in this case the bidder will
play alone, but this will not be clear to the other players until the second copy of the called card is
played.
A bid can only be overcalled by calling a lower card of the same suit as the original bid.
Scoring
If the bidder's side wins, each of the opponents pays one stake; the bidder receives two of these stakes
and the bidder's partner receives one. If the bidder's side loses these payments are reversed.
A bidder who plays alone receives eight stakes, two from each opponent, if successful, and pays two
stakes to each opponent if not.



Rules of Card Games: Coiffeur-Schieber Jass
Coiffeur-Schieber Jass
Coiffeur-Schieber is a game of the Swiss Jass group. Nick Wedd here describes an excellent version for
three players, which appeared in the book Vom Zweier-Sidi zum Drck-Jass: V mal X Jassideen by Peter
Hammer, Orlando Eisenmann and Max Ruh (Verlag M & T-Helvetica 1988).
Coiffeur-Schieber can also be played by four players, either in fixed partnerships or all against all. The
details are given later.
Coiffeur-Schieber for 3 players

Each player has to play each of a number of different contracts in the course of the session, which
consists of thirty hands.
It is played with a 36-card jass pack. There are four suits: acorns, shields, flowers, and bells. In each suit,
there are nine cards: ace (or sow), king, ober, under, banner, 9, 8, 7, 6. If you cannot obtain such a pack,
you can play it with a bridge or poker pack, using queens for obers, jacks for unders, 10s for banners, and
discarding cards smaller than 6s.
The rank of the cards (followed by their point values in brackets) within each suit is: Ace(11), King(4),
Ober(3), Under(2), Banner(10), 9(0), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0). However, when there is a trump suit, the rank
within the it is: Under(20), 9(14), Ace(11), King(4), Ober(3), Banner(10), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0). These points
count to the player winning the trick containing the card. There is also a bonus of 5 points to the player
winning the last trick. Thus there is a total of 157 points in the pack.
In contracts without a trump suit, the eights count 8 points instead of 0, to compensate for the lack of a
trump under and nine.
The deal, and the play, are anticlockwise. The dealer deals all the cards out, in threes, staring with the
player on her right. After each hand the deal rotates to the right. A session consists of thirty hands, so
each player eventually deals ten times.
The Slate
At the start of play, a slate is marked as shown.
The columns are headed with the players'

names and initials. The possible
contracts are listed down the left margin.
There are ten of these, in three sections:
the four suits; Obenabe, Undenufe and
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Slalom; and Gustav and two Jokers.

The grouping of the contracts, and the
thicker horizontal lines on the slate, are
to indicate the values of the contracts.
The four suit contracts are each worth
one point; the next three are each worth
two points; Gustav and the two jokers are
each worth three points.
Rules of Play
The play is in tricks. The declarer leads to the first trick and thereafter the winner of each trick leads to
the next.
If there is no trump suit, the other players are obliged to follow suit when they can do so; those who
cannot follow suit may play any card. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
If there is a trump suit, a player who is able to follow suit must either do so or play a trump - you are
allowed to trump even if you can follow to the suit led; a player who cannot follow suit may play any
card that she holds. A trick is won by the highest trump in it; or if there were no trumps, by the highest
card of the suit led.
If a non-trump is led, and the second player plays a trump, the third player may only player a smaller
trump if she has nothing but trumps in her hand. If she holds cards other than trumps and could follow
suit, she must either follow suit or play a larger trump; while if she holds cards other than trumps but
cannot follow suit, she may play any card except a smaller trump.
A player is never compelled to play the Under of trumps (known as the Puur). If trumps are led, and a
player holds no trump other than the Puur, she need not play it but may play any other card.

The Bidding
After the deal, forehand (the player on dealer's right) chooses an available contract, or passes. Available
contracts are those which she has not already done, so initially all ten contracts are available. When a
player does a contract, her result is written into the appropriate cell of the slate, which indicates that that
contract is no longer available to her.
The possible contracts are as follows:
Acorns, Shields, Bells, Flowers:
play with the specified suit as trumps.
Obenabe:
Play with no trumps. So that the pack will add up to the usual 157 points, the 8s also count eight
points each.
Undenufe:
Play with no trumps, and the suits inverted. The suit order is thus 6 (highest), 7, 8, 9, Banner,
Under, Ober, King, Ace (lowest). As in Obenabe, the 8s count eight points each. Undenufe is
pronounced with the d and the f silent.
Slalom (sometimes called Zick-Zack):
Play with no trumps. The tricks are played alternately with the Obenabe and Undenufe rankings of
the suits. The declarer decides whether to start the sequence with an Obenabe trick or an Undenufe
trick. As in Obenabe, the 8s count eight points each.
Gustav (alternative names: Mittendurch, Gusti, Marie, Tutti):
Play with no trumps. Either the first six tricks are played with the suits in Obenabe order and the
next six tricks in Undenufe order, or the first six tricks are played Undenufe and the next six
Obenabe. The declarer chooses which. As in Obenabe, the 8s count eight points each.
Joker, Joker:
A Joker may be used to play any of the above-listed contracts, as declarer chooses. The decision to
play a hand as a Joker must be made before play begins, and the declarer must specify whether it is
to be scored in the first joker row or the second.
If the first player passes, the next player on her right either chooses a contract available to her, or passes.
If she also passes, the third player has the same choice. If all three players pass, then the first player is
obliged to choose a contract. This is called being in the barrel.
Towards the end of a session, one of the three columns will become full. That player is then obviously
obliged to pass on her turn to bid, as she has no contracts available. If this player is first to speak (and of
course passes), and the second player passes as well, the third player is in the barrel and must choose a
contract. The third player cannot pass back to the first player if she has done all her contracts. When two
players have finished, the third player cannot pass but has to choose a contract on every deal until she
finishes her contracts.

Scoring
At the end of each hand, declarer counts up her score by adding up the card points that she has won in
her tricks, and adding 5 if she also won the last trick. This number is written into her cell for that
contract. As a check on her addition, her opponents will generally count up their total, and check that the
two totals sum to 157.
If a declarer makes all the tricks, it is known as "match". She receives a bonus of 100, and so writes 257
into the cell. As a further reward, she gets two sticks in the row on the slate labelled "Match", where her
opponents get a potato each. To make match, it is not enough to win all 157 points: you must win all
twelve tricks.
On the other hand, if a declarer makes no tricks, it is a match against her. She writes 0 into the cell; and
as a penalty, she gets two potatoes in the row on the slate labelled "Match", where her opponents get a
stick each.
This shows the slate part of the way

through a session, after 18 hands have
been played. Some points to note are:
All three players have now done their
Shields and Obenabe contracts. The
scoring for these contracts has been
completed.
Ann has made a match. This has been
scored by writing 257 in the appropriate
cell (the contract was acorns, but she
knew she was going to get a high score
and so chose to pay it as a Joker), and in
the Match row.

When all thirty hands have been played, there will be a number in each of the thirty cells. These numbers
are then used to deduce the sticks (good) and potatoes (bad) won by each player. For each of the four suit
contracts, the player with the highest score receives a stick, and the one with the lowest score receives a
potato. For each of the next three contracts, Obenabe, Undenufe and Slalom, the player with the highest
score receives two sticks, and the one with the lowest score receives two potatoes. For each of the last
three contracts, Gustav and the two Jokers, the player with the highest score receives three sticks, and the
one with the lowest score receives three potatoes. If there is a tie for highest or lowest score in any row, it
is resolved at random by cutting cards.
This shows the slate at the end of the

session. The scoring has now been
completed. Another match has been
made and scored, this time against Beth.
In Cath's Match cell, the stick has been
drawn through the potato, cancelling it.
The totals appear at the lower right
corner of the slate. If the agreed stake
was one franc a point, Beth would pay
nine francs and Cath would pay four
francs, Ann winning thirteen francs.

It is rarely correct for forehand to pass. By passing, you are giving a free option to your opponents, who
can pass the contract back to you if they do not have a contract that they particularly want to play.
If you have five cards in the same suit, or four cards including the Under in the same suit, it is often good

to play a contract with that suit as trumps.

Early in the session, a typical suit contract will score about 75 points. If you have a hand which you
expect to score 100 or more points, you should play it as a Joker, in the hope of winning three sticks with
it instead of one.
If you are playing a suit contract, and an opponent leads the Ace of a side suit in which you hold the
King, you can trump the Ace and then lead the King to win another trick. This is possible in jass games
because of the trumping rule, which is different from that in whist or bridge.
Slalom tends to be a high-scoring contract. It allows "squeezes" of a form not seen in other games. For
example, if you hold A, K, 9, 6 of a suit, and a 6 in another suit, you can guarantee winning six tricks
even if your opponents' cards in you four card suit split 4-1. (Lead out A,6,K. Then your opponents have
only one card left in the suit. This is either bigger or smaller than the 9, so the 9 will now win if led at the
right time.)
Gustav may seem similar to Slalom, but is harder to play.
In choosing a contract, the scores already made by the other players should be considered. For example,
look at the partly-played session shown above. In the Undenufe row, Ann has not yet played, Beth has
104, and Cath has 28. Ann is pleased about this, as it gives her an easy choice for a poor hand. She does
not expect to beat 104 here (and if she did, she would prefer to play it as a Joker), and it should be easy to
beat 28 even with a poor hand. Later, Ann was dealt a poor hand, and played it as an Undenufe, scoring
38. This was just as good for her as a score of 100 would have been.
Coiffeur Schieber for 4 players

This is normally played with fixed partnerships, but can be played all against all.
In the standard fixed partnership version (as described in Gpf Egg: Puur Nll As - AG Mller 1989),
each team has 8 contracts to play, so there are sixteen deals in all. There are no sticks and potatoes - in
each hand the team which chose the contract count the points they have won. These points are divided by
ten (ignoring units), multiplied by the appropriate number from the following table, and then written
down.
Contract Multiplier
acorns / spades 1x
flowers / clubs 2x
shields / diamonds 3x
bells / hearts 4x
obenabe 5x
undenufe 6x
joker 7x
joker 8x
For example, if a team chooses bells as trumps and takes 129 points, they score 12 x 4 = 48 points. If the
other team make match in bells (257 points) they score 25 x 4 = 100 points.
The player to dealer's right has first choice of contract. If she passes the turn to choose passes

anticlockwise. If all four players pass the player to dealer's right is in the barrel and must choose. When
one team have done all their contracts they pass thoughtout the bidding. At the end all the points won are
added up, to determine which team has won and by how much.
The game played all against all is the same, except that each of the four players has to go through all the
contracts, so there are 32 deals in all.
It is possible to include Slalom and Gustav in the four player game, with appropriate multipliers. This
makes the game that much longer.
Variations
Some people play that in Undenufe, the Aces are worth 0 points and the 6s are worth 11 points. This
makes the play less interesting.
It is possible to introduce further types of contract. TUO is one common addition. With four players the
first three tricks are played in a trump suit of declarer's choice, the next three in Undenufe, and the last
three in Obenabe.
The Name Coiffeur

This game was originally invented in the French part of Switzerland, although the more elaborate version
described here was developed in the German part. Probably the original game was influenced by Barbu.
The name "coiffeur" (French for hair-dresser) is a pun on the phrase "quoi faire" (French for "what to
do", "what shall I do"), said by a player who is trying to choose a contract.
Go to General Rules of Swiss Jass Games
Last updated 2nd December 1995

Rules of Card Games: Conquian
Conquian
This page is based on contributions from David Kuznick and Clark Williams.
Introduction

Objective and Meld
The Play
End of the Game
Introduction
Conquian is the earliest known Rummy game in the western world - it has been played at least since the
1880's. Its place of origin is probably Latin America - the composition of the 40 card pack being
equivalent to the usual form of the Spanish pack. Clark Williams tells me it is played in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. It is probably played in other parts of the USA as well, and I have heard that it is also
played in Mexico.

There are two players.
The deck consists of the cards A-2-3-4-5-6-7-J-Q-K in the usual suits hearts, diamonds, clubs and
spades. It can be made by throwing the 8s, 9s, and 10s out of a standard 52 card pack.
The dealer deals ten cards to each player, one at a time. The remainder of the cards are placed face down
on the table to form a stock.
Objective and Meld

The objective is to be the first to "go out" by melding 11 cards. Melding is placing a valid combination
of cards face up on the table in front of you. These face up cards are your meld. The combinations
allowed are:
a group or short of three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.
a sequence or straight of from three to eight cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as
4, 5, 6. Note that in this game the ace is always low and the 7 is next to the jack. So when
making sequences A-2-3 and 6-7-J are legal but Q-K-A is not allowed.
At all times, the meld you have on the table must consist one or more separate valid combinations. A
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card can never be part of more than one combination at the same time.
Note that a sequence cannot contain more than eight cards. This maximum length is set because you have
to meld exactly eleven cards to win. For this you must have at least two combinations. If one of them has
the minimum size of three cards, the other cannot have more than eight.
The Play
The non-dealer begins the play by turning the top card of the stock face up, and has two options:
1. To meld this card along with cards from hand. At least two hand cards will be needed to make up a
valid combination along with the turned up card, and further cards from hand can be laid down at
the same time if desired, provided that the meld is valid. Having melded, the non-dealer must
discard one card face up from hand, which may be used by the dealer.
2. To pass, not melding any cards and leaving the turned up card to be used by the dealer.
It is then the dealer's turn to play. The turn to play alternates. Apart from the non-dealer's first turn, you
always begin your turn with the opportunity to use the card discarded by your opponent or the card which
your opponent turned up and did not use. Your options are:
1. To use this card as part of your meld on the table, for which purpose you may also put down on the
table any number of cards from your hand. You then discard one card from your hand, reducing
the number of cards in your hand plus those in your meld to ten. Your discard is placed pace up in
the centre of the table and it is your opponent's turn.
2. To reject the card, placing it in a face down waste pile. If you reject the card, you then turn up the
next card from the top of the stock. In this case you again have two options:
. To use this newly turned up card as part of your meld on the table, for which purpose you
may also put down on the table any number of cards from your hand. You then discard one
card face up in its place and it is your opponent's turn.
b. To pass, not melding any cards and leaving the turned up card to be used by your opponent.
When melding, you can rearrange your table cards in any way you wish, as long as the cards you have on
the table at the end of your turn form separate valid combinations. For example, if you have a meld of
3- 4- 5- 6 on the table, 6 in your hand, and you turn up 6, you can meld three sixes, taking
the six from your club sequence, leaving a valid sequence 3-4-5. If a four had turned up and you had a
four in your hand, you would not be able to meld fours, because stealing the 4 would not leave a valid
sequence.
There is one further important rule. If during your turn the face-up centre card can be added to the meld
that you already have on the table, without using extra cards from your hand, your opponent can force
you to meld the centre card, and you cannot refuse. This can be a powerful technique for destroying a
player's position. Suppose that you have 3- 3- 3- 3 6- 7- J- Q on the table and A- A
in your hand. All you need to win is an ace, but you opponent might discard the K and force you to
meld it. You then have no option but to discard one of your aces, and the only way you can now win is to
acquire the 5 and 4. If either of these is already out of the game, it has become impossible for you
to win.

Please note that

It is never possible to take the centre card (turned up from the stock or discarded or rejected by
your opponent) into your hand for later use.
The melds of the two players are entirely separate - you are never allowed to get rid of cards by
"laying them off" on the other player's melds.
You can meld combinations from your hand, but only at the same time that you take the centre
card and use it in your meld. You cannot meld hand cards at any other time.
End of the Game

Play continues in this way until either someone goes out or the stock runs out.
You go out by melding the face up card from the centre of the table (whether discarded or rejected by
your opponent or newly turned up by you) along with all the remaining cards in your hand (if any). Your
meld on the table will then consist of eleven cards. In this case you have won and your opponent pays
you a fixed stake a fixed stake.
If there are no cards remaining in the stock and you do not use the card your opponent discarded or
rejected, you are unable to turn up a new card because there are none left. In this case the game is a
draw, and some play that the next game is played for a double stake.
Note that although you may meld ten cards and discard your last card, this does not win the game or end
the play. If you do this you have to continue playing until you get an eleventh card which you can add to
your meld. This eleventh card would have to be either discarded or passed to you by your opponent or
turned up by you after rejecting the card from your opponent.

Rules of Card Games: Contract Rummy
Contract Rummy
This page is based on contributions from Magnus and Greg Petras.
Introduction
Contract Rummy is a version of Rummy consisting of a series of rounds. In each round there is a
different contract: players have to collect a particular combination of groups and sequences before they
are allowed to meld. The contracts become progressively more demanding on each deal.
Alternative Names and Variants

This page describes several games which are so similar that they can almost be regarded as variations of
or alternative names for the same game. They are:
Contract Rummy
Liverpool Rummy
May I?
Shanghai Rummy
Progressive Rummy
Other games which belong to this group, and which may be almost identical to the above, are:
King Rummy
Zioncheck
The variation 6-7-8-9-10 - which was played in Pittsburg in the late 1940's, is described on a web page
by Alan Hoyle.
A variation called Continental Rummy is described on Larry Scott's page.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who can contribute a description of any of these last two, or
give me clear explanation of which names properly apply to which versions of the rules.
There are several other games which are related to Contract Rummy but with definite differences. Some
of these are described on separate pages:
Carioca / Loba
Push
Toonerville Rook
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Contract Rummy
This description is based on a contribution from Magnus.
Players
The game is best played by three to five players; the optimum number is four.
Cards
Contract Rummy is played with two standard decks of 52 cards, plus jokers. The number of jokers used
should be one fewer than the number of players, so three players play with 106 cards, four players with
107 and five with 108.
The Deal
There are seven rounds altogether. The first dealer is chosen randomly, and thereafter the turn to deal
rotates clockwise. The deal itself is clockwise, one card at a time. In the first three rounds, the players
receive 10 cards each; in the last four they receive 12 cards each.
The cards remaining after the deal are placed face down on the table to form the stock pile, the top card
of which is turned face up and placed alongside to start the discard pile.
Object of the Game

The object of each round is to dispose of all your cards by a combination of melding, laying off, and
discarding. In order to do any melding or laying off, you must begin by fulfilling your contract for the
round currently being played.
There are two kind of melds, sequences (also called runs) and groups (also called sets or books).
A sequence or run, in this game, consists of at least four consecutive cards of the same suit, such
as 4 5 6 7. An ace can count as low or high but not both at the same time. So A 2
3 4 and J Q K A are both valid sequences, but Q K A 2 is not valid.
A group, set or book consists three cards of the same rank, irrespective of suit, such as 5 5
5.
Once it has been melded, a sequence can be extended by adding further consecutive cards at either end,
as far as the ace in either direction; the longest theoretically possible sequence being 14 cards long with
an ace at each end. A group can be extended by adding further equal ranking cards.
When a player goes out, by disposing of all their cards, the other players score penalty points for all the
cards remaining in their hands. The object of the game is to be the player with the lowest score at the end
of the series of seven rounds.

The Contracts
The contracts in each successive round are as the following.
1. Two Groups of 3 (6 cards)
2. One Group of 3 and One Sequence of 4 (7 cards)
3. Two Sequences of 4 (8 cards)
4. Three Groups of 3 (9 cards)
5. Two Groups of 3 and One Sequence of 4 (10 cards)
6. One Group of 3 and Two Sequences of 4 (11 cards)
7. Three Sequences of 4 and No Discard (explained later)
The Play
The player to dealer's left takes the first turn. A turn consists of:
1. The Draw
The player must either draw the top card of the stock pile or take the top card of the discard pile. A
player who chooses to draw a card from the stock pile must first give any other player who wishes
the opportunity to take the discard (see below).
2. Melding
The player may place groups or sequences from hand face up on the table. This can only be done
once by each player during each round. When melding, you must lay down exactly the
combination of groups or sequences which is required by the contract for the round you are in. For
example, you cannot lay down one group if you need two, or if you need a sequence also. When
you meld, you can only meld the minimum number of cards required. For example if you have a
sequence of a greater number of cards than four, or a group of more than three, you must wait until
your next turn before you can lay off the additional cards. Melding is optional - you are not
required to meld as soon as you are able to.
3. Laying off.
Laying off is adding cards to groups or sequences which have already been melded - both your
own and those melded by your opponents. You may lay off only if you have already melded in
some previous turn of the current round. You may not lay off before or on the same turn in which
you meld. There is no limit as to how many cards you may lay off in one turn. Laying off is
optional - you are never obliged to lay off cards if you do not wish to.
4. The Discard.
At the end of your turn, you must discard one card from your hand and placed it face up on top of
the discard pile (except at the end of round 10 - see below).
Play continues with players taking turns clockwise around the table until one person has got rid of all the
cards from their hand.
It can occasionally happen that the stock pile runs out of cards. If a player wishes to draw a card when
there are no cards left in the stock pile, then you take all the cards of the discard pile except the top one,

shuffle them together, and place them face down to make a new stock. The top card of the old discard
pile remains face up to start the new discard pile. Play then continues as before.
If there are a lot of "May I?"'s (see below), it is just conceivable that both the stock pile and the discard
pile might run out of cards. In that case the play ends. There is no winner and everyone scores penalty
points according to the cards that they have in their hands (see scoring).
Taking the Discard Out of Turn (the "May I?")

If at the start of your turn you choose to draw from the stock rather than take the discard, any player who
desires the card on the top of the discard pile may ask for it (hence the name "May I?" of the version
described later). If several people want the discard, it goes to the earliest in turn to play after the person
who is about to draw from the stock. The player who takes the discard in this way must take in addition
the top card from the stock as a penalty card.
After someone has taken the discard out of turn, it is possible for a different player to take the next card
of the discard pile in the same way, also taking a penalty card from the stock pile along with it. There is
no limit as to how many times this can be done, but the same player is not allowed to take two successive
cards from the discard pile in this way.
Only when the other players have had the opportunity to take any cards they want from the top of the
discard pile does the person who was about to play draw from the stock and continue their turn. Note that
the play resumes from its original point - the turn to play does not jump to the person who takes the
discard.
Note also that if the player whose turn it is to play wishes to take the card at the top of the discard pile
they may do so, without taking a penalty card from the stock pile, and no one else then has the chance to
take any discards.
Jokers
Jokers may be used in either sequences or groups, to substitute for any missing card.
If a joker is played in a sequence, any player who has the card which the joker is representing, and who
has already melded their contract on a previous turn, may, during the laying off phase of their turn to
play, take the joker, replacing it in the meld with the card it represents. Any joker gained in this manner
must be laid off in the current turn - it cannot be saved for play in a later turn.
Jokers played as part of a group are considered "dead"; they cannot be reclaimed and played elsewhere.
Special Rules for Particular Rounds

Rounds 1,2,3
Dealer deals 10 Cards.
Rounds 4,5,6,7
Dealer Deals 12 Cards.

Rounds 3,6,7
In rounds in which the contract requires multiple sequences, you are not allowed to meld two
sequences in the same suit which are contiguous. For example 3 4 5 6 and 7 8 9
10 are not acceptable as two sequences in a contract. To be valid, sequences in the same suit
must either have a gap between them or overlap. The following are valid as a pair of sequences:
3 4 5 6 and 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 and 8 9 10 J
The above restriction applies only to sequences melded by a single player as part of a contract.
You are allowed to meld a sequence which is contiguous with a sequence melded by a different
player, and it does not matter if your sequences which were originally separated by a gap become
contiguous as a result of cards laid off by yourself or another player.
Round 7
In the final round, you must meld all your cards at once. In this round only, the sequences you
meld are allowed to be longer than four cards - in fact one of them will have to be longer, as you
have at least 13 cards after drawing. As you have melded all your cards, there is no discard - play
ends immediately after the meld.
Scoring
When someone goes out by getting rid of all their cards, play ends and the other players score penalty
points for all the cards remaining in their hands, the cards scoring as follows:
Face cards (K,Q,J) 10 Points
Ace 15 Points
Joker 15 Points
Number Cards are worth their spot (index) value.
At the end of the seventh and last round, the player with the lowest total score wins.
Variation
The game can be played without jokers.
Liverpool Rummy
Paul Welty reports that Liverpool Rummy is the same as Contract Rummy, except that the player to the
right of the dealer must cut the deck before the deal. If this player manages to cut the exact number of
cards required to deal the hand and leave a face-up card, then the cutting player's score is reduced by 50
points (which is good).

May I?
This is related to Contract Rummy, described above, but according to Greg Petras there are the following
differences:
1. In "May-I?", one deck of cards is used per 2 people playing, including both jokers from each deck
of cards.
2. The sequences or groups in your initial meld can contain more than the minimum number of cards.
For example, in round 3, if you have, say, 3-4-5-6-7 and 2-3-4-5-6-7, you may lay down all of
these cards at once in your melding turn. You do not have to put down, for example, just 3-4-5-6
and 2-3-4-5 first and then wait until your next turn to then to lay off the left over 7 and 6-7. The
same applies to groups - the initial meld may have as many cards as you like (minimum 3) of the
same rank.
3. Jokers which have been melded cannot be reused. For example, if someone has put down a
sequence 3-4-joker-6, and you have the 5 of that suit, you may not take the joker out in exchange
for your 5.
4. In the rounds where the contract has more than one sequence (rounds 3, 6, and 7) there is no
prohibition against contiguous sequences. For example it is acceptable to meld 3-4-5-6 and
7-8-9-10 of the same suit as two sequences.
5. The special rules for round 7 do not apply. The player melding may have more than 12 cards: if
they have said ""May-I?" during that round they will have an extra card in their hand for each
"May-I?" they said. It is not necessary to use all the cards in your hand in your 3 sequences, and if
the player melding has cards left over, then play continues as in other rounds.
6. The Joker is worth 25 points, not 15 points.
Shanghai Rummy
There are several versions of Shanghai Rummy. There is also a rummy game known to some people as
Shanghai, which is not a contract game, but a type of Carousel or Manipulation rummy - this will be
found on the Carousel page.
The description below has been put together mainly from a description by Mark Allen Davis (now
published on its own web page, with variations supplied by Tahelia Powe and Deb Kolsov.
The basic rules are as in Contract Rummy; the description below concentrates on the differences.
Players, Cards, Deal and Contracts

The game is for 3 to 5 players. The game is played with two standard decks including four jokers (108
cards). As in Contract Rummy, 11 cards are dealt to each player and there are seven contracts:
1. two books
2. one book, one run
3. two runs

4. three books
5. two books, one run
6. one book, two runs
7. three runs with no discard
Melding Rules
In a run, aces are high only. A-2-3-4 is not a run. When putting down runs, consecutive runs in the same
suit (such as 6-7-8-9 and 10-J-Q-K) cannot be put down by the same player in the initial meld. Runs can,
however, become consecutive later, when they are extended by adding extra cards.
A player cannot put down two books of the same rank - six eights do not make two books.
A joker can be used in a meld as a substitute for a missing card. A book or run cannot contain more than
one joker (but a player can meld more than one joker provided that they are used in different books or
runs).
Further cards can be added to your initial meld and to other players melds in the same turn that the initial
meld is laid down or in later turns.
The "May I?"

Each player can take the discard out of turn at most two times in each round. It is convenient to use
pennies or other tokens to keep track of this. The player who wants the discard must also take the top two
cards from the face down stock, and does not meld or discard. Play then reverts to the person whose turn
was interrupted.
You can only take the discard by a "May I?" if the player whose turn it is does not want it. If more than
one player wants to "May I?" the same card, the one whose turn to play would be sooner has priority.
The Shanghai
This occurs when a card is discarded which could be added to one of the melds that is already on the
table. There are two situations:
1. If you deliberately discard a card which could be added to an existing meld, you can call
"Shanghai" as you discard it. This prevents it from being picked up by the next player or being
"May I?"d in that player's turn. This can happen, for example, when you have not yet made your
initial meld, but wish to get rid of a card from your hand which happens to fit one of the other
players' melds.
After the next player has discarded, it is possible that in a subsequent turn the card you Shanghai'd
could become exposed again, for example if the card on the discard pile which covers it is "May
I"d. In that case the Shanghai'd card becomes available to be drawn from the discard pile in the
usual way by the next player in turn - or to be "May I?"d if that player does not want to take it.
2. If you discard a card which could be added to an existing meld without calling Shanghai, then any
other player (even a player who ahs not yet put down their contract) may call "Shanghai", and add

the discard to a meld. The calling player then offers their hand to you face down, and you must
draw a card from it and place it in your own hand. The player to your left then takes their turn as
normal.
Note that a "Shanghai" takes precedence over a "May I?". If a player calls "Shanghai" to protect a discard
or to take a discard and add it to a meld on the table, this stops any other player taking that card with a
"May I?" on that turn.
The Scoring
The penalty points for cards remaining in players' hands when someone goes out are as follows:
2-7 5 points each
8-K 10 points each
aces 20 points each
jokers 50 points each
Variations
Tahelia Powe's version has the following differences:
1. Only 10 cards are dealt to each player.
2. There is an additional contract of 4 books of 3 inserted at the seventh deal; on the eighth and last
deal you need three runs of 4.
3. When going out, you are never allowed to discard; all the cards from your hand must be played on
the table.
4. A player cannot meld more than one run in the same suit.
5. "May I?"s are called buys.
6. There is no Shanghai.
Deb Kolsov's version has a different sequence of contracts:
1. two sets of 3
2. set of 3, run of 4
3. two runs of 4
4. three sets of 3
6. two sets of 3, run of 5
7. three runs of 4
9. three sets of 3, run of 5
10. three runs of 5

Progressive Rummy
This section is based on a contribution from John Eveleigh
Unless otherwise stated the rules are the same as for Contract Rummy.
Players, Cards, Deal and Contracts

Two packs of cards are used, with 4 jokers (108 cards in all). 11 cards are dealt to each player.
There are fifteen contracts; the sequence is as follows:
ROUND CONTRACT BUYING
1 2 sets of 3
2 1 set of 3 and 1 run of 4
3 2 sets of 4
4 2 runs of 4
5 2 sets of 3 and 1 run of 4
6 1 set of 4 and 1 run of 5
7 2 sets of 5
8 2 runs of 5
9 4 sets of 3 BUY 1
10 3 runs of 4 BUY 1
11 3 sets of 4 BUY 1
12 5 runs of 3 BUY 2 and TAKE 2
13 5 sets of 3 BUY 2 and TAKE 2
14 1 set of 5, 1 run of 5 and 1 pair BUY 1
15 2 sets of 3 and 1 run of 5
Melding Rules
The above table shows the initial meld requirements. Having laid down your initial meld you can add
more cards to it in the same or subsequent turns.
In runs, aces count high or low but not both. J-Q-K-A and A-2-3-4 are allowed but K-A-2-3 is not. There
is no rule against a player laying down two consecutive runs in the same suit, such as 3-4-5-6 and
7-8-9-10 of hearts, as separate runs, but once they are on the table separate runs must remain separate -
runs cannot be joined or split.
A set can consist of any three or more cards of the same rank - identical cards can be included. A pair

(needed for hand 14) is two cards of the same rank. There is no rule against a player melding two sets of
the same rank.
Jokers and twos are wild. A set or run may contain any number of wild cards to substitute for missing
cards. The player must specify (if it is not clear) whether the meld is a run or a set, the rank of the set,
and the rank and suit of a run. Wild cards once melded cannot be moved - a player who holds the real
card represented by a melded wild card is not allowed to substitute the real card for the wild card.
Buying
To make up the number of cards required for hands 9-14 it is necessary to 'buy' the face-up card from the
discard pile. Each card bought costs one penny, paid to a kitty, and you place the bought card in your
hand. In hands 9-11 and 14 you can buy on one occasion during the hand; in hands 12 and 13 you are
allowed to buy twice. In hands 12 and 13, at the same time you buy the up-card you also take the next
blind card from the face-down stock.
If it is your turn you have the right to buy first if you wish and then take your normal turn. If it is not
your turn you have to state that you wish to buy the card. The current player may only stop you if they
wish to take (or buy) the card themselves. If several players want to buy the face up card, the one whose
next turn to play comes soonest has priority, so any player to your right, up to the current player can opt
to buy the card you wanted.
When a card has been bought, the face up card underneath it is then available to be bought.
You can only buy in hands 9-14, and you only get one or two opportunities to buy depending on the
hand, as detailed on the score sheet.
Scoring
Play ends when a player "goes out" by getting rid of all the cards from their hand. This can be done by
putting down all the cards in melds or by discarding one's last card. Each of the other players scores
penalty points for the cards they are holding:
Wild cards (Jokers and 2s) 20
Aces 15
Picture cards 10
3s to 10s 5
At the end of the 15 deals, the player with the lowest score is the winner, the next lowest is second, etc.
The players settle up in pennies according to their position - for example for a four player game the
payments are as follows:
Winner: Receives 12
2nd: Pays 2
3rd: Pays 4
4th: Pays 6
In addition the winner takes all the pennies paid to the kitty for buying cards.

Other schedules of amounts are possible. Also, by prior agreement, the kitty can be split between the
winner and second player - two thirds for the winner and one third for second.


Rules of Card Games: Coteccio
COTECCIO
According to Giampaolo Dossena: Giochi di Carte Italiani (Arnaldo Mondadori 1984), the name
Coteccio or Cotecchio is applied to various negative point trick games in Italy. He goes on to describe
Cottecchio alla Carpigiana, which is played in Modena.
The game of Coteccio described here is played in Trieste. The following account is based on games
played during the 1989 Convention of the International Playing Card Society (IPCS).
Object of the Game

This is a negative point trick game; normally whoever takes the most points in tricks loses, but if one
player takes all the tricks, that player wins.
Players and Cards

Up to 7 players using an Italian suited 40 card pack (Triestine regional pattern). From high to low, the
cards in each suit rank:
1 (ace), Re (king), Caval (knight), Fante (jack), 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Value of Cards
Ace = 6, Re = 5, Caval = 4, Fante = 3, other cards = 0, last trick = 6. This caused some excitement at the
IPCS Convention because it is exactly the same system as was used in the famous game Trappola.
Trappola is now thought to be extinct, and as far as we know Coteccio is the only surviving game using
this point system. It seems likely that Coteccio and Trappola were related, perhaps deriving from a
common ancestor; the probability of this is slightly increased by the fact that Coteccio, like early forms
of Trappola, is played without trumps. On the other hand the structure of the pack used is different, and
one of the main features of Trappola, the bonus for winning a trick with a two, is absent from Coteccio.
Deal and Play

The game is played anticlockwise. 5 cards are dealt to each player. The player to dealer's right leads to
the first trick. Players must follow suit; if unable to do so they may play any card. There are no trumps;
the highest card played of the suit led always wins the trick. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
Tricks are kept face up in front of the player who won them.
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Rules of Card Games: Coteccio
Scoring
At the beginning, everyone contributes an equal stake to a pool - say 1000 Lire. Each player begins with
four lives. Normally at the end of a hand the player whose tricks contain most card points (including the
6 extra for whoever took the last trick) loses one life. If two or more players tie for most points they each
lose a life. However if the first four tricks are all won by the same player, that player has two options:
1. annul the hand - no one loses a life, and the same dealer deals again;
2. lead the last card - if it wins the trick the player who won all the tricks gains one life for making
capotto, and the other players lose one life each; if the lead to the last trick is beaten the player
who won four tricks loses one life (irrespective of the number of card points won) and the winner
of the last trick gains one life for saving the capotto.
A player with no lives left can call the doctor, provided that there remain at least two other players in the
game who have not lost all their lives. The price of calling the doctor must be agreed before the game
(say 500 Lire), and a maximum limit is usually placed on the number of times the doctor may be called.
The player in ned of the doctor pays the doctor's fee to the pool and receives in return a number of lives
equal to those of the player who has fewest lives left (for example if there are 3 other players left in the
game when I lose my last life and they have 3, 1 and 4 lives, then I get one life for my 500 Lire; if they
have 2, 2 and 4 lives then the doctor gives me 2 lives).
A player with no lives who cannot or does not wish to call the doctor drops out of the game. Those left
alive continue until only one player remains. This last player wins and collects the entire contents of the
pool.
Special Situations
As players drop out, the turn to lead to the first trick continues to rotate anticlockwise, passing to the next
player if the player whose turn it would have been is dead. The dealer is always the player to the left of
the leader. So for example if the player who was about to deal dies, the same player who dealt the
previous hand will deal again.
If all the remaining players have one life and they all tie for most points, thus dying simultaneously, none
of them can win the pool. In such a case the game is restarted; all the players (including any who died
earlier) are given 4 lives and they continue playing for the same pool. This situation most commonly
occurs when only two players are left in the game with one life each and they tie for most points on what
was to have been the last hand.

This page is maintained by John McLeod (john@pagat.demon.co.uk). Last updated 16 July 1995
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Rules of Card Games: Crates
Crates
This description of Crates, as played in and around Boston, Massachusetts, USA was contributed by
Richard Hussong.
Crates is a form of Crazy Eights, played with a normal 52-card deck, with enough extra rules to be
amusing. Like most Eights-type games, it is somewhat reminiscent of the commercial game Uno. It was
invented in the 1970s in Cambridge, Massachusetts by some technical workers, to be played during lunch
hour.
The Players
Crates is normally played by four players, playing in two partnerships, but there are variants playable by
from two to five players, which will be described at the end, along with some other variant rules. In the
four-player game, partners sit opposite one another.
The Cards
The Crates deck is a normal 52-card deck, with no relative ranking of suits or numbers. In one variant,
the Kings and Queens are removed from the deck to decrease the size of the deck and increase the
proportion of special cards.
Card Points Table

In the scoring phase of the game, each card is assigned a number of points. This assignment may be
summarized as follows:
Card Score
A 1
2 20
3 see scoring.
4 15
5 30
6 30
7 20
8 50
9 30
10 25
J 10
Q 10
K 10
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The Deal
A game of crates consists of 15 hands. In the first hand, each player is dealt 8 cards; in the second hand,
7 cards, and so on until the eighth hand, in which each player is dealt 1 card. On the next, ninth hand,
each player is dealt 2 cards; on the tenth hand 3 cards, and so on until the fifteenth hand, in which each
player is dealt 8 cards.
The deal begins with any player, and rotates to the left thereafter. When all cards have been dealt, the
dealer places the deck of remaining cards on the table, turns up the top card of the deck, and places it
next to the deck, to start the discard pile.
The Goal
The goal of Crates is to win by being the player with the fewest total points accumulated during the
game.
The Play
General method of play
At any moment during the play, there is a current suit, a current rank, and a current direction of play. The
current suit is the suit of the top card of the discard pile unless that card is an 8 or a 9, in which case the
current suit is the suit chosen by the player who played the 8 or 9. The current rank is always the rank of
the top card of the discard pile. On each hand, the initial direction of play is clockwise.
The card turned over by the dealer to create the discard pile is treated as if it had been played by the
dealer in the ordinary course of play, except that, if it is an 8 or a 9, the dealer must choose a suit before
examining his or her hand, and if the turned card is a 9, the suit must be of the same color as the 9.
The general rule of play is that each player must play a card that matches the current suit or the current
rank, or play a wild card (an 8 or 9). The only exception to this rule occurs during a 2-sequence. When a
player cannot play on the discard pile, that player must draw one card from the deck, and play proceeds
to the next player in the current direction.
When a card is played, there may be some further action to be taken before the next player's turn. See the
table of card actions for the list of such actions.
When a player has exactly two cards, that player must say "one card" in a clearly audible fashion when
playing a card. This applies even if the card played is a 6, which cannot actually leave the player with
one card after the turn ends. If the player must make some other announcement (e.g., specify a suit for a
wild card, or announce the total of a 2-sequence), "one card" must be said first. A player who fails to say
"one card" when required to do so is penalized by having to draw two cards on his or her next turn. If the
player does not get another turn in the current hand, the penalty is forgotten.

Ending a hand
When one player no longer has any cards, the hand is over, unless a 2-sequence is in progress, in which
case the 2-sequence continues until it ends normally, at which time the hand is over, even if every player
now has cards.
The following table summarizes the effects of playing a given card on the play of the game:
Summary of card actions during play
A: used in a 2-sequence
2: start a 2-sequence
3: none
4: skip the next player
5: Cards for everyone
6: same player plays again
7: next player but one takes a card
8: wild, and change to any suit
9: wild, and change to same-color suit
10: reverse direction of play
J: none
Q: none
K: none
Special rules and notes

2-sequence:
When a player plays a 2, it starts a "2-sequence". Thereafter, each player must play an A or 2, of
any suit. When one player cannot do so, that player must draw a number of cards equal to the total
number of pips played in the 2-sequence. The 2-sequence is then over, and the next player plays
following number or suit, as usual. Note that this applies even if the player has gone out during the
2-sequence, so a player may actually have to draw cards after going out.
Cards for everyone:
When a player plays a 5, each other player must draw a card. These cards must be drawn in order,
in the current direction, to ensure that any pressure goes to the correct player or partnership.
Scoring
At the end of each hand, players receive points according to the cards remaining in their hands. See the
card points table for the point values of the various cards.
At the end of the game (i.e., at the end of the fifteenth hand), the player or partnership with the fewest
points wins the game.

Scoring threes
The threes are special in scoring. A hand containing only threes counts -50 for each three in the hand.
When threes are accompanied by other ranks, they score +3 instead. Also, a three can be used to "cover"
any card but an eight. That is, if a hand contains both threes and "eligible cards" (i.e., cards that are not
eights), the player may pair a three with an eligible card. The resulting pair is treated as a new eligible
card, with score 3. This pairing continues until no bare threes remain. Which eligible cards are paired
with threes is up to the player, but it is wise to pair the highest value cards possible.
Scores for all hands are added together, and the winning player or partnership is that player or
partnership with the fewest points after the end of the fifteenth hand.
Scoring examples
Suppose a player is left with the following cards: A, 2, 3, 3, 6, 8, K. One three should cover the 6, and
the other should cover the 2, since these are the highest-scoring eligible cards. The total score would then
be 50 + 10 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 67 points
Suppose a player is left with just 3, 3, 8. The threes are themselves eligible cards, so one of them covers
the other, resulting in a score of 53.
Pressures
When a player must draw a card, but the deck is exhausted, that player (or that player's partnership) is
given a "pressure". The first pressure a player or partnership receives counts 5 points, and each one
thereafter counts double the value of the previous one. Pressures are accumulated throughout the game,
but scored in the round in which they occur.
For example, if a partnership gets the first pressure of the game on hand 2, then two pressures on hand 3,
the first pressure adds 5 points to the score for hand 2, while the second and third pressures add 10 + 20 =
30 points to the score for hand 3. The next pressure for that partnership will be worth 40 points.
Conventions
The hands in which 1 to 3 cards are dealt are referred to as the "skill hands", while the others are
referred to as the "luck hands" (when they are referred to at all).
If one player has chosen a suit as a result of playing a wild card, and the next player plays a ten
(thus reversing the direction of play), the player who plays the ten says "Play 'em" to the player
who chose the suit.
A player receiving a card as a result of another player's playing a seven should thank the donor. In
particular, in a partnership game, a player who plays a seven should say "Card for my partner!",
and the partner should respond "Thank you, partner!"
If a player's last card is a 6, and can be played, that player must play the 6 and immediately draw
another card. This is known as a "Cooper". A player who Coopers need not (and should not) say
"one card" on that turn, of course. The term "Cooper" is sometimes extended to cover all cases in

which a 6 is played, then a card is drawn, but the "one card" rule does apply to two-card Coopers.
A player who causes the other players to draw an unusually large number of cards in quick
succession is said to be "working the deck".
It is considered reprehensible to deliberately fail to say "one card" in order to avoid going out on
the next turn.
Saying "Uno" instead of "one card" is grounds for being vilified by the other players.
Variants
Two-player, Three-player, and Five-player Crates
The rules for two-player, three-player, and five-player Crates are almost the same as those for the
four-player game. The most obvious difference is that there are no partnerships, so scores and pressures
are tallied individually. In addition, in the two-player and three-player games, the actions of certain cards
are changed as follows:
7: next player takes a card

J: previous player takes a card
Some players also prefer to remove the queens and kings from the pack in the two-player or three-player
game, in order to produce more pressures.
Skill-hand World Series

(Thanks to Sunshine, of Philadelphia, for these rules) This is another two-player Crates variant. It is
played with three hands, one of which is played by a dummy player, known conventionally as "Figgy"
(or, more formally, "Fighdij"), whose hand is visible to both other players.
The rules are generally those of three-handed Crates, with some modifications:
Only the 1-card and 2-card skill hands are played; the sequence is 2-1-1-2.
Figgy never deals, and his hand is played by the previous player in the current direction. Note that
this means Figgy's hand will typically be played by both players at various times during each hand.
Figgy begins the game with -50 points, and never receives a pressure. If Figgy would normally
receive a pressure, that pressure instead goes to the next player to play. Figgy can win the game, to
the everlasting mortification of the human players.
Last updated 21st May 1996

Rules of Card Games: Five card cribbage
Five Card Cribbage

Introduction
Players and Cards
Object of the Game
The Board and Pegs
The Deal
The Discard
The Start Card
The Play of the Cards
Scoring during the Play
The Show
Winning the Game
Other Cribbage WWW Pages
Introduction
Cribbage is traditionally supposed to have been invented in the early 17th Century; it evolved from the
earlier game Noddy. It is basically a game for two players, though adaptations for 4 players in fixed
partnerships, and for 3 players also exist.
The more modern Six Card Cribbage has now almost entirely replaced the original Five Card Cribbage
game described on this page. However the five card version does still survive in parts of Britain. For
example, in South Wales it is played in pub leagues in combination with Nine Card Don (see the Don
page for details). Matthew Probert reports that Five Card Cribbage is popular around Hampshire and
Surrey, although the six card game is also played there.
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Players and cards

Two players using a standard 52 card pack. Cards rank K(high) Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A(low).
Object of the Game

To be the first to score 61 points accumulated over several deals. Points are scored mainly for
combinations of cards either occuring during the play or occuring in a player's hand or in the cards
discarded before the play, which form the "crib".
Board and Pegs

The points are recorded by means of a board and pegs. The holes in the board represent scores from 1 to
61.
The above diagram shows the players starting at opposite ends of the board and pegging in opposite
directions, which is the way I was taught and is consistent with for example Popular Card Games by
Lawrence H Dawson - Wills, Bristol & London (1933). However it is clear that it is now more common
for both players to start from the same end, like this:
In any case, each player has two pegs: the forward peg shows the player's score to date, and the rear peg
shows the previous score. When a player scores points, the rear peg is moved in front to show the new
score. That way the distance between the pegs shows the amount most recently scored, and the opponent
can thereby check it has been scored correctly.

Deal
Cut cards to determine who deals first. The player cutting the lower card deals, and the other player
immediately pegs 3 points for "last" as compensation. This is scored on the first deal only. Subsequently
the turn to deal alternates.
The dealer shuffles, the non-dealer cuts the cards, and dealer deals 5 cards to each player one at a time.
The undealt part of the pack is placed face down on the table.
Discard
Each player must choose two cards to discard face down to form the "crib". These four cards are set aside
until the end of the hand. Any card combinations in the crib will count for the dealer, so non-dealer will
try to throw cards that are unlikely to make valuable combinations.
Start Card
The non-dealer cuts the pack of undealt cards, lifting the upper part without showing its bottom card. The
dealer takes out the top card of the lower part, turns it face up and, after non-dealer replaces the upper
part, places it face up on top of the pack. This turned up card is called the "start" card.
If the start card is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points - this is called "two for his heels".
Play of the cards

Starting with the non-dealer, the players take turns to play a single cards face up in front of themselves.
In this stage of the game the total pip value of the cards played by both players must not exceed 31. The
pip values of the cards are:
Ace = 1; 2 to 10 = face value; jack = 10; queen = 10; king = 10.
As each card is played, the player announces the running total. If a card is played which makes the pip
total exactly 31, the player pegs two points. This ends the play.
A player who cannot play without exceeding 31 does not play a card but says "Go". If your opponent
says "Go" then you may continues playing cards and scoring for any combinations you make (see
below). If you bring the total to exactly 31 you score 2 points as above.
Play may end at a total lower than 31, either because both players have played all their cards or because
all cards left in the players' hands have pip values so high that they would take the total over 31 if played.
In these cases whichever player was the last to play a card pegs 1 point for "last card". This ends the play.
Note. Players familiar with Six Card Cribbage will be used to carrying on playing until all the cards have
been played, starting again at zero each time 31 is reached or both players say "Go". Five Card Cribbage
is different: you only play up to 31 once and one or both players may have unplayed cards at the end of

the play.
Scoring during the play

A player who makes any of the following scores during the play pegs them immediately.
15:
If you play a card which brings the total to 15 you score two points ("Fifteen two")
31:
As mentioned above if you play a card which brings the total to exactly 31 you score 2 points.
Pair:
If you play a card of the same rank as the previous card (e.g. a king after a king) you score 2 points
for a pair. Note that (for example) a 10 and a queen do NOT make a pair even though they are both
worth 10 points.
Pair Royal:
If immediately after a pair a third card of the same rank is played, the player of the third card
scores 6 for "pair royal".
Double Pair Royal:
Four cards of the same rank, played in immediate succession. The player of the fourth card scores
12.
Run:
A "run" or "sequence" is a set of 3 or more cards of consecutive ranks (irrespective of suit) - such
as 9-10-jack or 2-3-4-5. Note that ace is low so for example ace-king-queen is not a run. The
player of a card which completes a run scores for the run; the score is equal to the number of cards
in the run. The cards to not have to be played in order, but no other cards must intervene.
Example: cards are played in the following order: 4-2-3-5-6. The player of the 3 scores 3 for a
run, then the player of the 5 scores 4, and the player of the 6 scores 5.
Another example: 4-2-3-4-3. The player of the first 3 scores 3 for the run 4-2-3. Then the player
of the second 4 score 3 for the run 2-3-4. The player of the second 3 scores nothing because the 3
does not complete a run.
Last Card:
If neither player manages to make the total exactlt 31, whoever played the last card scores 1 point.
The Show
Players now score for combinations of cards held in hand. First the non-dealer's hand is exposed, and
scored. The start card also counts as part of the hand when scoring combinations. All valid scores from
the following list are counted.
15:
Any combination of cards adding up to 15 pips scores 2 points. For example king, jack, five, five
would count 8 points (four fifteens as the king and the jack can each be paired with either five).

You would say "Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, fifteen eight).
Pair:
A pair of cards of the same rank score 2 points. Three cards of the same rank contain 3 different
pairs and thus score a total of 6 points for "pair Royal". Four of a kind contain 6 pairs and so score
12 points.
Run:
Three cards of consecutive rank (irrespective of suit), such as ace-2-3, score 3 points for a run. A
hand such as 6-7-7-8 contains two runs of 3 (as well as two fifteens and a pair) and so would score
12 altogether. A run of four cards, such as 9-10-J-Q scores 4 points. This is slightly illogical - you
might expect it to score 6 because it contains two runs of 3, but it doesn't. The runs of 3 within it
don't count -you just get 4.
Flush:
If all three cards of the hand are the same suit, 3 points are scored for flush. If the start card is the
same suit as well, the flush is worth 4 points. There is no score for having 2 hand cards and the
starter all the same suit. Note also that there is no score for flush during the play - it only counts in
the show.
One For His Nob:
If the hand contains the jack of the same suit as the start card, score 1 extra point.
Note that when scoring a hand, the same card may be counted and scored as part of several different
combinations. For example if your hand is 7 8 8 and the start card is a 9 you score "fifteen 2, fifteen 4,
and a pair is 6, and a run is 9 and a run is 12" - 12 points to peg, with each of your 8s forming part of a
fifteen, a pair and a run.
After non-dealer's hand has been shown and the score pegged, dealer's hand is shown, scored and pegged
in the same way. Finally the dealer exposes the four cards of the crib and scores them with the start card.
The scoring is the same as for the players' hands except that:
a flush in the crib only scores if all four crib cards and the start card are of the same suit. If that
happens the flush scores 5 points
it is now possible to have a run of five cards, which scores just 5 points.
Winning the game

As soon as someone reaches 61 points, that player wins the game. This can happen at any point - during
the play or the show, or even by dealer scoring "two for his heels". Note that it is not necessary to reach
61 exactly - for example if you overshoot by scoring 2 more points when you had 60 you still win.
Other Cribbage WWW pages

Noddy, the precursor of Cribbage.
Six Card Cribbage, which is now the most widespread form.

The Noddy and Early Cribbage page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games site has further
information.
Here is the web site of the Salisbury and District Licensed Houses Cribbage League, where five-card
cribbage is played.

Rules of Card Games: Six card cribbage
Six Card Cribbage

This page is based mainly on a contribution form Mike Block agentblock@yahoo.com, with additional
material from David Dailey, John McLeod and others.
Contents
Introduction
Two-handed play
Object
Board and Pegs
Deal
Discard
Start Card
Play of the Cards
Scoring during the Play
The Show
Winning the Game
Four Handed Play
Three-handed play
Variations
Other Cribbage WWW Pages
Cribbage rules pages
Cribbage software
Sites for playing cribbage on-line
Organisations, tournaments, clubs
http://www.pagat.com/adders/crib6.html (1 de 9) [04/05/2001 9:49:46]

Introduction
Six Card Cribbage is basically a game for two players, but adapts easily for three players, and for four
players in fixed partnerships - a very useful feature. It is now the standard form of Cribbage and widely
played in English speaking parts of the world.
See also the page on Five Card Cribbage, an older form of the game which has been largely forgotten,
though it is still played in parts of Britain.
Cribbage in England is primarily a pub game - indeed, it is one of the few games allowed by Statute to be
played in a public house for small stakes. A game of low animal cunning where players must balance a
number of different objectives, remain quick witted enough to recognise combinations, and be able to
add up, it is perhaps not the most obvious of games to be so firmly associated with the English pub. It is a
game where experience counts for a great deal - though luck, of course, has a large part.
It is also a game where etiquette is important. The rituals associated with cutting and dealing, playing and
pegging, as well as the terminology, all serve the useful purpose of keeping things in order - and they
help to give the game a flavour of its own. In card playing, as with food, authenticity matters.
Two-handed play
Two players use a standard 52 card pack. Cards rank K(high)Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A(low).
Object
To be the first to score 121 points or over (twice round the usual British design of board) accumulated
over several deals. Points are scored mainly for combinations of cards either occuring during the play or
occuring in a player's hand or in the cards discarded before the play, which form the crib or box.
Board and Pegs

The score is kept by means of a board and pegs. Starting at one end of the board - usually to the left of
the first dealer - players peg their scores as they occur using their two pegs alternately: the forward peg
shows the player's latest score, and the rear peg shows the previous score.
When a player scores, the rear peg is moved in front of the forward peg by the same number of holes as

the score to show the new total. This enables scores to be easily checked and acts as a visible statement
of the progress of the game. Players peg up on the outside of the board and back on the inside. The
winner is the first to peg out by exceeding 120.
The exact design of the board is not critical. The diagram shows the type of board most commonly used
in Britain. In North America they come in a great variety of shapes. The essential feature is a track for
each player with holes representing the numbers from 1 to 120.
Deal
The first deal is determined by cutting the cards. The player cutting the lower card deals and has the first
box or crib. If the cards are equal - and that includes both players cutting a ten card (10, J, Q or K) - there
is another cut for first deal. The deal then alternates from hand to hand until the game is over. It is usual
to play best of three: for the second game first box and deal alternate, but for the third game - if a decider
is needed - there is a fresh cut.
The dealer shuffles, the non-dealer cuts the cards [but see variations], and dealer deals 6 cards face down
to each player one at a time. The undealt part of the pack is placed face down on the table. At the end of
each hand, the played cards are gathered together and the whole pack is shuffled by the new dealer
before the next deal.
Discard
Each player chooses two cards to discard face down to form the crib. These four cards are set aside until
the end of the hand. The crib will count for the dealer - non-dealer will try to throw cards that are
unlikely to make valuable combinations, but must balance this against keeping a good hand for himself.
Dealer, on the other hand, may sometimes find it pays to place good cards in the box - especially if they
cannot be used to best advantage in hand.
Start Card
Non-dealer cuts the stack of undealt cards, lifting the upper part without showing its bottom card. The
dealer takes out the top card of the lower part, turns it face up and, after non-dealer replaces the upper
part, places it face up on top of the pack. This turned up card is called the start card - it will count for
combinations as part of both players' hands as well as of the dealer's box.
If the start card is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 holes - this is called Two for his heels.
Play of the cards

Starting with the non-dealer, the players take turns to play single cards. You play your own cards to form
a face-up pile in front of yourself, keeping them separate from the other players' cards. In this stage of the
game the total pip value of the cards played by both players must not exceed 31. The pip values of the
cards are:
Ace = 1; 2 to 10 = face value; jack = 10; queen = 10; king = 10.

As each card is played, the player announces the running total - for example the non-dealer plays a king
and says "10", the dealer plays an 8 and says "18", the dealer plays a jack and says "28", and so on. If a
card is played which brings the total exactly to 31, the player pegs 2 claiming Thirty one for two as he
does so.
A player who cannot play without exceeding 31 does not play a card but says Go, leaving his opponent to
continue if possible, pegging for any further combinations made (see below). Bringing the total to
exactly 31 pegs 2, but if neither player can lay a card without going over 31, then the last player to lay a
card pegs one for the go or one for last.
The cards that have been played are turned over and a fresh round of play starts with the unplayed cards
in exactly the same way. The opponent of the player who played last in the previous round (scoring
Thirty one for two or One for last) plays first in the new round. This second round of play again
continues until neither can play without going over 31. The last player again scores "1 for last" or "31 for
2", and if either player has any cards left there is a further round. Play continues for as many rounds as
necessary until both players' cards are exhausted. Towards the end, it may happen that one player has run
out of cards but the other still has several cards. In that case the player who still has cards simply carries
on playing and scoring for any combinations formed until all his cards have been played.
Example: Player A has king-king-2-2; player B has 9-8-7-6.
First round: A plays king - "10"; B plays 6 - "16"; A plays king - "26"; B says "go"; A plays 2 -
"28"; A plays 2 - "30 for 3". A pegs 3, namely 2 for the pair of twos and 1 for playing the last card
of this round.
Second round: B plays 8 - "8"; A has no cards left so cannot do anything; B plays 7 - "fifteen
two" (B pegs 2 points); B plays 9 "24 for 3 and 1 for last" (B pegs 4 points: three for the run 7-8-9
and one for playing the last card).
Please note: it is never possible to score "one for last" and "31 for 2" at the same time. They are
alternatives. If you make exactly 31 for two points you do not get an additional "one for last".
Tactical note: It is often worth keeping low cards in hand for this phase of the game, especially when
there is a strong possibility of being able to peg out before one's opponent.
Scoring during the play

A player who makes any of the following scores during the play pegs them immediately.
15:
If you play a card which brings the total to 15 you peg 2 claiming Fifteen two.
31:
As mentioned above, if you play a card which brings the total to exactly 31 you peg 2.
Pair:
If you play a card of the same rank as the previous card (e.g. a king after a king) you peg 2 for a
pair. Note that (for example) a 10 and a queen do NOT make a pair even though they are both
worth 10 points.
Pair Royal:

If immediately after a pair a third card of the same rank is played, the player of the third card
scores 6 for pair royal.
Double Pair Royal:
Four cards of the same rank, played in immediate succession. The player of the fourth card scores
12.
Run:
A run or sequence is a set of 3 or more cards of consecutive ranks (irrespective of suit) - such as
9-10-jack or 2-3-4-5. Note that ace is low so, for example, ace-king-queen is not a run. The player
of a card which completes a run scores for the run; the score is equal to the number of cards in the
run. The cards do not have to be played in order, but no other cards must intervene.
Example: cards are played in the following order: 4-2-3-5-6. The player of the 3 scores 3 for a
run, then the player of the 5 scores 4, and the player of the 6 scores 5.
Another example: 4-2-3-4-3. The player of the first 3 scores 3 for the run 4-2-3. Then the player
of the second 4 score 3 for the run 2-3-4. The player of the second 3 scores nothing because the 3
does not complete a run.
Last Card:
If neither player manages to make the total exactly 31, whoever played the last card pegs 1.
Note that to score for pair, pair royal, double pair royal or run, the cards must have been played
consecutively during a single round of play. If one player had to say "go" while the combination was
being formed, the combination is still valid, but if both players are unable to play, causing a new round
of play to be started from zero, all combinations are started afresh.
Example 1: Player A has 10, 10, 9, 6; player B has 7, 6, 5, 4.
A plays 9, B plays 6 (scoring fifteen two), A plays 6 (scoring two for a pair), B plays 5. The total
is now 26; A has to say "go", so B plays 4, scoring three for a run, plus one for last. The A begins
again with 10, B plays 7, and A plays the other 10, scoring one for last.
Example 2: Player A has 10, 8, 7, 5; player B has 7, 6, 5, 4.
A plays 8, B plays 7 (scoring fifteen two), A plays 7 (scoring two for a pair), B plays 6. The total
is now 28; neither can play, so B scores one for last. If A now begins again with a 5, A does not
score for a run, because the 7 and 6 were played in the previous round of play (before the total was
reset to zero).
The Show
Players now retrieve the cards that they put down during the play and score for combinations of cards
held in hand. First the non-dealer's hand is exposed, and scored. The start card also counts as part of the
hand when scoring combinations. All valid scores from the following list are counted.
15:
Any combination of cards adding up to 15 pips scores 2 points. For example king, jack, five, five
would count 8 points (four fifteens as the king and the jack can each be paired with either five).
You would say Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, fifteen eight In this case you would also peg
Two for the pair (of fives), making 10.
Pair:

A pair of cards of the same rank score 2 points. Three cards of the same rank contain 3 different
pairs and thus score a total of 6 points for pair royal. Four of a kind contain 6 pairs and so score 12
points.
Run:
Three cards of consecutive rank (irrespective of suit), such as ace-2-3, score 3 points for a run. A
hand such as 6-7-7-8 contains two runs of 3 (as well as two fifteens and a pair) and so would score
12 altogether. A run of four cards, such as 9-10-J-Q scores 4 points (this is slightly illogical - you
might expect it to score 6 because it contains two runs of 3, but it doesn't. The runs of 3 within it
don't count - you just get 4), and a run of five cards scores 5.
Flush:
If all four cards of the hand are the same suit, 4 points are scored for flush. If the start card is the
same suit as well, the flush is worth 5 points. There is no score for having 3 hand cards and the
start all the same suit. Note also that there is no score for flush during the play - it only counts in
the show.
One For His Nob:
If the hand contains the jack of the same suit as the start card, you peg One for his nob.
Nineteen:
It is impossible to score nineteen in hand or in box. If you think you have, then you should either
stop playing or stop drinking. Nineteen is proverbially used as a term to indicate a worthless hand.
Note that when scoring a hand, the same card may be counted and scored as part of several different
combinations. For example if your hand is 7 8 8 K and the start card is a 9 you score Fifteen 2, fifteen 4,
and a pair is 6, and a run is 9 and a run is 12 - 12 holes to peg, with each of your 8s forming part of a
fifteen, a pair and a run.
After non-dealer's hand has been shown and the score pegged, dealer's hand is shown, scored and pegged
in the same way. Finally the dealer exposes the four cards of the crib and scores them with the start card.
The scoring is the same as for the players' hands except that a flush in the crib only scores if all four crib
cards and the start card are of the same suit. If that happens the flush scores 5.
Muggins (optional rule). If a player, when scoring his hand or the crib, overlooks some points, then
after the player has announced the total and scored it, his opponent can call "muggins", and peg the
points himself. Some people apply the same rule if a player fails to claim a combination scored during
the play. Some Americans call this version of the game "cutthroat" cribbage, and play that you don't have
to say anything - you just wait until the opponent finishes pegging the points they have noticed and then
silently peg the rest of their points yourself.
Winning the game

As soon as someone reaches or passes 121, that player wins the game. This can happen at any stage -
during the play or the show, or even by dealer scoring two for his heels. It is not necessary to reach 121
exactly - you can peg out by scoring 2 more when you were on 120 and still win. All that matters is that
your opponent's pegs are both still on the board.

Four-handed play
All the scoring features are identical to the two-handed version. Partners sit opposite each other. One
member of the partnership is elected to peg and these two players cut for first box. Dealer offers the pack
to the opponent on his right for the first cut (or not, if you pay the rule that the cards are not cut). Cards
are dealt clockwise one at a time, five to each player. (So this is six card crib with five cards each - the
logic of the game is the same since hand and box always contain the same number of cards.)
Each player puts one card in the dealer's box. Dealer then offers the undealt stack to the opponent on his
left to cut for start. ('Cut back for box, forward for start.') Partners may help each other keep score and
will try to assist each other with a good discard if possible (putting a 5 in partner's box on occasion, for
example) and will co-operate during play to trap their opponents or to improve each other's chances of
pegging. But they may not overtly advise on play or indicate the cards they hold. When three players are
forced to say "go", the fourth player earns the point for last card. In the show, counting begins at the
dealer's left and ends with the dealer.
Three-handed play
Again, all the main features of play are identical. Dealer deals five cards to each player and one into the
box. Each player discards one card, so that everyone has a four card hand and there are four cards in the
crib. The player to the dealer's left cuts the deck to reveal the turn-up card. This player also begins the
play, playing the first card. When two players are forced to say "go", the third player earns the point for
last card. In the show, counting begins at the dealer's left and ends with the dealer. Each player acts
completely independently, although the two trailing players may temporarily conspire to do down the
leader. This form of the game really requires a special board with either three sides or some other
arrangement to accommodate three sets of holes.
Variations
No cutting
In some circles, the non-dealer does not get the opportunity to cut the cards before the deal. For example,
David Dailey writes:
Dealer shuffles the deck (and may cut it himself [though some disagree]) but does not place
it on the table to be cut. If he does, the opponent may pick up the deck and deal, giving
himself the "crib" and a slight advantage.
I think this against offering the cut only applies in some informal circles in the USA. It is not recognised
by the American Cribbage Congress, and is unknown in Britain. It is sometimes justified by asserting
that Cribbage is a gentleman's game and that therefore cutting (seen as a device to make it more difficult
for the dealer to cheat by stacking the deck) is out of place.

Lurching or Skunking
When playing to 121 points, some play that if the loser scores 60 or fewer points he is lurched and loses
a double stake.
Some play that if the loser scores 61-90 points he is skunked and loses a double stake; if he scores 60 or
fewer he is double skunked and loses a triple (or quadruple) stake.
Restrictions on pegging in the endgame

Jim Hinds reports the following variations. These are certainly not part of the usual game; I do not know
how widespread they are:
1. You cannot finish the game on a go. So if you have 120 points in a 121 point game, the point for
playing the last card does not count.
2. You cannot score "two for his heels" if you need five or fewer points to go out.
Two into the Crib

This version is reported by Bruce Clouette of Connecticut, USA. The dealer deals out five cards to each
player instead of six, and deals two cards into the crib. The players then discard one card each into the
crib, and play proceeds as usual with six card play. This introduces an extra level of uncertainty into the
game.
Other WWW pages about Cribbage

Cribbage rules and strategy pages
John Arundel's Cribbage Corner includes tactical hints and discussions of etiquette, and may in
future review books and software.
The Schellsburg Cribbage Forum includes articles on strategy and course of study.
The Central Connector Cribbage page has another set of Cribbage rules.
My Five Card Cribbage page describes an older form of the game, still played in parts of Britain.
See also the page on Noddy, an earlier ancestor of Cribbage.
Table Top Cribbage is not really a kind of Cribbage, but uses (almost) the same scoring system.
Here are two invented variations: Cribbage Solitaire, in which you play against the deck, and
Speedo Cribbage, in which the dealer sees the opponent's discards and puts any 4 cards in the crib.
Cribbage software
Freeverse software have a Cribbage program for Macintosh computers.
MVP Card Games have a shareware Cribbage program for download.

Ravenswood Games also publish a shareware Cribbage program.

Fish.
Sites for playing Cribbage on-line

IPlay
Igames
PlaySite
Yahoo! Games
www.won.net
Playlink
Wireplay uses a direct dialled connection (not via the Internet)
Net Cribbage, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a
Organisations, tournaments and clubs

The American Cribbage Congress home page.
Club 19 have started an on-line Cribbage league.
The Germantown Peggers Cribbage Club
The Salisbury and District Licensed Houses Cribbage League play the game described on this
page with 4 players, but between two players they play Five Card Cribbage.
The Bartsow Odd Fellows Lodge #91 Cribbage Tournament - regular meetings in Barstow,
California.
Return to the beginning of this page.
Return to the General Index of the Card Games site.

This page was last updated on 24th July 2000

Rules of Card games: Tarok (Danish)
Tarok (Danish)
This description was contributed by Jens Brix Christiansen
Contents
Summary
Rules
The mechanics of the game
The fool
The discard (the skat)
The declarations
Scoring, payment
Objective and Strategy
Proprieties
Logistics, The fourth player
Irregularities during play - fines
Danish Tarok compared with other Tarot games
References
Summary
Tarok (Danish style) is a game for three persons played with a tarot deck of 78 cards. It is a trick taking
game, where the primary emphasis is on winning the last trick with one of five designated cards (known
as winning Ultimo), and there is secondary emphasis on winning many tricks and winning counting
cards in the tricks. To play well, players need to form alliances during the play, to keep track of the cards
that have been played, and to be able to play according to a well chosen plan. Together, this makes the
game difficult to learn to play well. It thus embodies much of the intellectual challenge otherwise
associated with games like contract bridge.
http://www.pagat.com/tarot/dantarok.html (1 de 13) [04/05/2001 9:49:51]

Rules
To play tarok you need three or four players, some tarok cards, a supply of chips to keep score, and two
containers to serve as the pots.
Players
Although there are only three active players at a time, it is quite usual for four people to take part in a
tarok game. With four people, the player sitting opposite the dealer takes no part in the play.
Cards
A standard French tarot deck of 78 cards is used. There are

four standard suits of 14 cards each,
21 trumps (tarok, pl. tarokker)
one special card, the fool (skisen, scusen).
In the past, Tarok cards were made in Denmark for this game, but since the second world war these have
no longer been manufactured, and Tarot cards imported from France are used instead. Of course the
exact appearance of the cards, though interesting in its own right, is immaterial to the rules of the game.
The old Danish cards had no corner indices, but players have become so used to the modern French
cards, that cards without corner markings are now considered too cumbersome for practical play.
The standard suits, hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs each have four court cards (honnr, pl honnrer).
The corner indices stand for the French names of the cards, though in play the Danish names are used:
the king (konge) marked R for roi;

the queen (dame) marked D for
dame;
the knight (kaval) marked C for
cavalier;
the jack (kngt) marked V for valet.
Each suit also has the usual 10 spot cards (ladon, pl. ladoner) marked with numbers 1 through 10.
In the black suits (spades and clubs) the cards are ranked from high to low:
R D C V 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In the red suits (hearts and diamonds) the spot cards have the opposite ranking; from high to low the

cards rank:
R D C V 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
The trumps are marked with the numbers 1 through 21, and are ranked in numerical order with 21
highest and 1 lowest. In Italy, where tarot games originated, all the trumps had special names; only the
names for the hoghest and lowest trumps have been carried over into the Dannish game:
the pagat is the 1 of trumps (the lowest trump) (pagaten) - from the
Italian bagatto
the mondo is the 21 of trumps (the highest trump) (mondo) - unaltered
from the Italian mondo
The fool is not part of any suit. It is marked so as to distinguish it from the other cards,
often with a star.
In practice it is traditional to use two tarot packs, if possible with different coloured backs, which are
used to play alternate hands. This saves some time, especially with four players. During the play, the
inactive player can shuffle the cards for the new dealer, who can then start dealing while the players are
still settling up from the previous hand - see logistics.
Chips
The scoring is always done using tokens, or chips, rather than on paper. Keeping score in writing, though
possible, would be rather inconvenient, because of the two pots, and the payments that are made between
players during the play of the hand.
It is best to use chips in denominations of 5, 20, 100 and possibly 500, distinguished by different shapes
or sizes. Ideally all denominations should be available in three or four different colours, so that each
player can begin with a supply of chips of their own colour. That way it is easy to see how much each
player has won or lost, and it is not necessary for each player to have an equal number of chips at the
start of the game.

The Pots
Two distinct receptacles are needed to hold the pagat pot and the king pot. In the past there were
purpose built pots marked with a crown and a figure 1 respectively. Alternatively, you may use a wide,
shallow dish with a smaller bowl standing in the centre of it (like a cup and saucer). The centre bowl is
the king pot and the dish is the pagat pot.
The mechanics of the game

The general direction of the game is counter-clockwise.
Dealing
The cards are dealt five at a time to the three active players, until each has 25 cards. The dealer adds the
remaining three cards to his own hand.
Discarding
The dealer now discards (ekarterer) three of his cards. These three cards are called the skat (skaten), and
will not be used in the play. The skat constitues the first three cards in the dealer's trick pile.
Declaring
Certain combined holdings of court cards, trumps, and the fool are called declarations (meldinger). Any
valid combinations held must be declared to the other players. Starting with the dealer, each player
declares his combinations in turn. The information passed with the declarations have significant
influence on the strategy in the play.
Play
The player to the dealer's right leads to the first trick, and play proceeds in counter-clockwise rotation.
All players must follow suit, playing any card they wish in the suit led (trumps are considered as a
separate suit). If a player cannot follow suit, he must play a trump (any trump he wishes). If a player has
no cards in the suit led nor any trumps, he may play any card in any other suit. The trick is won by the
player contributing the highest trump to the trick, or if no trump was played, by the player contributing
the highest card in the suit led. The three cards in the trick are placed face down in front of the player
winning the trick. These rules do not apply to the fool; see below. The player who wins a trick is on lead
to the next trick.
The last trick
The prime focus of the game is on the last trick. In general, the winner of a hand is the player who takes
the last trick. Five cards, i.e., the four kings and the pagat, are designated as Ultimo cards. There is a
considerable bonus for winning the last trick with an Ultimo card; this is known as "winning Ultimo".
Playing an Ultimo card in the last trick without winning the trick, on the other hand, is known in Danish
as "Bagud" (literally "going out the back way"). There is a penalty, equivalent to the Ultimo bonus, for

losing a Bagud.
For advice on how to win an Ultimo, or prevent someone else doing so, see the strategy page.
End of play
The new dealer deals, while the two other players count their trick piles (see scoring below).
The fool
The fool is a card with special properties during the play. The fool is used to extend any suit by one card,
possibly even after the player holding the fool has not followed for several rounds of that suit. This is
formalized as follows:
The fool can be played at any time, regardless of the suit led and the player's holding in that suit or
in trumps (but see the rules below regarding the last three tricks).
Until it is actually played, the fool does not belong to any of the suits (including trumps). When it
is led or played, it becomes the lowest ranking card in the suit led to the trick. When a player leads
the fool, he names the suit intended. (This is known as "naming the fool" (at benvne skisen))
Although the fool can never win a trick, for scoring purposes the card is not lost to the winner of
the trick:
The fool is not surrendered to the player winning the trick; instead it goes to the trick pile of
the player playing it (but see the rules below when the fool is played in the last trick).
Special rules govern the way the fool is used in the end play. They are probably intended to avoid
giving the holder of the fool undue advantages:
The fool must never be played to the second to last trick.
When the fool is in the last trick, it is added to the trick pile of the player winning the trick.
During the third to last trick, any player who does not hold the fool may require that it be
played. The play to this trick is then taken back as far as necessary to comply with this
requirement. There is a penalty for requiring the fool erroneously.
Some special, somewhat complicated rules apply to the naming of the fool, when it is led. Their
purpose is originally to prevent the fool from ever winning a trick. These rules are seldom needed.
If the second player is void in the suit named for the fool, he may make the statement, "I
have no cards in that suit". The third player then checks whether he has any cards in the suit
named, and makes a statement to that effect. If it turns out that he too is void in the suit, the
fool remains led, but the second player has the right to name the fool.
If the second player is void in the suit named for the fool and plays to the trick anyway
(which he may do either inadvertently or on purpose), he loses the right to name the fool. If
now the third player is also void, he can claim the right to name the fool. The second player
will now usually need to take his played card back in order to follow suit.
If both the second and the third players show out on the suit named for the fool instead of
claiming the right to name the fool, then they were obliged to play trumps if they had them,
and the higher trump wins the trick as usual. However, if both the second and third players
have run out of trumps, then the card played by the second player automatically names the

fool, and the third player may have to take his played card back in order to follow suit.
The discard (the skat)

The dealer may discard any three cards from his hand, subject to the following restrictions.
Unconditional rule: He may never discard a king or the mondo.
Widely accepted rule: The fool must never be discarded. (But see below).
He may not discard a card that would otherwise be part of a combination to be declared,
except in the highly unlikely case where it is impossible to avoid doing so. It is generally
accepted that he must then announce exactly what cards he is discarding for this reason. It
also seems to be accepted that he receives payment for all combinations that can be declared
before he discards.
He may discard one or more trumps only if he thereby becomes void in trumps. During the
play, when the dealer shows out in trumps, any other player may ask if he discarded trumps
and if so how many. Note that the pagat (but not mondo) can be discarded according to this
rule. For the purpose of this rule, the fool does not count as a trump.
Disputed rule: The fool may be discarded only if the dealer announces that he is playing for
Tout and therefore needs to discard the fool. The rule is disputed because it is unclear what
the consequences are if the player does not make an announced Tout.
See the strategy section for advice on what to discard.
The declarations
Certain combinations of cards in a player's hand must be declared before play starts. Declarations
are made in rotation starting with the dealer.
Trumps
A player holding 10 or more trumps must declare how many he has. For this purpose, the
fool counts as a trump. When trumps are declared, the player must also mention whether or
not he holds the pagat. A sample declaration is "11 trumps, with the pagat" (11 tarokker
med pagat); if there are no other declarations, it is not revealed whether the fool was one of
the 11 trumps.
Matadors
3 matadors is the combination of the fool, mondo, and the pagat. 4 matadors additionally
includes the trump 20. 5 matadors additionally includes the trump 19, etc. A player holding
the fool, mondo, and the pagat must declare how many matadors he holds.
Cavallerie
A player who holds four court cards of the same suit must declare cavallerie of the suit. A
typical declaration is simply "full hearts" (fulde hjerter). If in addition to the four court
cards, he also holds the fool, he declares abundant cavallerie, e.g., "abundant spades"
(sprjtefulde spar). And if he holds three court cards of the same suit and the fool, he
declares half cavallerie and mentions which court card he is missing, e.g. "half diamonds, no

knight" (halve ruder, mangler kaval).

Kings
A player holding all four kings must declare "full kings" (fulde konger). With all four kings
and the fool, he declares "abundant kings" (sprjtefulde konger). With three kings and the
fool, he declares "half kings" (halve konger) and mentions the suit in which he is missing
the king.
Note: In Danish, "fuld" means both "full" and "drunk", and "sprjtefuld" is a somewhat outdated
slangy expression for "seriously intoxicated".
A player who has no declaration to make says "pass" (pas).
Scoring, payment
Scoring is done in terms of immediate payment in tokens. Payment happens at several points
during the game, and payment is effected both directly among the players and with two pots (kop,
pl. kopper). All payment is in multiples of 5 units.
Each player has his own tokens (jeton, pl. jetoner). In addition there are two pots, the pagat pot
(pagatkoppen) and the king pot (kongekoppen), which each contain some tokens. Payments are
made at the following points during the game.
1. Foundation (fundering)
At the very beginning of the game, each player contributes 20 to each pot. Subsequently, whenever
a pot is emptied, each player contributes 20 to that pot. If there are four players, these foundation
payments are also made the player who is sitting out; this is the only payment required of a player
sitting out.
2. Dealing
The dealer pays 5 to each pot. This can be construed as payment for the privilege of choosing and
knowing the contents of the skat. It can also be taken as payment for the privilege of the much
higher likelihood of getting a good hand because of the extra three cards.
3. Declaring
When a player makes an (obligatory) declaration, the other two players pay him immediately. This
can be construed as payment for the information received. The schedule of payment is as follows.
10 trumps = 10. 11 trumps = 15. 12 trumps = 20. And so on (5 more for each additional
trump).
3 matadors = 10. 4 matadors = 15. 5 matadors = 20. And so on (5 more for each additional
matador).
abundant kings or cavallerie: 15
full kings or cavallerie: 10
half kings or cavallerie: 5

One card may belong to several declarations. This is especially true of the fool. All such
declarations must be made and paid for independently.
4. During play, but not in the final trick
When a player leads or plays a king to a trick, but does not win the trick, he pays 5 to each of the
other two players and 5 to the king pot.
When a player leads or plays the pagat to a trick, but does not win the trick, he pays 5 to each of
the other two players and 5 to the pagat pot .
When a player wins a trick with the pagat, the other two players each pay him 5 (but does not take
anything from the pagat pot). (A variant of the game exists which does not recognize this payment.
It is not clear which variant is the dominant one).
5. After the final trick
Tout
If one player has taken all 25 tricks, he has made Tout, both the other active players pay him
85. In addition he will receive payment from each player for the cards (see below), and he
also takes the contents of both pots, which then both need foundation (unless there are
simultaneous occurences of Bagud).
Nolo
If just one player takes no tricks, he has made Nolo, and the two other players pay him 25.
When a player makes Nolo there is no score for the last trick or the cards, and Ulitimos do
not count. The Nolo itself does not count if another player wins Tout.
Pagat Ultimo.
If a player wins the last trick with the pagat, and there is no Tout or Nolo, that player
receives 45 from each of the other two players. He also receives the contents of the pagat
pot, which then needs foundation.
King Ultimo.
If a player wins the last trick with a king, and there is no Tout or Nolo, that player receives
40 from each of the other two players. He also receives the contents of the king pot, which
then needs foundation (unless there is a simultaneous king Bagud, see below).
Pagat Bagud.
If a player plays the pagat to the last trick without winning the trick, that player pays 45 to
each of the other two players. He also doubles the contents of the pagat pot. Payment is
effected regardless of a simultaneous Tout, Nolo. (Simultaneous Ultimo is not possible.)
King Bagud
If a player plays a king to the last trick without winning the trick, that player pays 40 to each
of the other two players. He also doubles the contents of the king pot. Payment is effected
regardless of a simultaneous Tout, Nolo, or Ultimo.
Last Trick

If a player wins the last trick with a card other than a king or the pagat, and there is no
Tout, Nolo, or Bagud, he receives 20 from each of the other two players.
When several payments concerning the last trick affect the king pot, the contents of the pot is first
counted; then, if there is an Ultimo winner, he is paid; finally, any player owing for Bagud pays
the amount that was originally in the pot. Imagine, for instance, that three kings are in the last trick
(no Tout or Nolo) and the king pot contains 135. The winner takes the 135, and each of the two
losers pays 135 to the pot, which then contains 270.
Apparently the difference between 40 for King Ultimo and 45 for Pagat Ultimo recognizes that
winning the pagat in an earlier trick would be worth 5 on its own.
6. After the final trick payments are settled (the count)
With the exception of the next dealer, who should be busy dealing the other pack, the players
count the value of their piles of tricks, according to the following schedule:
The pagat, mondo, the fool, and the four kings each count 4 points.
The four queens each count 3 points.
The four knights each count 2 points.
The four jacks each count 1 point.
Each trick taken counts 1 point.
The skat counts 1 point.
This amounts to 78 points in total (7*4 + 4*3 + 4*2 + 4*1 + 25 + 1)

In practice, the player simply counts 1 point for every three cards in the trick pile. The trick with
the fool will have moved one card from one pile to another, but that should not confuse the
counting player.
The total number of points counted for each player is compared with 26. The difference is rounded
off to the nearest multiple of 5. The corresponding number of tokens is paid to the new dealer by a
player with fewer than 26 points, or received from the new dealer by a player with more than 26
points. The most common payments are summarized in the table:
Point count
14-18 pay new dealer 10
19-23 pay new dealer 5
24-28 no payment
29-33 receive 5 from new dealer
34-38 receive 10 from new dealer
When there is a Nolo, there is no payment for point count.
7. After the final hand of the session has been played.
The contents of the two pots are divided evenly among the three (or four) players.

Proprieties
Tarok is a game of controlled communication among the players. Hence it is a game with no
conversation and no body language during play. Information should be exchanged only through
declarations of card combinations and the play of the cards.
In two cases it is considered improper to play safe in order to avoid Bagud: Consider the following
end game with two tricks to go:
Position 1:
A: R, T7
B: R, 9
C: 7, 2
If A is on lead, he can play the last trump and win his king Ultimo. If C is on lead, A's Ultimo is
automatic. In both these cases, B will play the R and avoid Bagud. But if B is on lead, his play
of the R will allow A to win his king Ultimo, whereas a diamond will drive out the R,
preventing the Ultimo at the cost of B's Bagud. It is normally accepted that in such a situation B is
morally obliged to lose his Bagud, even though it is not in his interest (especially if the king pot is
much richer than the pagat pot). The reasoning behind this is that the player's first obligation is to
protect the values in the pots, and he therefore should not be holding on to his king if he cannot
guarantee that there will not be another Ultimo.
Here are two other positions, still two tricks to go, B on lead:
Position 2:
A: T10, T7
B: R, 9
C: 3, 4
Position 3:
A: T10, 3
B: R, 9
C: T7, 4
Leading the 9 leads to Bagud in position 2 and to Ultimo in position 3. Leading the Heart king
concedes the last trick, gives up the chance of Ultimo, and removes the risk of Bagud. It is
normally accepted that if B has no information to distinguish the two positions, he should take the
chance, run the risk of Bagud, and play the 9.
Sometimes a player has a choice of going for a king Ultimo or a pagat Ultimo. If there is a
considerable difference in the value of the two pots, it is considered proper to go for the most
profitable pot. However, it is not considered proper to seek information about the contents of the
pots during the play of a hand.

Logistics, The fourth player

Payment is made by means of chips or tokens. The king pot and the pagat pot are maintained in
specially designed cups, marked with a crown and the figure 1 respectively. Or they are simply
kept in a normal cup and saucer, the king pot being the cup.
Usually two decks are used. While one is being dealt, the player on the dealer's left shuffles the
other deck and places it on his own left.
Players should not pick up the cards until the dealer has finished dealing and verified that he
himself receives eight cards at the end. The dealer does this by making the somewhat confusing
statement "the discard is ready" ("skaten er klar").
The position of the pots on the table signifies who the dealer is. After play ends, the pots should be
on the previous dealer's right, which is the new dealer's left. Once all payments have been settled,
the new dealer pays for the privilege of dealing in each pot and simultaneously moves the pots
from his left to his right, thus signaling that he has indeed paid for dealing. If there has been an
Ultimo or Bagud, he may be well into the deal before all the payments of the previous deal has
been settled. Any doubt that arises as to whether the dealer has paid for his privilege is resolved by
the position of the pots.
A player who has not been dealt any trumps (the fool does not count as a trump here) may declare
a misdeal and require that the same dealer shuffles and deals again.
Tarok can be played in a company of four. The player opposite the dealer sits out, and takes over
the obligation of shuffling the extra pack, leaving it on his own left. In general, he may observe the
game but make no sound or gesture during play. The fourth player does not participate in
payments, except when an empty cup needs foundation.
A fourth player joining a party of three can enter the game by adding to each pot one third of what
is already there.
The winner of a pot is responsible for ensuring the subsequent foundation (when needed). If the
pot is later found to be deficient, he must complete the pot from his own funds.
Irregularities during play - fines

If an irregularity occurs during play, the players must agree on the severity, and a fine is then paid.
If four players are in the game, and no agreement can be reached, the fourth player can be used as
arbiter. There are four categories of irregularities:
Superficial. No fine.
Examples are
Wrong number of cards after dealing, when the player with too many cards still has
not seen the face of his cards.
Revoke (failure to follow suit or failure to play a trump on a trick where a player

cannot follow suit), provided that the revoke can be corrected without divulging
essential information and without unduly influencing the play.
Naming the fool in a suit that cannot be followed.
Declarations can be corrected without penalty until the opening lead; but only if the
correction does not divulge essential information. (It is acceptable to correct a
declaration of 12 trumps to 11, but not to correct a declaration of 10 trumps to
"pass").
Minor. 5 in each pot.
Examples are
Failure to move the pots after paying for dealing.
Wrong number of cards dealt in such a way that the cards must be redealt. (Same
dealer)
Major. 20 in each pot. Play continues.
Examples include
Making a declaration before the dealer has discarded and made his declarations.
Lead out of turn. The lead is taken back.
Premature play of a card. The card cannot be taken back.
Calling for the fool when it has already been played.
Irrecoverable. 40 in each pot. Play abandoned. New player deals.

Examples include
Improper discarding. Cannot be corrected once the player to the right of the dealer
makes his declarations.
Irrecoverable revoke.
Errors in declarations that are not superficial. The bonus received for the wrong
declaration is paid back. The error is not penalized if discovered after all payments
have been made at the end of play.
A player holds the wrong number of cards, as discovered during play (i.e., after the
opening lead has been made).
Danish Tarok compared with other Tarot games

For readers who have a general knowledge of other tarot games, the game can be summarized in
these terms:
1. Danish Tarok is a game for three players using the full 78 card pack. It is unlike most
modern tarot games in that there is no bidding and no formal partnerships. However, an
informal alliance often forms against the player with the strongest cards.
2. It is the last surviving member of a group of games, typified by Grotarok, which were
played throughout Germany, and in many neighbouring countries from the late 18th century
and through most of the 19th century.

3. The fool is used as an excuse, not as the highest trump: the fool can never take a trick and
can be played instead of following suit.
4. Scoring is dominated by special pots that are awarded to a player winning Ultimo (i.e.
making the final trick with a king or the pagat), but other payments among the players are
frequent. The bonuses and penalties are such that winning Ultimo, or conversely, preventing
other players from winning Ultimo, is the major purpose of the game, overshadowing all
other purposes. Still, tricks taken and counting cards have some value.
5. Normal tarot-style rules for leading, following, and trumping apply. French Tarot players
should note that there is no obligation to play higher when playing a trump; also that the
ranking of the spot cards has not been rationalised as it has in France; the traditional order
has been preserved, with the red suit spot cards ranking in reverse order.
References
1. Emil Wolff: Tarok. Kbenhavn: H. Hagerups Forlag 1899.
2. Oberstljtnant R. L. Borch: Tarok. En vejledning i Spillets Regler og Anvendelse. 1924.
Reprinted 1959 by "Tarokklubben af 1959".
3. J. V. V. Hermansen: Tarok. Published 1943.
4. H. J. Mller: Tarok: En vejledning i det dle kortspil. Kbenhavn: Strubes forlag 1988.
Reference 2 has been used here to resolve disagreements among the sources regarding the finer
points of the rules.
Go to Danish Tarok Strategy Page

Card images used with permission of France Cartes


Rules of Card Games: Differenzler Jass
Differenzler Jass
This is a popular Swiss Jass game (see the general rules for Swiss Jass), in which the players must predict
in advance how many points they will take in tricks. You get penalty points according to the difference
between the number of points you take in the play and your predicted total. If you get it exactly right you
can deduct 10 points from your penalty point total (except that there is no bonus for predicting and
making zero).
There is no score for Stck or Weis. Match (all the tricks) counts as 157 points taken.
More complete rules will appear here eventually. Meanwhile here are some links to computer programs:
The Differenzler Jass computer program from Philippe Maurer.
Optobyte's Differenzler ("Samschtig Jass")

Michael Gasser's Jass!! program plays Differenzler and two other variations. You can play against
the computer or over the Internet.

http://www.pagat.com/jass/differenzler.html [04/05/2001 9:49:53]

Rules of Card Games: Dobbm
Dobbm
This description results from John McLeod & Remigius Geiser's trip to Fulpmes, in the Stubai valley south
west of Innsbruck, Austria. Philipp Schpf taught us the game in the Gasthof Jenewein, Fulpmes on 31st
March 1996.
Dobbm is extremely popular in the Stubai valley among card players of all generations. It is unknown in
the immediately surrounding regions, for example in the Wipptal and Innsbruck, but it is clearly related to
Brixental Bauerntarock, Zuger Tapp and other similar games. Dobbm is also related to the special
version of Tarock played in the same valley.
Contents
Players
Cards
Deal
Bidding
Exchanging
Schwacher
Play
Scoring
Ending the Session
Notes on Tactics
Players
There are 4 active players. Five can play, in which case the dealer takes a holiday (er feiert).
Cards
36 Doppeldeutsche Karten (Tell cards) with suits of hearts, leaves, acorns and bells. Formerly the game
was played with single figure Salzburger pattern cards; these were displaced in general use by the Tell
cards some 30-40 years ago, because of the inconvenience of having to turn the cards the right way up
when sorting one's hand.
The rank of the cards in each suit, from high to low, and their values are as follows:
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Card: Sow Ten King Ober Unter Nine Eight Seven Six
Value: 11 10 4 3 2 0 0 0 0
The deuce of each suit is called the sow (die Sau). The WELI has no special significance in Dobbm - it is
merely the six of bells.
Hearts are permanently trumps.
Deal
The deal and play are clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random. The dealer shuffles and the player to
dealer's right cuts. The cards are dealt in batches of 4, until the four active players have 8 cards each. The
last four cards are placed face down in the centre to form the Dobb.
The turn to deal does not rotate. The dealer for each hand is the declarer from the previous hand. This
means that in the 5-player game, you keep playing until you are declarer, after which you get a holiday.
Bidding
Starting with the player to dealer's left, and continuing clockwise, each player has just one opportunity to
bid. There are two possible bids:
Dobbm
ordinary game - declarer exchanges with the talon
Solo
declarer does not exchange with the talon
A player who does not wish to bid says weiter. An ordinary game is bid by saying "ich tappe" ["i dob"].
A player who wishes to play Solo says "Solo". Once a player has bid an ordinary game, the players who
have still to speak may either bid Solo or allow the ordinary game to be played by saying "gut" or "spiel
zu".
Note that as each player speaks only once, there is no opportunity to raise your own bid, irrespective of
whether another player has bid higher. If you want to play Solo you should say so at your turn to speak.
The highest bidder becomes the declarer and plays the game which was bid. The other three players, the
defenders, play as a team against the declarer.
If everyone says weiter, the cards are thrown in and in the four player game the same player deals again. In
the five player version, the deal passes to the left when a hand is thrown in, and the new dealer receives a
compensation payment called a Stockerl.
Exchanging
In an ordinary game, the declarer picks up the four Dobb cards without showing them to the other players,
and discards four cards face down. A sow may only be discarded if a trump is discarded with it; two sows
may be discarded with two trumps. The value of the discarded cards will be added to the declarer's tricks.

In a Solo the talon is left face down and its value counts with the declarer's tricks.
Schwacher
Having finalised the discard, the declarer says "ich liege" ["i lig"]. The opponents then have an
opportunity to double the stake for the game (doubling is known as schieen or einen Schwachen geben).
The first active player to the left of the declarer speaks first, saying either "an Schwochn" to double the
stake, or "gut" or "spiel zu" if content to allow the game to proceed without a double. If the first defender
does not double, the other two defenders in turn have the same options. If any defender gives a Schwacher,
the declarer may either accept this, saying "gut", or double the stake again, saying "retour". If the
declarer says retour, the defenders may double the stake again by saying retour - this may be said by any
defender - not necessarily the one who gave the original Schwacher. The declarer may then say a further
retour, and so on without limit. These doubles affect the payment between the dealer and all the defenders
equally.
There is obviously scope here for an unscrupulous declarer and defender in alliance to cheat the other
players by unreasonable doubling. This problem did not seem to arise in the games we saw, but you should
be wary of playing this game against untrustworthy opponents.
The Play
Play is clockwise. The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible, and a player
with no cards of the suit led must play a heart. A player who holds no hearts and no cards of the suit led
may play any card. Each trick is won by the highest heart in it, or, if it contains no hearts, by the highest
card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The three defenders keep their tricks in a single pile. Players are allowed to look back at the tricks taken by
their own side, but the declarer in a Solo should not look at the Dobb until the end of the play.
Scoring
Each side counts the card points they have taken in tricks. The Dobb is counted with the declarer's tricks, so
that the card points in the game total 120. The side with more card points wins an amount of money based
on the difference between the card points they have taken and 60. If each side has 60 card points it is a
draw (eingestellt) and there is no payment. Payments are doubled in a Solo. A Schwacher and each retour
also double the payments.
If one side takes all eight tricks, this is called a Match. There is no extra score for this, but if the declarer
loses every trick the defenders get the Dobb as well, so that a Match in an ordinary game is always worth
60 points.
Winnings are usually paid in cash after each hand. If the declarer wins, all the defenders pay the declarer; a
declarer who loses pays each of the defenders. In the five player game, the dealer pays to or receives from
the declarer the same amount as each other defender.
The stake is expressed in terms of the cost of a Match. Typical stakes are 6, 12, 60, 120 or 240 Schilling.

For example, in a 60 Schilling game each card point in an ordinary game is worth 1 Schilling. In a Solo the
payments are doubled to 2 Schilling per point. The payments are also doubled for a Schwacher and for
each Retour - so a declarer who took 72 card points in an ordinary game with Schwacher and Retour
would win 48 Schilling from each defender - that is 144 Schilling in total in a four player game, or 192
Schilling in a five player game. The same result in a Solo would bring the declarer 288 or 384 Schilling.
When playing for 6 or 12 Schilling, the score for an ordinary game is generally rounded up to the next
Schilling. For example, in a 12 Schilling game the payments would be:
Declarer's Declarer wins from Declarer's Declarer pays to

score each defender score each defender
61 to 65 1 55 to 59 1
66 to 70 2 50 to 54 2
71 to 75 3 45 to 49 3
etc. etc.
In a Solo, or in case of a Schwacher, the rounding is carried out before the doubling. So a declarer taking
76 points in a Solo would win 8 Schilling from each defender, or 16 Schilling each if they gave a
Schwacher.
In the five player game, when no one bids, the cards are thrown in, the deal passes to the left, and the new
dealer receives a Stockerl from each other player equal to the value of 10 points in an ordinary game (i.e. 2
Schilling in a 12 Schilling game, 10 Schilling in a 60 Schilling game, etc.). The reason behind this is that in
the 5 player game there is a slight disadvantage in dealing - the declarer will win more often than not, and
the dealer has to pay along with the defenders. Normally you deal through choice, because you were the
previous declarer. If you are forced to deal merely because the previous hand was thrown in, you are
entitled to compensation.
Revoking (i.e. failure to follow suit or play a trump when required to) is called verleugnen [laungen]. The
deal is abandoned and the penalty is half the value of a Match in the game currently being played. If a
defender revokes, all of the defenders have to pay the declarer (the partners of the offender also suffer); a
declarer who revokes pays all the defenders. The same penalty is payable by the declarer if the wrong
number of cards were discarded.
As in Droggn, this revoke penalty is too mild to be an effective deterrent to deliberate revoking, and is only
suitable as a punishment for an accidental error. Although in certain circumstances it would in a player's
interest to revoke on purpose, so as to avoid a higher loss if the game were played out legally, deliberate
revokes of this kind are not allowed.
End of the Session

To complete a session, a Murunde is often played. This is a series of deals on which the player to dealer's
left must be declarer, and can choose to play either an ordinary game or a Solo. This has the effect that the
deal passes to the left after each hand. The Murunde continues for as many deals as there are players, so
that everyone is forced to be declarer once, and then the session ends.

Notes on Tactics
On most deals at least one player will be able to play an ordinary game. The heart sow, another heart and
another sow, or any three hearts plus a sow are generally sufficient. Sometimes a player with a strong hand
may pass in the hope of giving a Schwacher to another declarer, but this runs the risk that the hand will be
passed out, and it is generally more profitable to play when able to.
A Solo requires an extremely strong hand, and will usually only be played to outbid another player.
When the declarer loses, it is usually through losing a trick to one defender on which the other defenders
are able to discard their sows and tens. Throwing valuable cards on a partner's trick in this way is called
schieben [schiam]. To reduce the chances of this, the declarer should arrange to lose any tricks which must
be lost while the opponents still have trumps. That way they have to play their trumps rather than
discarding. For this reason the declarer will often begin by leading from a long, possibly weak, side-suit,
rather than by drawing trumps.
When the declarer leads from a side suit, it is very often right for the defenders to hold back their high
cards. This is called schinden. If the defenders release their top cards too soon, they run the risk of
allowing the declarer to establish winners in the suit, and forgo the chance of winning a profitable trick
later.
A Fuchs (fox) is a single card in a suit (not the sow) in the declarer's hand. Sometimes the fox will win a
trick, or at least be lost very cheaply. This may happen when the defenders lead the suit, playing low cards
because they expect the declarer to be void, or when the declarer leads the suit and the defenders hold back
their high cards, believing the declarer to have more cards of the suit. Occasionally a fox may take a trick
when the defenders have mistakenly discarded their high cards in that suit before the fox is played.


Rules of Card Games: Doppelkopf
Doppelkopf
This page is mostly based on a contribution from Noel Leaver.
Doppelkopf is extremely popular in Germany, mainly in the North. It developed from a version of Schafkopf using a
double pack of cards. Doppelkopf is a four player game with variable partnerships; the objective is to capture valuable
cards in tricks. It can be played with five people, with dealer sitting out.
Although the Deustcher Doppelkopf-Verband has developed standard rules for tournaments, in informal games there
are many variants and each group of players has their own house rules. Before playing with a new group of players, it
is therefore advisable to agree a set of rules. Several variants are listed at the end of this description.
Contents
Pack
Deal
Bidding
Play
Announcements during the play
Scoring
Tournament Play
Notes on Play and Tactics
Variations
Other Doppelkopf Pages and Software
Pack
The pack is a double pack shortened by removing cards below 9, each suit containing two each of A K Q J 10 9.
Doppelkopf packs are readily available in Germany and normally have standard suits and cards with indices A K D
(Dame) B (Bube) 10 9.
In most contracts, the cards rank, from high to low:
Trumps: 10, Q, Q, Q, Q, J, J, J, J, A, 10, K, 9 (26 cards)
Clubs: A, 10, K, 9
Spades: A, 10, K, 9
Hearts: A, K, 9
The cards have the same values as in Skat:
A = 11 10 = 10 K = 4 Q = 3 J = 2
making a total of 240 card points. The basic object of the game is to take more than half of these card points in tricks.
The card points are used only to determine which team has won the hand - they are not the same as game points
written on the score-sheet as a result of winning or losing.
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Deal
Dealer shuffles and the cards are cut; then all the cards are dealt out, three at a time starting on dealer's left and
continuing clockwise. The deal for the next hand passes to dealer's left. It is usual to play a number of complete
rounds of deals in a session, so it is not important who deals first.
Bidding
The bidding consists of a single round starting with the player to dealer's left. Each player says either "Gesund"
(healthy), meaning that they are content to play a normal game, or "Vorbehalt" (reservation) meaning that they want
to play some other type of game. If one or more players have said "Vorbehalt", they each in turn say what type of
game they wish to play. The possibilities, from lowest to highest, are:
Hochzeit (marriage)
Armut (poverty)
Solo (various types)
Whoever has the highest ranking Vorbehalt plays their game. If more than one player has the same Vorbehalt - for
example more than one wanting to play a Solo, then the first of these players in the bidding order plays their game.
Normal Game
In the normal game, when everyone says "Gesund", the cards rank as above and the two players who hold the queens
of clubs (known as the old women) are partners against the other two. The players with the queens of clubs do not
say who they are (except sometimes by means of specific announcements during the play, which are explained later),
so during the play you sometimes do not know who your partner is.
If a player has both of the queens of clubs but says "Gesund", along with everyone else, that player plays alone
against the other three players in partnership, though the other players will not realise initially that they are all
together. This is called a silent solo.
Hochzeit (marriage)
Usually a player who has both queens of clubs will not be strong enough to play a silent solo, and will want a partner.
This is achieved by saying "Vorbehalt" during the bidding, and announcing a Hochzeit (marriage). If no one has a
better Vorbehalt, a normal game is played except that the first player other than the holder of the marriage who wins a
trick becomes the marriage holder's partner. However, this must happen within the first three tricks - if you announce
a marriage and then win the first three tricks you play on your own against the other three players.
Armut (poverty)
A person with three or fewer trumps can say "Vorbehalt" (reservation) and then announce Armut (poverty). If no one
has a better Vorbehalt, the person announcing Armut offers three cards which must contain all their trumps to each
player in turn starting with the player to their left. Each player may pass or accept. The first player to accept becomes
the partner of the poverty, takes the three cards into their hand, and then select an equal number which they give back
(these may contain trumps and may include cards originally passed). If nobody accepts the cards the hand is redealt.

Solo
A solo is a game played alone, against the other three playing as a team. There are several types:
Trump Solo:
Declarer names a trump suit. If it is diamonds, the cards rank as normal. If the trump suit is not diamonds, the A
10 K 9 of diamonds become a side suit, and the cards of the suit named as trumps become part of the trump suit
in their place. If hearts are trumps the 10s still rank as the highest trumps, and there are only 24 trumps.
Queen (Damen) Solo:
Only the 8 Queens are trumps, ranking Q Q Q Q as usual. All four suits rank A 10 K J 9.
Jack (Buben) Solo:
Only the 8 Jacks are trumps, ranking J J J J as usual. The suits rank A 10 K Q 9.
Ace Solo:
There are no trumps, all suits rank A 10 K Q J 9. This contract is also called Fleischloser (meat free or
vegetarian solo).
Play
The play is in tricks of four cards, with the winner of each trick leading to the next. The player to the left of the dealer
leads to the first trick. You must follow suit if you can; if you cannot follow suit, any card may be played. If there is a
trump on the trick, the highest one wins, otherwise the highest card in the suit led wins. If there are two identical
highest cards played, the first one played wins.
The trumps are a suit of their own for suit following purposes - for example, in a normal game, the queen of spades is
a trump, not a spade. You cannot play the queen of spades when spades are led (unless you are out of genuine spades,
in which case you can play anything). Similarly, if the queen of spades is led, everyone must if possible play trumps
(not spades).
Announcements during the play

In a normal game, the team with the queens of clubs are called the Re team. In case of a Vorbehalt, the Re team is the
team of the player who specifies the game (the marriage holder, the team who exchange cards in Armut, or the lone
player in a solo). The basic aim of the Re team is to take at least 121 card points in the cards they win in their tricks.
The opposing team is called the Kontra team; their basic aim is to take cards worth at least 120 points.
A member of the Re team may at any time while they have 11 or more cards in their hand announce "Re", which
increases the score for the game. Similarly, a member of the Kontra team may while they have 11 or more cards in
their hand announce "Kontra". If Re or Kontra has been announced by the appropriate team, a member of the other
side can announce Kontra or Re while they have 10 or more cards in their hand. If Kontra is announced but not Re,
then the Re team only need 120 points to win, rather than 121.
Note that announcements can be made at any time during the play, provided that you have at least the requisite
number of cards, not just when it is your turn to play.
If one side fails to make 90 points the other side wins an extra bonus for "no 90", similarly there are bonuses for "no
60", "no 30" and Schwarz (all the tricks). Each of these bonuses can be increased in value by announcing it in
advance. To make an announcement, the player must have at least the number of cards shown below:
"No 90" - 10 cards or more


"Schwarz" - 7 cards or more
An announcement can only be made if all the previous announcements have already been made (including Re or
Kontra), so for example "no 60" can only be announced by declarer's side if they have already announced "Re" and
"no 90".
When an announcement has been made, the other side can announce "Re" or "Kontra" as appropriate (if they have not
already done so) as long as they still have a number of cards in their hand which is 1 fewer than the number of cards
required to make the announcement. For example if the Re team announce "Re", "no 90" and "no 60", a player of the
Kontra team can announce "Kontra" as long as they still hold at least 8 cards.
If a player has announced a marriage, no announcements can be made until after the end of the trick on which the
partnership is determined, and the number of cards required to make a bid is reduced by the number of tricks taken to
determine the partnership. For example, if person with the club queens wins the first trick but not the second, then the
partnerships are determined at trick 2, so Re or Kontra can be declared from the end of trick 2, for as long as you have
at least 9 (11 - 2) cards in hand.
Scoring
The score is kept on a piece of paper, with a column for each player, containing their cumulative total of points. The
scores always add up to zero, and can be thought of as the amount of money won or lost by each player. When two
play against two, each player pays to or receives from one opponent; when one plays alone against three, the lone
player pays to or receives from all three opponents. Thus if the players are A, B, C and D, and the team consisting of
B and C wins 3 points, then B and C each score plus 3 and A and D each score minus 3. In a solo, if (say) D is the
lone player and wins 4, then D actually scores plus 12, and A, B and C score minus 4 each.
The basic score for the game is one point; this is what the Re team win if they take at least 121 card points and
nothing else happens. If the Kontra team; take at least 120 points, they win two points, one for the game and one for
being gegen die Alten (against the old women).
An announcement of "Re" or "Kontra" adds 2 further points to the score for the side that wins the game. If both are
announced, that makes 4 extra points in total. For example, if "Re" and "Kontra" are annonced and the Kontra team
win, they score 6 points altogether (game 1, against the old women 1, Re 2, Konra 2).
"No 90", "no 60", "no 30" and Schwarz are worth an extra point each, and all the applicable items apply, so for
example if the Re team announce "Re" and the Kontra team take only 24 card points, the Re team will score 6 points
(1 for game, 2 for Re, 1 for no 90, 1 for no 60, 1 for no 30).
Announcements of "No 90", "no 60", "no 30" and Schwarz increase the score by an extra point each. However, if the
team fails to fulfil the announcement, they lose the whole game, and the scores for all the points they would have
won. For example, if a side announces "Re", "no 90" and "no 60" they need at least 181 card points to win. If they
take only 172 card points (i.e. the opponents take 68, which is more than 60) then the announcing side loses:
1 for game
1 for against the old women
2 for Re
1 for no 90
1 for no 90 announced
1 for no 60
1 for no 60 announced
Total: 8 game points (-8 to each of the Re side, +8 to each of the Kontra side)
If the "no 60" had not been announced the Re side would instead have won 5 game points (Game, Re 2, no 90, no 90
announced). If they had only announced Re they would have won 4 (Game, Re 2, no 90).

Another example: One side announces "Re" and "no 90", the other "Kontra". The Re team take 88 card points (no 90).
They lose 9 (no 90 made by the Kontra side, game, women, Re 2, Kontra 2, no 90, no 90 announced).
In addition to the points described above, there are a number of game points that can be scored during play, which are
independent of the game and other points, and can be scored by either team whether or not the game succeeds. These
are:
Catching a Fox
A team which captures a "Fox" (Ace of Diamonds) from the opponents - i.e. wins a trick which contains an
opponent's ace of diamonds - scores one game point. The Ace is left face up in the pile of tricks to indicate the
point. It may not be clear when the trick is won whether the Ace came from the winner's partner or opponent, in
which case it is left face up and turned over if necessary when the partnership becomes clear.
Charlie Miller (Karlchen Mller)
Winning the last trick with Jack of Clubs scores one game point. Playing it to the last trick loses a point if the
trick is won by the opponents, there is no score either way if the trick is won by the partner.
Doppelkopf.
Winning a trick where all four cards are 10s and Aces scores one game point. When this happens, one of the
cards is placed face up in the pile of tricks won to indicate the point.
All these points apply to the whole team - for example if you win the last trick with a Charlie, your partner benefits as
well. It is possible for two or three points to be scored on one trick, e.g. if an opponent's fox is beaten by the Charlie
on the last trick.
Fox and Charlie cannot be scored in a solo.
Tournament Play
Tournaments are normally played in a number of sessions of 24 deals, each session consisting of 20 normal hands
plus 4 compulsory solos (if their are five players rather than four, then 25 hands with five solos).
Each player must bid one "compulsory" solo during the session, and may bid other "lust" solos. The first solo each
player bids is counted as their compulsory solo, and they get the lead. After the hand the same dealer deals again.
A compulsory solo ranks above a lust solo in the bidding; if more than one player wants to play a compulsory solo the
earliest in the bidding order plays. If a player fails to bid a solo by the end of a session, an additional hand is dealt on
which they must bid solo.
Notes on Play and Tactics

The rule that the first of equal cards wins makes it very important to lead your ace of a side suit before an opponent
can lead theirs, as the second round is almost certain to be trumped - there are only 8 cards in a suit (6 in hearts). If
you happen to have both aces in a suit, then it is not urgent to lead one. Therefore, if on lead at the start, you priorities
are usually:
1. lead a single black ace (shortest suit first with two);
2. lead a single ace of hearts;
3. lead an ace from a pair.
After this, you normally try to give the lead to your partner. If you are on the Re side you will normally lead a trump
to your partner's Q. If on the Kontra side you may lead a side suit (this is not always done, but gives a good
indication of which side the leader is on). However, if your partner has said Kontra you should lead a trump as they
should have at least one 10 (and may well want you to lead trumps).

If you are trumping in, and there is a possibility of being overtrumped, trump with at least a Jack so that the fourth
player cannot win with a Fox or 10 of trumps. Similarly, if trumps are led then if you are the last player of your team
to play to the trick, with one or both opponents after you, play a Jack or higher if no high card has been played so far.
It is important that you announce Re or Kontra if things seem to be going well, not only to increase the score for the
game but also so that you can announce no 90 if things continue to go well.
If you announce Re or Kontra earlier than you need to, for example on your first play rather than your second, this
indicates a possession of additional strength (normally high trumps, which are very important in play).
If on the opening lead the fourth player says Re or Kontra before second hand plays, this indicates that they are going
to trump the lead and want their partner to put a valuable card on it.
It is almost always correct to announce a marriage - rarely will you have a hand so good that it is profitable to go solo
instead. It is always desirable to become the partner of a player with a marriage - you get a partner with at least 2 high
trumps. Therefore, if on lead against a marriage you might lead a 10 to win the trick; otherwise you could lead an
ace in your shortest suit.
A game with Armut (poverty) is easier to win than it sounds, because the poverty player can discard valuable cards on
partner's tricks, and also because the accepting player gets the chance to create voids.
When considering a solo, possession of the initial lead is a big advantage on most hands. Trump solos require a much
stronger hand than you might at first think, and these hands will also play well in a normal game. For an Ace solo, a
five card suit to A A 10 will normally capture over 60 points. For a Queen or Jack solo 4 trumps are often sufficient,
but you also need a reasonable number of aces.
Because announcing no 90/60/30 changes the target, you are gambling 1 extra point against the possible loss of the
whole game, so you must be very certain of making the announcement.
It is often bad to lead the second round of hearts, because of the danger of giving a ruff and discard to the opponents,
since there are only six cards in the suit.
In tournament play, it is very likely that a player will not get a hand which warrants a solo bid during the session and
so a compulsory solo, particularly towards the end, should almost always have Kontra said if declarer does not say
Re.
Variations
Two of the commonest variants, both worth trying, are:
1. The second 10 of hearts wins if both are played to the same trick. This reduces the power of these cards, and
prevents the lead of one in order to become the partner of a marriage. Variant: the second 10 of hearts wins except on
the last trick.
2. If several players want to bid a solo, a player later in the bidding can announce "no 90". The first player may either
pass, letting the second solo play, or hold the bid and themselves play in solo with no 90 announced; the second solo
may then announce no 60, and so on. The first player can hold this by making the same announcement, which in turn
can be outbid with a further announcement, and so on.
Some further variants are:
3. Many people remove all the nines and play with a 40 card pack. This makes the trumps even more important and
reduces scope for play in the side suits.
4. Some play that Re and Kontra double the score for the game, rather than adding two. Some play that the scores for

foxes and Charlie are also doubled.

5. Schmeien. A player with particularly bad cards can annul the hand and demand a redeal. There are various
versions of what you need to do this:
At least five 9s
At least 6 (or sometimes 5) Kings
Four kings and four nines
At least 8 cards that are tens or aces
At most one trump
6. Some variations on Armut:

Aces of diamonds do not count towards the three trumps for Armut.
The Armut player may only offer the trumps they hold for exchange (and must offer all of them), ie they might
have to offer less than three cards.
Trumps may not be passed back to the Armut player.
(Ralf Wirth's version) An Armut player announces which team they belong to (Re or Kontra) according to
whether or not they hold a Q; the other player of that team must take the three cards. In this variation two
players on opposite teams can play Armut at once; if two players on the same team have Armut the deal is
annulled. An Armut can be played at the same time as a Hochzeit - the Armut player is automatically on the Re
team and exchanges with the Hochzeit player. If the Hochzeit player also announces Armut, or if two players
other than the Hochzeit player announce Armut, the deal is annulled.
Some players do not allow Armut at all.
7. Variations on determining the partnerships in a Hochzeit:

A trick to which a trump is led cannot determine the partnership in a marriage. If all of the first 3 tricks are
either trump tricks or won by the person with the marriage, the marriage holder plays alone.
(Ralf Wirth's version): the announcer of a Hochzeit has a choice of three ways of choosing a partner - the
choice must be made before the first lead:
1. First other player to win a trick;
2. First other player to win a trump trick;
3. First other player to win a non-trump trick.
8. The number of cards required for each announcement is 12 for Re or Kontra, 10 for no 90, 8 for no 60, 6 for no 30,
4 for schwarz. This remains the same even when a marriage has been announced; in this case, a player who does not
yet know which side they are on may say "double" instead of "Re" or "Kontra".
9. Announcements can only be made when it is your turn to play.
10. There is an extra bonus point for capturing an opponent's 10 of hearts.
11. When playing with 40 cards, there is a bonus point for a trick consisting of all 4 hearts (two aces and two kings).
12. A king solo is allowed - similar to the queen and jack solos but with the four kings as trumps.
13. Schweinchen
A person with the two Aces of diamonds (variant, Aces of hearts) can announce Schweinchen (piglets) before
the start of the play and these cards become the top two trumps, beating the tens of hearts.
Some also play that after the two Aces of diamonds have been announced as piglets, a call of
Hyperschweinchen (hyper-piglets) by a player with the two 9s of diamonds causes them to become the top
trumps, above the piglets. If you play with 40 cards, the hyper-piglets are the 10s of diamonds.

To add a further level of unpredictability to the game, after Schweichen and Hyperschweinchen have been
announced, some allow a holder of both kings of diamonds to call Genscher, making these the highest trumps,
above the hyper-piglets.
14. A Doppelkopf, rather than being a trick containing 40 or more points, is a trick which contains two pairs of
identical cards.
15. All solo contracts score double (alternative: all solo contracts are automatically considered to announce Re).
16. If several players want to bid solo, the one latest in the bidding (rather than earliest) has precedence.
17. There is a bonus score of 2 for winning the last trick with a fox, or for catching a fox in the last trick. Some also
play that catching a fox on the first trick counts 2.
18. Although there is a point for winning the last trick with a Charlie, there is no penalty for playing a Charlie to the
last trick, if the opponents win it.
19. Bockrounds. After certain events there is a Bockround, in which all scores are doubled - this starts with the deal
after the event that caused the Bockround, and continues for one deal by each player - i.e. 4 hands if there are 4
players. Events which may be agreed to cause a Bockround include:
a trick containing only hearts (if a 40 card pack is used)
each team takes 120 card points
the scores for the hand cancel out
the Re team announce Re and lose
the Kontra team announce Kontra and lose
20. Instead of the partnerships being determined by the queens of clubs, it is the holders of the two kings of diamonds
who are partners and form the Re team.
21. The kings of diamonds are the highest trumps instead of the tens of hearts. The tens of hearts are ordinary hearts
between the aces and the kings. This is not played at the same time as variation 11 or 20.
22. The declarer in a solo makes the opening lead, and afterwards the same dealer redeals the next hand.
23. Trump solos and Ace solos are not allowed.
24. The 10s of hearts do not count as trumps, but as ordinary hearts. The highest trumps are the queens of clubs. This
was the original rule but is rarely played nowadays.
25. Zwingen. If the first trick contains 30 or more points the winner must say Re or Kontra (as appropriate). If the
trick winners team has already announced Re or Kontra, the trick winner must announce "no 90".
Other Doppelkopf Pages and Software

The Deutscher Doppelkofverband (DDV) web site
The DDV has published a series of articles on the Essen system - a system of signalling for tournament use.
Here are parts I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX. The system involves choice of lead, timing of announcements and
deliberate hesitation during the play (Bridge players may be shocked by this last idea, but in Doppelkopf it is
legal to hesitate deliberately, for example when waiting to see whether your partner wants to make an
announcement).
Ralf Wirth's rules in German.
Matthias Nlting's rules in German. From this page you can also dowload a Doppelkopf Shareware Program

by Jan Spiess.
Home page of the Doppelkopfverein Niederkassel
Home page of the Doppelkopfclub Drubbelcharlies '96
The computer program Doppelkopf Professionell can be obtained from the Spielebox home page.


Rules of Card Games: Double Solitaire
Double Solitaire
This is a competitive version of Klondike patience (solitaire). Each of the two players plays with their
own 52-card pack. The backs of the cards should be different so that they can be sorted out after the
game.
Each player deals a layout as for Klondike: 28 cards in 7 piles, each having the top card face up and the
rest face down. The left hand pile has just one card, the second two, and so on, the right hand pile having
seven cards. Between the two rows of 7 piles is space for eight foundation piles, which can be played on
by either player. Each player begins with a stack of 24 face-down cards.
The player with the lower card on their one-pile starts - or in case of a tie whoever has the lower card on
their two-pile and so on.
At your turn you can make a series of moves as in Klondike. You may move cards around on your own
layout, move cards onto the foundation piles when they fit, and move cards from your discard pile to
your layout or the foundations. You are not allowed to play onto or use your opponent's layout or discard
pile. You end your turn when you cannot or choose not to make any other moves by turning over the top
card of your face-down stack, and placing it on your face-up discard pile. Your opponent then plays.
The game ends when one player has played all the cards to the foundation piles, or when both players are
blocked, in which case the winner is the player who has played more cards to the foundation piles.
A free Double Solitaire computer game playable across the web is available from Robert Nichols'
solitaire.com web site.

http://www.pagat.com/patience/double.html [04/05/2001 9:50:02]

Rules of Domino Games: Draw Game
Dominoes: The Draw Game

played so that the touching ends match in number. 7 dominoes each are dealt to two players, 5 each to 3
or 4 players. The remaining dominoes are left face-down to form a boneyard from which extra dominoes
are drawn by a player unable to play to the layout. The winner is the first player to run out of dominoes
(or first pair to run out if playing with partners).
Full rules of Draw Dominoes can be found on the Domino Plaza site.

http://www.pagat.com/domino/draw.html [04/05/2001 9:50:03]

Rules of Card Games: Droggn
Droggn
Tarock in the Stubai valley with 66 cards
Contents
Introduction
Players
Cards
Deal
Bidding
Exchanging and Buying
Announcements
Play
Scoring
Ending the Session
Variations
Notes on Tactics
Introduction
This Tarock game for 3 players comes from the Tyrol. Droggn is the local dialect form of the word
tarockieren, meaning "to play Tarock". In recent times, as far as we know, it has only been played in the
Stubai valley, south west of Innsbruck - mainly in Fulpmes and Telfes. It is unlike other Austrian Tarock
games such as Knigrufen, Zwanzigerrufen, Point Tarock and Strohmandeln. Those games developed
in the eastern parts of Austria, but have never been well known in the Tyrol. The most obvious
differences in Droggn are:
1. the Sks or fool (here called the Gstie) is not a trump; it can be played at any time to avoid
following suit;
2. the game is played with 66 cards, rather than 54 or fewer.
In Michael Dummett's book The Game of Tarot (Duckworth 1980) on page 466 he wrote:
A curiosity on which I can throw no light is a 66-card French suited pack, having, besides
the usual Tarocks and court cards, the numerals from 4 to 10 in the black suits and from Ace
to 7 in the red suits. I have heard of three examples of this pack, by different makers but all
from the Tyrol. ... Three distinct such packs, all from the same general area, must be more
http://www.pagat.com/tarot/stubtar.html (1 de 10) [04/05/2001 9:50:07]

than a coincidence; but there is no trace in the card-game books of a game played with 66
cards, and this must, for the present at least, be put down as another gap in our knowledge.
As a result of a visit by John McLeod & Remigius Geiser to Fulpmes from 31st March to 4th April 1996,
this gap can now be filled. From its structure, Droggn must be a descendant of the group of games called
Tarok L'Hombre, which Dummett describes on pages 280 to 286 of his book, though it is not identical
to any of the versions described there. As far as I know this WWW page is the first published description
of Droggn.
The success of our trip to Fulpmes would not have been possible without the thorough telephone research
carried out in advance by Remigius Geiser, to contact the surviving players of the game.
Date of games: 1 April - 3 April 1996
Informants: Adolf Rainalter, Rudolf Leitgeb, Benedikt Falschlunger, Dr Hubert Krsbacher
Place: Gasthof Jenewein, Fulpmes. Also at Rudolf Leitgeb's house in Telfes, and at Dr Krsbacher's
house in Fulpmes.
Although all of our informants were experienced players, none of them had played within the last 10
years. There are some slight differences between the rules they explained to us; some of these differences
may be due to imperfect recollection, but others definitely represent variants. We will first describe the
version of the game which we played on several occasions with Rudolf Leitgeb and Adolf Rainalter. At
the end, the variations and remaining uncertainties will be listed. The Tyrolean dialect version of some of
the technical terms and expressions used in the game are given in italics.
There is a tradition among some of the players that this game was introduced from France or the French
part of Switzerland. Some of them called it Franzsisches Tarock, to distinguish it from the Tarock
games with 54 cards played in other parts of Austria. Its introduction was said to be associated with
Andreas Hofer, the Tyrolean hero who stood against Napoleon. Others, however, contend that it was
imported from northern Italy by Italian door-to-door salesmen ("kraxn-drogar") who used to sell their
goods in the Tyrol.
Players
There are three active players. It is possible for four people to play with dealer taking a holiday - the
expression is: er feiert.
Cards
66 card French suited Tarock. We were told that packs of this composition used to be available in the
early years of this century. In more recent times the pack used was the Piatnik Grotarock, a 78 card
version of the normal 54 card Industrie und Glck Tarock, from which the lowest three cards of each suit
were thrown out. The composition of the pack is:
21 trumps, with Roman numbers from XXI (highest) to I (lowest)
11 cards each in spades and clubs, ranking from high to low:
king, queen, rider, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
11 cards each in hearts and diamonds, ranking from high to low:

king, queen, rider, jack, ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

A special card, the Gstie (the fool or excuse, known elsewhere in Austria as the Sks)
The cards have their usual values for Tarock games:
Gstie, XXI, I 5 points each
kings 5 points each
queens 4 points each
riders 3 points each
jacks 2 points each
other cards 1 point each
The card points are called Augen. The cards are counted in groups of three, and two points are subtracted
from the value of each group of 3 cards. For example a queen and two 1 point cards are worth 4
altogether (4 + 1 + 1 - 2 = 4); a king, a rider and a jack are worth 8 (5 + 3 + 2 - 2); three one-point cards
are worth one (1 + 1 + 1 - 2). However the cards are grouped into threes, the total points in the pack
always amount to 74.
Because of the way the Gstie is played, sometimes a team may have one or two cards left over at the
end of the count. In this case, if two cards are left over, one point is subtracted from their sum - for
example a rider and a jack are worth 4 (3+2-1). A single card left at the end is counted as one point less
than its face value - for example a king by itself is worth 4, and an empty card is worth nothing.
See also the page on counting points in Tarot games for a fuller description of this and alternative
methods of counting.
Terminology
Dialect forms are given in italics.

The trumps are called Trmpfe or Adudde. The word Tarocke refers to the entire pack of cards, not just
to the trumps.
Trump XXI der Mond or der Groe
Trump I der Pagat or der Kleine [dar Kloane]
Sks (fool, excuse) der Gstie
der Knig or der Honor - note that the word Honor applies only to the kings
King
- not to the XXI, I or Gstie
Queen die Dame [de Dam]
Rider der Reiter
Jack der Bube [dar Bua]
Pip cards in the suits are called leere [laare] Karten.
Picture cards in the suits are called Mandlen (diminutive of Mann)
Long suit der Ritt
der Fuchs - this usually refers to a suit singleton other than a king in the
Singleton
declarer's hand.

Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random: each player lifts a block of cards from the top of the face-down pack
and turns it to show the undermost card. Whoever has cut the highest card deals first. If two or more
players tie for highest they remove the tying cards to reveal the next card (doing this is called rittern
[riddarn]), and whoever has the highest of these deals first.
The deal and play are clockwise. The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's right cuts. The cards are
dealt in batches of 7, until the three active players have 21 cards each. The last three cards are placed face
down in the centre to form thetalon.
The turn to deal does not rotate. The dealer for each hand is the declarer from the previous hand. This
means that in the 4-player game, you keep playing until you are declarer, after which you get a holiday.
Bidding
Starting with the player to dealer's left, and continuing clockwise, each player has just one opportunity to
bid. The possible bids, from low to high, are:
Ansager
ordinary game - declarer exchanges with the talon and buys one card
Solo
declarer exchanges with the talon but does not buy a card
Super
declarer neither exchanges nor buys a card
Super Mord
a Super in which the declarer contracts to win every trick
A player who does not wish to bid says "weiter". An Ansager (or ordinary game) is bid by saying "ich
sage an" ["i sog on"] or simply "hinein". A player who wishes to play a higher contract names the
contract. Once a player has bid, players who have still to speak may either bid higher or, if they do not
wish to bid higher, they say "gut".
Note that as each player speaks only once, there is no opportunity to raise your own bid, irrespective of
whether another player has bid higher. If you want to play Solo or Super you should say so at your turn
to speak. The highest bidder becomes the declarer and plays the game which was bid. The other two
players, the defenders, play as a partnership against the declarer.
If everyone says "weiter", the cards are thrown in and the same player deals again. This is quite unusual,
but can happen.

Exchanging and Buying

If the contract is an ordinary game or a Solo, the declarer takes the talon cards without showing them.
The declarer then has 24 cards, from which 3 are to be discarded face-down. The value of these discarded
cards will be added to the value of the declarer's tricks. It is illegal to discard the Gstie, Mond or Pagat.
If a king is discarded a trump must be discarded with it. Apart from these restrictions, it is legal to
discard any cards, including trumps. The discard of a trump, with or without a king, is not announced to
the other players.
In an ordinary game, the declarer also places a fourth card face-down in the centre of the table, separate
from the talon, and asks the opponents for a specific card. Any card may be asked for; most often the
declarer will ask for a king, the Mond, the Pagat or occasionally the Gstie. The player who holds the
requested card must give it to the declarer (face-up), taking in exchange the single face-down card
offered by the declarer, which is not shown to the third player. Although this process is known as buying
a card (kaufen), the declarer does not have to pay anything for the card received.
If as declarer in an ordinary game you forget to buy a card, or try to buy a card you already hold or have
discarded, you lose the right to buy a card, but the game is still scored as an ordinary game, not a Solo.
In a Super (or Super Mord) the talon is left face down and its value counts with the declarer's tricks.
Announcements
The declarer may earn an extra bonus by winning the last trick with the Pagat. The bonus is doubled if
the intention to win it is announced in advance. This is done by placing the Pagat face-up on the table
beside the talon before the lead to the first trick. The word used for laying out the Pagat in this way is
auslegen.
In the case of a Super Mord, if the declarer holds the Gstie, this can be used to win the last trick,
provided that the declarer has won all the previous tricks. In this case the Gstie is placed face-up on the
table beside the talon before the lead to the first trick. The Gstie and the Pagat cannot both be laid out
together.
Having finished exchanging, discarding, buying and laying out the Pagat or Gstie if appropriate, the
declarer says "ich liege".
The opponents now have the opportunity to double the score for the game (and the Pagat if laid out). This
is the equivalent of a Kontra in other games, but here it is called schieen, or more often einen
Schwachen geben. The opponent to declarer's left speaks first, and either passes by saying "gut" or
"komm", or doubles the stake by saying "ich gebe einen Schwachen" ["an Schwochn"]. If the first
opponent passes, the second opponent has the same options. A schwacher affects both opponents equally.
If either opponent gives a schwacher, the declarer must now either say "gut", allowing the double stake
to stand, or "retour", which doubles the score again, so that it will be at 4 times the basic level. If the
declarer says "retour" then either opponent (not necessarily the one who gave the original schwacher)
can say a further retour, doubling the score yet again, in which case the declarer can say a further
retour, and this doubling can continue without limit.

It is also allowed for a defender who holds the Pagat to lay it out, thus undertaking to win the last trick
with it.
Note that a schwacher and all Retours apply to the game and to the bonus for any laid out Pagat.
Although the game and the Pagat bonus are scored independently (one may be won and the other lost), it
is not possible to double them separately.
The Play
Play is clockwise. The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible, and a player
with no cards of the suit led must play a trump. If a trump is led, the other players must follow with
trumps if they have them. A player who holds no trumps and no cards of the suit led may play any card.
Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trumps by the highest card of the suit led.
The winner of a trick leads to the next. The word used for leading to a trick is werfen.
The holder of the Gstie can play this card to any trick, regardless of the rules for following suit or
trumping. The Gstie can never win a trick (except in the exceptional case of the last trick of a Super
Mord). When the Gstie is played, the trick is won by one of the other two cards (the higher trump or the
higher card of the suit led). However, the Gstie itself is not captured - it is placed in the trick pile of the
side that played it. The Gstie may be led to a trick, in which case the second player may play any card,
and this determines the suit (or trumps) to be followed by the third.
If the Pagat was laid out, the holder must not play it as long as there is a legal alternative; if possible the
Pagat must be kept until the last trick. If the Pagat was not laid out, but is played to the last trick, it is
customary to draw attention to this by saying "ultimo".
The declarer's tricks are kept in a face-down pile, and the defenders' tricks together in another pile. When
there are four players, the dealer may collect the defenders' tricks. Players are allowed to look back at
tricks taken by their own side, but not by the opposing side. In a Super, no one is allowed to look at the
talon until the end of play, so it must be kept separate from the declarer's tricks.
Scoring
When all 21 tricks have been played, the value of the cards in the tricks taken by each team is counted.
The talon is counted with the declarer's tricks. If the trick to which the Gstie was played was won by the
opposing side, then when counting the cards taken in groups of three, the side which played the Gstie
will have a single card left over, and the other side will have one group of only two cards. The method of
counting in this case is equivalent to transferring one 1-point card to the side without the Gstie, though
no card is physically given in exchange for the Gstie.
To win, the declarer needs to take at least half the card points, i.e. 37. The declarer then scores an amount
of game points depending on the contract and the difference of card points taken from 37 as follows:
Ansager 20, plus 1 for each point over 37
Solo 40, plus 1 for each point over 37
Super 80, plus 1 for each point over 37

If the opponents take more game points than the declarer, then the declarer loses the equivalent amount:
the basic game value plus the number of card points the opponents have over 37.
The following scores for the Pagat are won or lost independently of the success or failure of the game
(the declarer can win the game and lose the Pagat or vice versa):
1. If the Pagat wins the last trick, the side which played the Pagat scores a bonus of 10 game points.
2. If the Pagat is played to the last trick but is beaten by a higher trump (either by an opponent or by
the partner of the player who played the Pagat), the side which played the Pagat loses 10 game
points.
3. If the Pagat was laid out, there is a 20 game point bonus for winning the last trick with it. If it does
not win the last trick, either because it is beaten by a higher trump, or because it is forced out
earlier, the side which laid it out suffers a 20 game point penalty.
4. If the Pagat was not laid out, but is captured by the declarer from the defenders or by the defenders
from the declarer before the last trick, the side which captures the Pagat wins a bonus of 5 game
points.
The score for Super Mord is 167 game points. This is equivalent to 80 for Super plus 37 for overshoot
points plus a bonus of 50. If the Pagat or Gstie was laid out, it is worth an extra 20, making 187 game
points. If the declarer fails to win every trick, the entire 167 or 187 game points are lost. When Super
Mord is played, there is no score for capturing the Pagat, nor for winning the last trick with it if it is not
laid out. If the Pagat is laid out and a trick is lost, the play ends and 187 points are lost even if the bidder
would have been able to win the last trick with the Pagat.
If the declarer wins every trick without having announced Mord, this is called a Match. The declarer
scores the basic game value plus 37 points - this is simply the score for taking all the cards. Note that
although the defenders must have held the Gstie (otherwise the declarer could not have won every
trick), the declarer effectively scores for this card.
If the defenders gave a Schwacher, the points for the game, the difference from 37 and the laid out Pagat
(or Gstie) if any are all doubled. The points for unannounced Pagat Ultimo, or for capturing the Pagat
are not affected. If the declarer said Retour, the affected points are doubled again, and there is a further
doubling for each further Retour.
The defenders always score equally, and if there are four players, the dealer also scores with the
defenders. When scoring on paper (as is usual) this is achieved simply by adding or subtracting the
appropriate amount from the declarer's score. At the end of the session, each pair of players pay or
receive an amount proportional to the difference between their scores. The usual stake is 10 or 50
Groschen per point.
For example, suppose that the declarer plays an ordinary game, lays out the Pagat, wins the last trick with
the Pagat, and takes 31 card points in tricks. The declarer then wins 20 game points for the Pagat but
loses 26 game points for the game, so the net result is that 6 points are deducted from the declarer's
cumulative score. At a stake of 10 Groschen per point, the effect would be that the declarer paid 60
Groschen to each other player.
The penalty for an accidental revoke (failure to follow suit or trump, wrong number of cards discarded,
etc.) is that the offending side loses the basic value of the game plus the score for the Pagat if it was laid

out, doubled for any Schwacher, Retour, etc., but nothing for card point difference from 37. If a defender
revokes, the amount is added to the declarer's score, so the offender's partner also suffers.
This revoke penalty is in fact rather mild, and is only designed to deal with inadvertent errors. In certain
circumstances it would appear to be in a player's interest to revoke on purpose, so as to avoid a higher
loss if the game were played out legally, but deliberate revokes of this kind are not allowed.
Ending the Session

Any player may end the session by saying that the next declarer will deal the first of the last three hands.
This is a rather convoluted way of saying that the session will end after four more deals.
Variations
Deal
The talon may be dealt in the middle rather than at the end of the deal - for example after the second
batch of 7 cards to each player. One player said that the deal could also be in batches of 5-5-5-3-3-talon.
Exposing the talon

Dr Krsbacher said that in an ordinary game, the declarer exposes the talon before picking it up, but in a
Solo it is picked up without showing it. Benedikt Falschlunger confirmed that the declarer exposes the
talon in an ordinary game. The other players were positive that the declarer does not show the talon when
picking it up.
Playing the Gstie

Dr Krsbacher said that it is illegal to play the Gstie to the last trick. If it is played to the last trick, the
holder's side must pay the revoke penalty. The other players said that the Gstie can be played to the last
trick, but that it is never sensible to do so.
Gstie and Pagat Ultimo

Benedikt Falschlunger said that if the declarer has the lead to the second to last trick, holds the Pagat and
the Gstie, and there are no other trumps remaining in play, the declarer can play these two cards
together saying "Kleine und Gstie Ultimo", for a bonus of 20 points. The others said they had never
played with this bonus.
Card points required to win

There was some difficulty remembering exactly how many card points the declarer needs to win. In the
end, three of our informants were definite that the declarer wins with 37 points. The fourth at first said
that the declarer needs 38 card points, and later suggested that in case of a 37:37 tie, the side which wins
the last trick wins the hand.

Pagat scores in Super Mord

Super Mord is a once in a lifetime bid, and we did not establish for certain which of the various Pagat
scores can be combined with it. We were told that the Pagat or Gstie can be laid out, increasing the
score from 167 to 187, and the main description gives the simplest rule consistent with this - that the
entire 167 or 187 points are won or lost as a whole, and there are no further separate scores associated
with the Pagat. An alternative, though less likely interpretation would be that the winning the all the
tricks is worth 167, and that all the normal Pagat bonuses apply in addition to this. In that case, for
example, a declarer who did not hold the Pagat would in fact win 172 including the 5 for catching the
Pagat, and a declarer who caught the Pagat despite losing some other trick would lose only 162.
Game with 78 cards

One player said that he had also played the game with 78 cards. The deal is in 5's and 39 card points are
needed by the declarer to win the game. Otherwise the rules are the same (probably the Super Mord score
should be 169). The others said they had always played with 66 cards.
Notes on Tactics
To play an ordinary game, it is not necessary to have a large number of trumps, but you do need 5-point
cards - especially kings. Declarer will often buy a missing king. Holding the kings of all your suits you
may do best to buy the XXI. With long trumps you often buy the Pagat, in the hope of making an Ultimo.
It is very useful for declarer to have a long suit with which to pull the defenders' trumps. A long suit
containing losers should be played while the defenders still have trumps, otherwise there is a danger that
one defender will discard kings and queens on the tricks won by the other.
There are various ways of using the Gstie. It can be used to lengthen one's trumps, but also to protect a
picture - for example holding a rider and one small card of a suit, if an opponent leads the king and
queen, the Gstie can be used to keep the rider to win the third round of the suit.
It is essential to count trumps accurately, and desirable to count the suits as well.
The defenders should always try to keep the declarer in the middle - that is, the defender to declarer's
right should usually beat the other defender's cards when practical. It is far better for the defence if the
declarer plays second to a trick, with the other defender following, especially when the defenders begin
to attack a new suit. If the defender to declarer's left has to lead a new suit, it is too easy for the declarer
to capture the defenders' picture cards.
Often it is right for the defenders to locate declarer's void, by trying various suits until declarer trumps.
Having found a suit which declarer has to trump, they will tend to keep leading it so as to weaken
declarer's trump holding.
When the declarer leads from a long suit, the defenders should not release their pictures in that suit
prematurely. This is especially important when the suit is unequally divided between the defenders. The
defender who is long in the suit would like to win some tricks in it later, when partner has run out of
trumps and can discard counting cards.

When the defenders attack a new suit, it is often difficult for them to know whether to play the king,
hoping to win, or to play low cards hoping that the declarer has to trump. A defender who is short in
trumps will often prefer to hold back kings and queens, as these can more safely be thrown on partner's
trump tricks later.
There are several reasons why the defenders may sometimes wish to lead trumps:
1. they may need to get rid of their trumps so that they can discard counting cards on each other's
winners, or so that the weaker defender can discard profitably on the stronger defender's trumps;
2. occasionally the defenders may be able to draw the declarer's trumps, and even catch the Pagat;
this is sometimes possible when declarer has bid with strong side suits but short trumps;
3. sometimes leading trumps is safest; leading a suit may allow the declarer to catch pictures which
would not be caught if the declarer had to lead that suit first.
Knowing when to lead trumps is one of the trickiest parts of the defence. Sometimes leading trumps may
damage the defence, helping the declarer to retain trump control, and even to win Pagat Ultimo. Some
indications in favour of leading trumps are
1. when you are very short in them, and partner is likely to be long - especially if partner gave a
Schwacher;
2. when the Pagat has been played (so you are not helping declarer to make Ultimo);
3. when the declarer and your partner have a long suit together in which you are short.
A fox (Fuchs) is a singleton in a suit (not a king), which the declarer may deliberately keep to mislead
the opponents - for example a 1, 10 or jack. Sometimes the fox will win a trick if the opponents
underlead their pictures fearing that they will be trumped, or mistakenly hold them back when the fox is
led, believing it to come from a long suit.

This page is maintained by John McLeod ( john@pagat.demon.co.uk).

Rules of card games: War
War
Introduction
This is a children's game played in many parts of the world. No strategy is involved - simply the ability
to recognise which of two cards is higher in rank, and to follow the procedure of the game. The standard
two-player game is described first, then the game for three or four players, and finally a Russian version
of it called Drunkard (P'yanitsa).
War for two players

In the basic game there are two players and you use a standard 52 card pack. Cards rank as usual from
high to low: A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Suits are ignored in this game.
Deal out all the cards, so that each player has 26. Players do not look at their cards, but keep them in a
packet face down. The object of the game is to win all the cards.
Both players now turn their top card face up and put them on the table. Whoever turned the higher card
takes both cards and adds them (face down) to the bottom of their packet. Then both players turn up their
next card and so on.
If the turned up cards are equal there is a war. The tied cards stay on the table and both players play the
next card of their pile face down and then another card face-up. Whoever has the higher of the new
face-up cards wins the war and adds all six cards face-down to the bottom of their packet. If the new
face-up cards are equal as well, the war continues: each player puts another card face-down and one
face-up. The war goes on like this as long as the face-up cards continue to be equal. As soon as they are
different the player of the higher card wins all the cards in the war.
The game continues until one player has all the cards and wins. This can take a long time. (If someone
runs out of cards during a war the other player wins.)
War for three or four players

War can also be played by three or more players in much the same way. Deal out as many as possible of
the cards so that everyone has an equal number (17 for 3 players, 13 for 4).
All players simultaneously turn over a card and the highest wins all the cards tuned up. If two or more
players tie for highest there is a war - everyone plays their next card face-down and then turns up a third
card. This continues until one of the face-up cards is higher than all the others, and then that player wins
all the cards in a war.
Note that all players take part in a war, not only the ones who had the highest cards.
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A player who runs out of cards drops out. The game goes on until only one player has cards, and that
player wins.
P'yanitsa (Drunkard)
Leo Broukhis contributed this Russian version of War, which he says is mostly played by kids in summer
camps on a rainy day.
Number of players:
2, although 3 or 4 is not unheard of.
Deck:
36 cards - A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6 of each suit. It would be possible, but unusual, to use a 52 card
deck.
Goal:
There are two versions: in one the aim is to avoid collecting all the cards; in the other it is the
opposite - not to run out of cards
Deal:
All the cards are dealt face down evenly to the players, who hold the cards as packs, still face
down.
Course of play:
The play consists of the number of tricks. Each trick is played as follows: each player (in no
particular order) turns the top card of their pack face up and places it on the table. Whoever has
placed the highest rank card wins the trick, collects the cards on the table, and puts them at the
bottom of his pack face down in no particular order.
The ranking of the cards is from ace (high) down to six (low), except that a six beats an ace. In
other words, if a six and an ace are played the six counts as the highest card and wins the trick, but
if a six is played an no one played an ace the six counts as lowest. (If you played with 52 cards it
would be the 2, not the 6, that would beat the ace.)
If there is a tie for highest then either:
everybody puts a new card face up on top of the card they played the previous trick, or
everybody puts a new card face down on top of the card they played the previous trick, then
a card face up.
It must be agreed beforehand which of these two methods will be used. In either case whoever
plays the highest of the new face-up cards wins the trick, or if there is a tie the process is repeated.
End of the game:
In one version the loser is the player who is left with all the cards at the end. This is the drunkard
("had all the booze"). In the other version, whoever loses all their cards first loses and is the
drunkard ("spent all the money").



Rules of Card Games: Durak
Durak
Thanks to Alexey Lobashev for help with the detailed rules and variations of this game.
Introduction
Players
Cards
Objective
Deal
The Play
Attack and Defence
Drawing from the Talon
Sequence of Play
The Endgame
The Result
Variations
Other durak WWW pages and software
Introduction
Durak is undoubtedly the most popular card game in Russia. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that every
Russian who plays cards knows this game. "Durak" means fool, the fool in this game being the loser - the player who
is left with cards after everyone else has run out. The game described on this page is properly called "Podkidnoy
Durak", which means "fool with throwing in". This name refers to the fact that after an attack is begun, it can be
continued by "throwing in" further cards whose ranks match those already played. Pages describing other types of
Durak will be added soon.
Players
Podkidnoy Durak is best for four people playing in teams, two against two, with partners sitting opposite each other.
It can, however, be played by any number of people from two to six, playing as individuals, or by six players in two
teams of three, sitting alternately.
Cards
A 36 card pack, the cards in each suit ranking from high to low: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6.
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Objective
This game has no winner - only a loser, or a losing team if played with partnerships. At the start, each player is dealt
six cards, which are played in a series of bouts of attack and defence. When a player's hand is reduced to fewer than
six cards it is replenished from the talon of undealt cards. After the talon is exhausted, there is no more replenishment
and the aim is to get rid of all the cards from your hand. The last player left holding cards is the loser. This player is
the fool (durak) and is ridiculed by the other players. In the partnership game, when one team has played all of their
cards, the team which is left holding cards loses.
Durak is almost never played for money. Sometimes matchsticks are used to keep track of how many times each
player or team has lost. It can be agreed that the player or team that loses most games has to pay a forfeit, such as
crawling under the table and crowing like a cockerel.
Deal
Any player may deal the first hand. Subsequently each hand is dealt by the loser of the previous hand. The dealer
shuffles and deals out the cards face down to the players one at a time, clockwise, until everyone has a hand of six
cards. The next card is placed face up in the centre of the table; its suit determines trumps. The remaining undealt
cards are placed in a stack face down on top of the trump card, but crosswise so that the rank and value of the trump
remain visible. These central cards are called the talon.
Note that dealing is traditionally regarded as menial work, undertaken as a punishment by the loser of the previous
hand. Only the dealer handles the cards - they are not usually cut, as in other card games. If any other player touches
the cards they become the fool and take over the job of dealing. Sometimes the dealer may offer the cards to be cut
after shuffling; if the player to whom they are offered falls into the trap of cutting the cards, that player becomes the
dealer and takes over the role of the fool. Hence the expression: "Shapku s duraka ne snimayut" ("One should not
take the hat away from a fool").
With six players and 36 cards there will be no talon. All the cards are dealt to the players and the dealer's last card is
turned face up to determine the trump suit. This trump is part of the dealer's hand and is picked up along with the
dealer's other five cards when everyone has had a chance to look at it.
The players pick up their cards and look at them, and the player to the left of the dealer begins the play.
The Play
Attack and Defence
The play consists of a series of bouts. During each bout there is an attacker (who may be helped by other players)
and a defender (who defends alone).
The attacker begins by playing any card from hand face up on the table in front of the defender. To beat off the attack
the defender will have to beat this and all subsequent attacking cards. A card which is not a trump can be beaten by
playing a higher card of the same suit, or by any trump. A trump card can only be beaten by playing a higher trump.
Note that a non-trump attack can always be beaten by a trump, even if the defender also holds cards in the suit of the
attack card - there is no requirement to "follow suit".
Alternatively, if the defender cannot or does not wish to beat off the attack, the defender simply picks up the attack
card, which then becomes part of the defender's hand; in this case the attack has succeeded.
If the defender beats the first attack card, the attacker can continue the attack by playing another card. If the defender

beats this second attack card too, the attack can be continued with further cards, subject to the following conditions:
i) each new attack card must be of the same rank as some card already played during the current bout - either
an attack card or a card played by the defender;
ii) the total number of cards played by the attackers during a bout must never exceed six;
iii) if the defender had fewer than six cards before the bout, the number of cards played by the attackers must
not be more than the number of cards in the defender's hand.
The attack cards are placed separately face up in front of the defender, and each card played by the defender is placed
face up on top of the card it is beating, slightly offset so that the values of all cards can be seen.
The defender succeeds in beating off the whole attack if either:
a) the defender has beaten all the attack cards played so far, and none of the defender's opponents is able and
willing to continue the attack;
b) the defender succeeds in beating six attacking cards;
c) the defender (having begun the defence holding fewer than six cards) has no cards left in hand, all the
defender's cards having been used to beat attack cards.
When an attack is beaten off, all the cards played during the bout (the attacking cards and the defender's cards) are
thrown face down on a discard heap and are not used again during the play of this deal. The defender becomes the
attacker for the next bout, and the player to the new attacker's left is the new defender.
The player who begins the attack is the principal attacker, but other opponents of the defender can join in the attack if
they have suitable cards to attack with. The principal attacker always has priority - the others can only join in with
permission. For instance, the principal attacker can say "Wait, I am playing" or "Go ahead", or even ask the others
questions such as whether they have a trump to attack with, and if not continue the attack himself. In the individual
game with four players, the second attacker is the player to the left of the defender, and this player also has priority
over the third attacker, who is the player opposite the defender. However, scope for dialogue here is limited in that
the second attacker can stop the third attacker from playing, but is not allowed to ask him about what cards he has or
what card he should play.
When 5 or 6 people play as individuals, it is usual to agree that only the players sitting next to the defender on either
side are allowed to take part in an attack. Without this rule, there would be so many attackers that the first defender
would be placed at a great disadvantage.
The defender always defends alone. When playing in teams you can do nothing while your partner is defending. You
cannot help to beat off the attack, nor can you attack your partner, nor can you give cards to your partner when an
attack succeeds. You can only sit and watch.
If at any stage, the defender is unable to or does not wish to beat one of the attack cards, the defender must pick up all
the cards played during the bout - both the attacking cards and the cards used to beat them. All these cards become
part of the defender's hand. In addition, the players who were entitled to take part in the attack can give to the
defender (face up) any further cards which they could legally have played if the attack had continued. These extra
cards must also be added to the defender's hand. The bout is then over. Since the attack has succeeded, the defender
does not get a turn to attack. The next attacker is the player to the left of the unsuccessful defender, and the new
defender is the player to the left of the new attacker as usual.
Accoring to conditions (ii) and (iii) mentioned above, the total number of cards played by the attackers is limited to
six, or to the number of cards in the defender's hand, whichever is less. The principal attacker has priority, followed
by the other attackers in clockwise order. If the attackers play too many cards, the defender can choose which cards
to beat or pick up, giving the remainder back to the attackers. The same applies if after the defender picks up, the
attackers give too many additional cards: the defender only accepts six attack cards in total (including any beaten
cards); the remainder are given back to the attackers.

In practice an attacker may play several cards at once, provided that all are legal. For example an attacker might
begin by playing two sixes, rather than playing one six, waiting for it to be beaten or picked up, and then producing
the other six. There is no real point in doing playing more than one card at a time, except to speed up the game; the
same cards could equally well be played singly. In fact, attacking with more than one card gives the defender the
advantage of seeing more of the attack before deciding whether and how to try to beat the cards.

After a bout is complete, all players who have fewer than six cards must if possible replenish their hands to six by
drawing sufficient cards from the top of the talon. The attacker replenishes first, then the other players who joined in
the attack, in clockwise order, and finally the defender.
If there are not enough cards in the talon to go around, cards are drawn as usual until it is exhausted. It may be that
some of the later players do not draw any cards. The face up trump is drawn as the last card of the talon. After the
talon is exhausted, the play continues without drawing.
If you are dealt the lowest trump (the six) or if you draw it from the talon, you are allowed to exchange it for the face
up trump, placing your six of trumps under the talon and adding the turned up trump to your hand, at any time before
the talon is exhausted. The six of trumps can only be exchanged by its original holder; if you acquire it from another
player (as one of the cards you pick up when attacked) you cannot exchange it for the turned up trump.
If a player draws the trump 6 while replenishing, it can be swapped for the turned up trump even if that would be
drawn by another player before the next bout. Even if another player has already drawn the turned up trump, the
player who drew the six can still demand to exchange it provided that the bout after the one which exhausted the
talon has not yet begun.
Sequence of Play
The general direction of play is clockwise, and for the first bout, the attacker is the player to the dealer's left. The
defender is the next player in turn after the attacker - normally the player to the attacker's left. If an attack is beaten
off, the defender becomes the next attacker, and the next player in turn is the new defender. If an attack succeeds, the
defender does not get a turn to attack. The new attacker is the next player in turn after the defender, and the new
defender is the player after that.
Examples: In the following examples there are four players: North and South are partners against East and West.
Hearts are trumps and it is West's turn to attack North.
1. West holds K, J, 7, 9, 8, Q; North holds 10, 10, 8, 6, A, 10; East holds Q,
8, Q, K, 7, 6. West attacks with the 7 and North beats it with the 10. East can now continue
the attack with the 7, which North beats with the 10. East and West have no more sevens or tens to play,
so North has beaten off the attack. The four played cards are discarded from the game. East draws the top card
from the talon, West draws the next one, and then North draws two. Now it is North's turn to attack East.
2. West holds K, J, 7, 9, 8, Q; North holds A, 10, 8, 6, A, 9; East holds Q,
8, Q, K, 7, 6. West attacks with the 7 and North cannot beat it, so has to pick it up. East has the
7 so gives this to North as well. West takes the top card from the talon and East takes the next one. The
attack succeeded, so it is now East's turn to attack South.
3. West holds K, J, 7, K, 7, J; North holds Q, 10, J, J, 9, K; East holds 9, 7,
6, A, 9, 7. West attacks with 7 which North beats with 10; East continues with 7 (beaten by
J) and 7 (beaten by K); now West can play the J (beaten by Q) and J (trumped with 9). At
this point East could play the K, K or 7 and West could play the 9 or 9, but they have already

attacked 5 times so they are only allowed to play one more card. In fact the 9 is the best choice, since North
has already trumped a diamond and leading another is likely to put North under most pressure. As it happens,
whichever card East and West play, North can play the J, beating off the attack. The twelve played cards are
discarded. East draws from the talon first, then West, and finally North takes 6 new cards from the talon. North
now attacks West.
4. West holds A, Q, J, K, K, A; North holds K, 9, 8, 7, 10, 9; East holds 7,
6, 7, J, 8, 7. West attacks with the J, which North beats with the K. West continues with the
K and North decides to pick up (North could legally trump with the 7, but in this case East's sevens
would be played next, and North would eventually have to pick up these low cards). When North picks up the
jack and two kings, West could give North the K and East the J in addition, but in fact East and West
choose to keep these good cards. West draws one card from the talon, West also draws one, and then West
attacks South.
The Endgame
As players run out of cards they drop out of the play, and the other players continue. The effect of this on the
sequence of play is slightly different depending on whether the game is being played individually or with
partnerships:
In the individual game, when a player has no cards the turn simply passes over that player to the next person in
clockwise rotation who still has cards.
In the four player partnership game, when someone has no cards, their turn is taken by their partner.
In the six player partnership game, as the players run out of cards, the remaining players of each partnership
continue to play in order, skipping any member of the team who has no cards.
Example from an individual game between four players.

1. West attacks North; North beats off the attack, 2. As North now has no cards, the turn passes to East,
running out of cards in the process. who attacks South. Suppose this attack is successful.

3. After South picks up the cards it will be West's turn

4. After East picks up it is South's turn to attack East,
to attack East. Suppose this attack also succeeds and
since North and West have no cards.
West's cards are all used.
Example from a partnership game between four players.

2. Since North succeeded it is now
1. As above, West attacks North North's team's turn to attack, and as
3. South attacks West next; West
who runs out of cards while beating North has no cards South takes
beats off the attack.
off the attack. North's turn and successfully
attacks East.

6. Notice that East and West

continue to play alternately as
usual, while South gets twice as
many turns, since South is standing
4. West must next attack South 5. South picks up the attack card in for North as well. The order of
(who is taking North's place). and now East attacks South. play is essentially
E-S-W-S-E-S-W-S etc. If either
East or West runs out of cards next
the remaining player will continue
playing against South.
Example from a partnership game between six players.

The principle is the same as with four players, but the effect can seem confusing at first. Suppose the teams are
West, North and South-East (red) against North-West, East and South (blue).
1. W attacks NW and NW picks up, W having run out

2. N attacks E and E picks up.
of cards.

4. It is South's turn to attack, and as West has no cards,

3. SE attacks S and S beats off this attack. South attacks the next opponent in rotation, who is
North.
6. Now SE (the next player of the W-N-SE team)

5. North beats off this attack, and North must next
attacks E (the next player of the NW-E-S team). East
attack North-West. NW picks up.
picks up.

The order of play, after West runs out of cards is

7. It is North's turn to attack South. NW-N-E-SE-S-N-NW-SE-E-N-S-SE-NW-N-E and so
on.
Fortunately, this play of three against two rarely lasts for many turns. In the example above, if a second player of the
W-N-SE team runs out of cards next, the remaining player will take the turns of all three team members, the other
team continuing to play in rotation. If on the other hand, one of the NW-E-S players runs out of cards, the play
reduces to two against two. The sequence of play among the four players will depend on which player runs out of
cards and when. The principle remains the same: that the remaining players take turns to play for their team.
In the example above, if at stage 7, South beats off North's attack, running out of cards, it will next be North-West's
turn to attack South-East, and the game will continue in the sequence NW-SE-E-N-NW-..., which looks similar to a
normal four-player game, but played anticlockwise. If at stage 6, East had beaten off South-East's attack, running out
of cards, it would next be South's turn to attack North and the continuing sequence of play would be
S-N-NW-SE-S-... Notice that in this case the four surviving players happen to be arranged with partners sitting next
to each other, rather than opposite.
When a third player drops out, the situation becomes straightforward. Either one team has lost, or the game has
become two against one, with the two players playing alternately for their team.
The Result
When playing as individuals, the game continues after the talon is exhausted until at the end of a bout, only one
player has any cards left. This player is the loser (the fool) and must deal the next hand.
When playing with teams, the game ends when at the end of a bout, all the players of one team have run out of cards.
The team which still have cards are the losers. The losing team is free to decide which of them should be given the
job of dealing the next hand, even if only one of them was actually left with cards. If the players are of unequal skill,
it will be advantageous for the weaker player to deal, so that the stronger player is the first defender.
Note that the game can only end at the end of an bout. If after the final attack has been beaten off, no one has any
cards left, the game is a draw. This can happen when one team attacks with all their remaining cards, and all of the
defender's cards are used to beat off the attack. If at this point no one has any more cards and the talon is exhausted,
the game is a draw, and the loser of the previous hand deals again - hence the saying: "Staryy durak khuzhe

novykh dvukh" ("An old fool is worse than two new ones").
Variations
Some players do not allow the trump six to be exchanged for the face up trump.
When five or six people play Durak, it is possible to use a full 52 card pack rather than just 36 cards. This variation is
very rare - normally 36 cards are used. The rules of play with 52 cards are the same (except that it is the two of
trumps rather than the six that can be exchanged for the face up trump) and there will always be a talon.
In an individual game with more than three players, a rule is frequently played that the first defender cannot be
attacked with more than five cards (instead of six). This is a way of reducing the severe disadvantage suffered by the
first defender in a game with many players. Without such a rule the first defender would frequently lose.
Some players allow (or even require) the the player to dealer's right to cut the cards before the deal, without penalty.
Other durak WWW pages and software

Andrei Gurtov's Durak page contains a Java program which allows you to play two player Durak against the server.
There is also a Durak page in the Game Cabinet, giving rules by Alejandro Tkaczevski which differ slightly from the
ones on this page.
Net Durak, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a human opponent over
the Internet, LAN, modem or direct connection.


Rules of Card Games: Duren Piatkowy
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Related Games | Polish Games
Dure Pitkowy
Introduction
Cards and Players
Objective
Deal and Trumps
The Play
First phase of an attack
Second and subsequent phases of an attack
Replenishing hands from the stock
Beginning a new attack
Exchanging the turned up trump
Result of the game, and scoring
Introduction
I learned this game in Warsaw in 1981. Its Polish name means something like "5 card idiot" or "fool
five". It seems like a mixture of the Russian games Podkidnoy Durak and Prostoy Durak. Since 1981, I
have not found any other Poles who know this game, but Alexey Lobashev tells me that according to
some Polish card players he consulted, Dure Pitkowy is identical to Prostoy Durak. It may therefore be
that the game described on this page is an unusual variation, perhaps invented by the group of players
from which I learned it. I would be very interested to hear from any Poles who know this or other
versions of Dure Pitkowy.
Cards and Players

This game is for any number of players. I would say it is best for about 3 - 6. An ordinary 52 card pack is
used. If there are a lot of players, two or more identical packs can be shuffled together. Cards rank as
usual: A(high) K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2(low). The game is played clockwise.
Objective
To get rid of all your cards.
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Deal and trumps

The dealer deals 5 cards to each player, a batch of 3 cards each and then 2 cards each. The next card
determines the trump suit and is placed face up on the table. The remaining undealt cards (stock) are
placed face down, crosswise on top of the trump.
The play
The play consists of a series of attacks. During each attack, one player is the principal attacker. The
player to the left of the principal attacker is the defender. The remaining players may also help attack the
defender. For the first attack, the player to the left of the dealer is the principal attacker. After each
attack, the turn to attack rotates clockwise, so that the previous defender becomes the new principal
attacker.
Each attack consists of a number of phases. This works as follows:
First phase of an attack:

The principal attacker leads a number of cards, by placing them face up on the table. The number of
cards led must be at least one, and cannot be more than the number of cards held by the defender. Any
single card may be led. If an even number of cards is led, they must all be pairs (examples of legal leads
are: 4 4 7 7 or 5 5 5 5 - which would count as two pairs of 5s). If an odd number of cards is led, they
must consist of pairs plus an extra card (for example: 4 4 7 7 6, or 2 2 8, or 9 9 6 6 6 - counting one of the
sixes as the extra card - would be legal).
The defender may now try to beat the led cards. To beat each individual non-trump card requires a higher
card of the same suit or a trump; if a trump was led it can only be beaten by a higher trump. The defender
plays the appropriate cards face up on top of the cards they are beating.
If the defender can beat all the led cards in this way, the defender has won the first phase. If the defender
still has one or more unplayed cards, the attack now proceeds to the second phase. If all the defender's
cards were used in beating the led cards, the defender has successfully beaten off the attack. All the cards
played by the attacker and the defender are set aside and play no further part in the game.
If the defender cannot or does not wish to beat all the led cards, the attacker has won. The cards which
were led are to be added to the defender's hand, but are temporarily kept face up on the table in front of
the defender.
Second and subsequent phases of an attack:

If the defender has won the previous phase, but is still holding cards, the attack enters a new phase.
Starting with the principal attacker, followed by the player to the defender's left, and proceeding
clockwise, each player (except the defender) may continue the attack by leading one or more cards. The
restriction now is that each card led must be of the same rank as one of those used by the defender to beat
the previous phase of the attack. The total number of cards led by the attackers during the phase must not
be more than the number of cards remaining in the defender's hand.

If the attackers do not manage to lead any cards to this phase (for example because they do not hold any
cards of the ranks the defender used in the previous phase), the defender has beaten off the attack, and all
the cards played during the attack are discarded.
Otherwise, when all the other players have had a chance to lead, the defender may now try to beat this
phase of the attack, in a similar way to the first phase, beating each card led with a higher card of the
same suit or a trump. If the defender beats all the cards led, the defender has won this phase. If the
defender has now run out of cards the attack has been beaten off, and all the cards played in it are
discarded. If the defender still has cards, the attack proceeds to the next phase.
If the defender cannot or does not wish to beat all the cards led in this phase, the attacker has won. All
the cards played by the defender in earlier phases of the attack are taken back and replaced in the
defender's hand. Then all the cards led in all phases of the attack are placed face up in front of the
defender.
Replenishing hands from the stock

At the end of each attack, if the stock is not exhausted, all players with fewer than 5 cards remaining
must draw sufficient cards from the stock to bring their hands up to five cards. The principal attacker
draws first; then the defender; then the other players in rotation.
The turned up trump card is the last card of the stock. Once this card has been drawn, no further
replenishment is possible, and players continue with whatever number of cards they happen to have.
Beginning a new attack:

The previous defender becomes the new principal attacker. Cards lying in front of the attacker as a result
of having lost the previous attack cannot be used as part of the lead in the first phase of the new attack.
However, immediately after the lead to the first phase, these cards must be picked up and added to the
principal attacker's hand. They may be led in the second and subsequent phases.
Exchanging the turned up trump

If you hold the 2 of trumps, then at your turn to replenish you may swap the 2 of trumps for the turned up
trump at the bottom of the stock, provided that:
there is at least one other card remaining in the stock, besides the turned up trump, and
you have successfully beaten off an attack at some time during the current deal.
Result of the game, and scoring

Play continues until at the end of an attack there is one or more players who have run out of cards and
cannot replenish their hands because the stock is exhausted. Each player who still has cards left at the
end pays one stake per card held, and this amount is given to the winner, or divided equally between the
winners if there is more than one.



Card Games: Link to Egyptian Ratscrew
Egyptian Ratscrew
This game, also known as Egyptian War, or Bloodystump is currently popular in the USA. It is related
to the English children's game known as "Beggar My Neighbour" or "Beat Your Neighbour Out Of
Doors".
For the rules, please refer to Oxymoron's Egyptian Ratscrew Page.

Last updated 2nd January 1996
http://www.pagat.com/war/egyptrat.html [04/05/2001 9:50:19]

Rules of Card Games: Eleusis
Eleusis
Eleusis technically belongs to the eights group, in that players try to get rid of their cards by playing them
to a discard pile. However, the unique feature of this game is that the rule governing which cards can
legally be played is initially unknown to the players. The dealer (sometimes known as God) secretly
invents and writes down the rule governing play. The other players try to guess the rule by observing
which plays are legal.
The original version of Eleusis was invented by Robert Abbott in 1956, and was published in Martin
Gardner's column in the Scientific American in June 1959. It subsequently appeared in Gardner's 2nd
Scientific American Book of Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions and in Robert Abbott's book Abbott's
New Card Games (Stein & Day 1963).
In the 1970's Robbert Abbott made some major improvements to Eleusis, including the option for a
player to become a prophet and try to predict whether each play would be called legal or illegal. This
current version The New Eleusis was published in the Scientific American in October 1977. There is also
a booklet about it, obtainable from the inventor, which gives a fascinating account of the development of
the game, as well as the rules.
Here is a link to David Matuszek's page, with rules of The New Eleusis.
Dave Moser has set up a New Eleusis registry where people wishing to play the game can leave their
contact deatils, and find details of other players in their area.

http://www.pagat.com/eights/eleusis.html [04/05/2001 9:50:21]

Rules of Card Games: Encaje
Encaje
Fernando Hernandez Morondo contributed a brief description of this game, and further details were
filled in by Enric Capo.
Encaje, also known as Mus Francs (French Mus), is a version of the Basque game Mus suitable for 3
or 5 players.
The cards used and the combinations (grande, chica, pares, juego) are the same as in Mus. See the Mus
page for an explanation if you are not familiar with these.
There are two main differences from four player Mus:

1. in Encaje there are no partnerships; everyone pays for themselves;
2. in Encaje there is no winner, only a loser - so the objective is to avoid losing.
Deal and Mus

There are two alternative methods of dealing in Encaje. Before beginning the players must agree which
will be used.
1. The first is the ordinary deal. The dealer deals four cards to each player and there is a round of
saying "mus" or "no hay mus". If everyone says "mus", cards are exchanged, just as in the four
player game.
2. The second method is to deal five cards to each player, from which everyone discards one card
face down before the betting begins. When playing this way, there is no "mus".
The Object of the Game

At the beginning of the game, everyone is given an equal number of stones (usually between 15 and 21,
as the players agree). During the game, these stones are passed between the players, put in temporary
pots which are later given to a player, or discarded from the game, according to the betting and the result
of the showdown, as described below.
The goal of the players is to get rid of all their stones. As players run out of stones they drop out of the
game. The game ends when only one player has any stones left and there are no pots outstanding. That
player is then the loser.
Often, a longer session is played consisting of several games. The overall loser of the session is first
player who loses an agreed number of games (usually, between five and ten). In addition to suffering the
shame of being the worst player, the loser must usually pay for the players' drinks - and if you lose you
can't blame your partner, as in regular Mus.
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The Betting Procedure

As in Mus, each hand has four phases of betting: the Grande, the Chica, the Pares and the Juego. Each
round is begun by the Mano (player to the right of the dealer) who may pass (paso) or bet (envido). If the
mano passes, the next player to the right can pass or bet, and so on anticlockwise around the table. If
everyone passes, the phase is over, and the mano begins the betting for the next phase.
The minimum bet is 2, and if no number is mentioned, the bet is assumed to be 2. If you wish, you can
bet a higher number, but not more than the number of stones you have in front of you at that moment.
If someone bets, the subsequent players have three options:
fold (no quiero) - conceding that they will not win that phase; a player who has folded does not
speak again during that phase;
see (quiero) - accepting the stake proposed by the player who bet, and that whoever has the best
hand should win the round;
raise (reenvido) - proposing to raise the stake further; each raise must increase the stake by at least
two stones.
As there are no partnerships, players speak only for themselves. Therefore, if someone bets, each of the
other players in turn must say whether they want to fold, see or raise. If everyone folds or sees, the phase
is over, but if someone raises the bet, all those players who have not already folded must decide whether
to fold, see this higher bet, or raise further. The phase of betting ends when all the players except the one
who last raised the bet have chosen to see that last bet or have folded.
You may never bet or raise to a number greater than the number of stones you have in front of you.
However, you are allowed to see a bet or raise of any size as long as you have at least one stone.
If you have no stones in front of you, you are not allowed to take part in the betting in any way. This
applies even your lack of stones is temporary, because you staked them all on an earlier phase of betting
in the current hand and are awaiting the result.
There is no ordag.
Pares and Juego

As in Mus, before the third phase (pares) each of the players who have stones in front of them must say
in turn whether they have pares or not (players without stones cannot speak or score). If no one
announces pares, there will be no betting or score for pares on that deal. If only one player announces
pares, there is no betting on pares, but the holder of pares will score in the showdown. If more than one
player announces pares, the betting takes place between those players - the others are not allowed to
speak in this phase.
In the fourth phase (juego) each of the players who have stones in front of them must say whether they
have juego. If more than one such player announces juego, there is betting between these players. If only
one player announces juego, there is no betting and that player will score for it in the showdown. If no
one announces juego, all the players who have stones can take part in the betting on the punto.

Settling the Bets and Scores

The bets and scores are settled up as follows.
1. If there was no betting:
for grande or chica, in the showdown, the player with the best combination discards one
stone out of the game;
for pares or juego or punto, in the showdown the player with the best combination discards
from the game a number of stones equal to the value of that combination; the values are as
in Mus - 1 for par simple, 2 for medias, 3 for duples, 3 for a juego of 31, 2 for any other
juego, 1 for punto.
2. If just one player bets (any amount) and everyone else folds, then the player who bets
immediately discards one stone out of the game. In addition, if the phase was pares or juego /
punto, then in the showdown the player who bet discards out of the game a number of stones equal
to the value of the combination, as above.
3. If someone raises and everyone else folds, then the player who finally raised immediately gives to
the player who made the previous bet or raise the number of stones staked in that previous bet. In
addition, if the phase was pares or juego / punto, then in the showdown the player who made the
final raise discards out of the game a number of stones equal to the value of the combination, as
above.
4. If one or more players see the last bet or raise, then the player who bet or raised and the ones who
see this bet or raise each put the number of stones mentioned in the bet or raise into a temporary
pot, where these stones are kept until all four betting phases are complete. Anyone who is seeing
the bet but has fewer stones than the bet must put all their stones in the temporary pot, so cannot
take part in any of the remaining phases of betting. In the showdown, the hands of the players who
contributed to the temporary pot are compared. Whichever of these players has the worst hand for
this phase must take all the stones in the temporary pot. In addition, if the phase was pares or
juego / punto, whichever of these players has the best hand gives a number of stones equal to the
value of this hand to the player who took the pot.
Examples
A B C D E
Stones: 5 18 16 9 10
Grande: Pass Pass Bet 2 Fold See

See Raise to 5 See Raise to 8
Fold Raise to 12 Fold See
The stake for this phase is now 12. B must put 12 stones into the temporary pot and E, who only has 10
stones, must put them all in. The winner will be whichever of A and E turns out in the showdown to have
the better grande. A, C and D can no longer win this phase, however good their grande may be, having
folded. Moreover E, having committed all 10 stones to the grande pot can do nothing more on this deal.
For example E cannot announce or score for pares or juego, even if no one else has these combinations -
if B has the better grande, E will have to take the 22 stones and keep them for the next deal.

Suppose instead, the betting goes like this:

A B C D E
Grande: Pass Pass Bet 2 Fold See

See Raise to 5 See Raise to 8
Fold Fold Fold
Now E immediately gives 5 stones to B, the player who bet 5.
End of the Game

If all the players except one have run out of stones, and all the temporary pots have been settled, the one
player who has stones left is the loser.
Note that this can happen in the middle of the betting (provided that there are no pots to be settled) or in
the middle of the settling up at the showdown.


Rules of Card Games: Euchre
Euchre
Euchre is popular across a wide area of Canada, from Nova Scotia to the Midwest) and in the USA (especially in
the North-East and Midwest), and also in the United States Navy. It is played in parts of Britain, New Zealand,
Australia, and maybe other places (please let me know).
The main description below is based on the version of the game played in Cornwall, England. Some variations
played there and in other places are described afterwards.
British Euchre
Players and Object

Rank of Cards
The Deal
Making Trump
Going Alone
The Play
Scoring
Six Player Euchre
North American Euchre
Variations
32 Card Euchre
Buck Euchre
Six Hand Almonte Euchre
Bid Euchre
Terminology and Sayings
Historical Note
Other Euchre Web Sites
Euchre Software and Servers for on-line play
British Euchre
http://www.pagat.com/euchre/euchre.html (1 de 8) [04/05/2001 9:50:56]

Players and Object

Euchre is a plain-trick game for four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite.
Just 5 cards are dealt to each player and the object is to win at least three of the five tricks - with an extra bonus
for winning all five.
Rank of Cards
A pack of 25 cards is used consisting of A K Q J 10 9 in each of the four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs and
spades, plus a joker. If your pack of cards has no joker, the two of spades can be used as a substitute.
The trump suit has 8 cards ranking from highest to lowest as follows:
Benny, or Best Bower (the joker or two of spades)
Right Bower (the jack of the trump suit)
Left Bower (the other jack of the same colour as the trump suit)
Ace
King
Queen
Ten
Nine
The other suits have 6 or 5 cards ranking as normal: A K Q (J) 10 9.
Note that Benny and Left count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. For example if hearts are trumps,
the jack of diamonds is a heart not a diamond. It can be played to a heart lead and if it is led, hearts must be
followed.
The word Bower comes from the German Bauer, which means farmer or peasant and is also a word for Jack.
The Deal
The first dealer is selected at random. The turn to deal then rotates clockwise throughout the game. The dealer
shuffles and the player to dealer's left may either cut or "bump" - that is, knock the cards to indicate that they
should be dealt as they are, without cutting.
Five cards are dealt to each player in two rounds. The dealer deals clockwise, giving each player a packet of two
or three cards in any order - any player who was dealt two in the first round gets three in the second and vice
versa.
The dealer then turns the next card in the pack face up. This up-card is used as a basis for selecting the trump
suit. The remaining four cards are left face-down and are not used.
Making trump
This process determines the trump suit and which team are the makers - that is the team which undertakes to win
three tricks. First each player in turn, beginning with the player to the dealer's left, has the option of accepting
up-card's suit as the trump suit or passing. Specifically:
The player to dealer's left may either pass or say "I order it up"
If the first player passes, the dealer's partner may either pass or say "I turn it down"

If the first two players pass, the player to dealer's right may either pass or say "I order it up"
If all three other players pass, the dealer may either take up the up-card, saying "I take it up", or pass by
saying "over" and turning the up-card face-down.
If either of the dealer's opponents order it up or if dealer decides to take it up, the suit of the up-card becomes
trump; the dealer adds the up-card to her hand and discards a card face-down. Note that (at least in this version of
Euchre), the dealer's partner cannot make trumps and play with a partner. The dealer's partner can only make the
turned up suit trumps by playing alone. In Britain this is done by saying "I turn it down", in which case the
dealer's cards are placed face-down on the table and dealer's partner plays alone, with the turned suit as trump.
If all four players pass, the up-card is turned face-down, and there is a second round in which players have the
option to make any suit trump, other than the suit of the up-card. Again the player to dealer's left speaks first and
may either pass again or name a suit. If the first player passes the second may name a suit or pass, and so on. If
all four players pass a second time the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
Note that the trump making process ends as soon as someone accepts or makes trump (rather than passing). That
player's side are the makers and the other side are the defenders.
If the Benny is turned up then the dealer's team are automatically the makers - no one else gets an opportunity.
The dealer must choose a trump suit without looking at her cards. She then picks up her five cards and the Benny
and discards one.
Going Alone
After trump has been made, but before the first lead, any player may announce that they are playing alone. The
partner of a lone player puts her cards face-down and takes no part in the play.
Either a member of the makers side or a defender may play alone. It is even possible that a maker and a defender
choose to play alone, in which case there will be only two active players.
The Play
If all four players are in the game, the play begins with the player to the dealer's left leading to the first trick. If
one player is playing alone, the person to that player's left leads first. If two players are playing alone, the
defender leads.
Any card may be led, and each player in clockwise order must follow suit by playing a card of the same suit as
the card led if possible. A player who cannot follow suit may play any card.
Remember that, for purposes of following suit, Benny and the Left Bower are considered to belong to the trump
suit and not to any other suit.
The trick is won by whoever played the highest card of the suit led, unless a trump was played in which case the
highest trump wins. The winner of each trick leads to the next one.
Scoring
If all four players are playing then the scores are as follows:
If the makers win 3 or 4 tricks they score one point.
If the makers win all 5 tricks they score two points.
If the makers take fewer than three tricks they are said to be euchred, and the defenders score two points.

If a member of the makers' team is playing alone and wins all 5 tricks, the team scores 4 points instead of 2 -
otherwise the scores are as above.
If a member of the defenders' team is playing alone and succeeds in winning at least 3 tricks, thereby euchring
the makers, the defenders score 4 points instead of 2 - otherwise the scores are as above.
The game is normally played to 11 points - that is, the team who first reach 11 or more points over several deals
win the game. It is usual for each team to keep score using a spare 5 and 6 from the pack (as these cards are not
used in the game). The cards are arranged on the table so that the number of pips showing shows the team's
current score. Sometimes people play to 15 points (using a 7 and an 8 to keep score) or to 10 points.
Six Player Euchre

In Cornwall, England, this is played between two teams of three, sitting alternately. Either adds the sevens and
eights to the pack, making 33 cards (the 8 and 7 are then the lowest cards of each suit, below the 9), or play with
a double 25 card pack - 50 cards in all.
When playing with a double pack, if two equally high cards are played to a trick, the second to be played beats
the first. If the two Bennies are red and black, the one which is the same colour as the trump suit beats the other
one. If they both look the same, then the second one played beats the other, as with other cards.
If a player wants to play alone, both of the player's partners discard their hands face down, but the lone player
can ask one of them for a card. The partner asked gives a card of his choice to the lone player, without
consultation and without showing it to the others, and the lone player discards a card face-down in return.
The score for winning all the tricks or euchring the makers is 3 points instead of 2. If the winner is playing alone
the score is 6 points instead of 4.
North American Euchre

In Canada and the USA, Euchre is played without a joker, so that there are just 24 cards in the deck, and the right
bower is the highest trump. The target score is 10 points (not 11). The score is indicated by using two low cards
overlapped - some use a six and a four, some use two fives, and some use a two and a three like this:
In the USA any player, including the dealer's partner, is allowed to order up the up-card and play with a partner.
In other places - Australia, England and Canada - if the dealer's partner orders the card up, he/she must play
alone; therefore the dealer's cards are laid face-down and the dealer does not play the hand.
Some people do not allow a defender to play alone - only the maker is allowed to play alone. Some only allow a
defender to play alone against a lone maker.
In Canada it is not usual for the cards to be cut before dealing.

A common method of choosing the first dealer is to deal the cards around until a black jack appears.
Stick the Dealer (also known as "Screw the dealer"). In this variation the dealer cannot pass a second time when
naming the trump suit. On the second round, if the first three players pass, the dealer must name a suit. This
variation is often played when playing time is constrained.
The Super-Euchre A "Super-Euchre" occurs when the making team takes zero tricks. Some play that the
defending team then scores 4 points.
Railroading. This is a variation in which, if your partner is going to play alone, you may pass your partner a card
(your best card) face down. Before looking at this card partner must choose whether to discard a card from hand
and take the card offered in exchange, or to discard the offered card.
In Canada, some people play that if the first three players pass, the dealer is only allowed to take up the turned
trump if already holding at least one trump in hand. For this purpose, the left bower is not counted as a trump.
Variations
Buck Euchre (Cut-Throat Euchre)
This game for three or four players, playing as individuals, is described on a separate page.
32 card Euchre
In some places the 8s and 7s are included in the pack as the lowest cards in each suit, making a pack of 32 or 33
cards. This makes it more uncertain whether the high cards are in play. I am told that 32 card Euchre is the usual
version in New Zealand. Also there are a few people in the USA who still play this way.
Six Hand Almonte Euchre

Mike Lunney contributed the following variation, which is played in Almonte, in eastern Ontario, Canada.
Rules are the same as six player Euchre above, but with the following variations:
There are 6 players (3 per team) using a 30 card deck consisting of 8-9-10-Q-K-A-J in each suit, plus three
jokers, represented by the 2,3,and 4 of spades ( 4 is the highest trump, followed by 3, 2, right bower, left
bower, A, K, Q, 10, 9).
The dealer distributes 5 cards to each of the 6 players and then turns over the last one (i.e. no hidden cards). If the
card turned up is a joker, then dealer calls the trump before looking in his or her hand.
Scoring is the same as for British six player Euchre described above, but play is up to fifteen. Or in euchre
leagues, players play twice around the table (i.e. 12 hands) before moving to another table.
There is a version in which, if a joker is turned up, the dealer cannot turn it over at the end of the first round of
bidding, but must take it into his or her hand and become the maker, assuming the other 5 players have passed on
the called trump.
A four-hand variation is played with 21 cards: the Q-K-A-J of clubs and diamonds, the 10-Q-K-A-J of hearts
and spades, plus the 3 jokers; scoring is the same as in six-hand.

Bid Euchre
There are many varieties of this. See the Bid Euchre page.
Terminology and Sayings

From England
have an eye
have a score of at least one
whitewashed
beaten without score (i.e. 11-0)
dockyard play or playing policeman
opponents of dealer who do not order up with good cards, in the hope of euchring the dealer's team
From North America

Bill Le May contributed the following sayings:
Don't send a boy to the mill
said when you trump a suit trick with something like a 9 or 10 and the other opponent takes it with
something higher.
Crossing the creek
when the top card is turned down and someone makes trump of the oposite color.
Dutchman's Point
is the point you win when you're holding both bowers and the ace of trump. (In the USA, where the joker
is not used, these are the highest three trumps).
Bushing or Waiting in the bushes
is passing when you hold enough cards to make trump, hoping instead to euchre the opponent who picks
up.
Having a dog from every county
means your five cards comprise all four suits, usually low cards.
Some sayings from Indiana, USA, contributed by Chris Carter and Chris Patterson:
to be set
to be euchred
Sweep or March
winning all the tricks
In the barn
one point away from victory (usu. 9 points)
To get cut
to lead an ace that gets trumped by the first opponent
Loner

a hand suitable for playing alone

Lay-down loner
a loner consisting of unbeatable cards (for example, if you have the first lead: right, left, trump ace,
another trump, any off ace).
Walk
a low card is led and takes the trick (usually expressed in amazement or disgust: "The ^#$@&^*(@! queen
walked!"
Next
After the up-card is turned down, the player to the dealer's left may call "next" to indicate that the
same-color suit as the turned-down card is to be named the trump suit.
Historical Note
Euchre was probably derived from the game Jucker which was formerly played in Alsace. Euchre reached the
USA in the early nineteenth century and was the original game for which the Joker was introduced into the
playing-card pack in the 1850s (to serve as the highest trump). It has already been mentioned that Euchre is
popular in the US Navy, and it may be through this maritime connection that it travelled in the later nineteenth
century from America to other English speaking parts of the world. Certainly in Britain it is mainly found in
regions where there has been a strong Naval influence.
Other Euchre Web Sites

Matt Schemmel and Erin O'Neil's Semi-Official Euchre Home Page
Shawn's Euchre Home Page
David Guild's How to Play Euchre page
Dave Barker's Euchre page
John Hay's Euchre page
Brad Wilson's Card Games pages include several Euchre and Bid Euchre variants.
Natty Bumppo's Columbus Book of Euchre gives not only rules but also plenty of discussion of tactics, local
traditions and sayings from Columbus, Indiana, USA. On the web site you can see extracts from the book, and an
appendix containing additional material. There are also Reviews of other books on Euchre.
Euchre Software and Servers

Here is Terry Burlison's shareware Ultimate Euchre program, with which you can play Euchre against the
computer or with live opponents over the Internet.
MVP Card Games also have a shareware Euchre program for download.
Scot Cunningham has written a Euchre program suitable for Windows 95.
Special K Software has developed software for Euchre. It is available from Garry McKay's home page and from
his Euchre Page.

Some sites where you can pla Euchre on-line against live opponents:
IPlay
Excite Games
PlaySite
Yahoo! Games
Games People Play
Game Zone
www.won.net
Pogo
Playlink
The Euchre Players Club is aimed mainly at Excite (POGO) on-line euchre players, but contains information
relevant to all euchre players. It includes a registry of players, links to lounges, strategies and terminology.
See Froggie's Tournament Information Center for information about an on-line Euchre tournament.


Rules of Domino Games: Flower and Scorpion
Flower and Scorpion

This is a domino game, a variation of Bergen, for two to four players using a double six set (28
dominoes). As in Bergen, players score for making the free ends of the layout equal. In addition, two
pairs of dice are thrown before each hand to determine the flower, which gives a bonus when the ends of
the layout match it, and the scorpion, which gives a penalty when it is matched.
Here is a link to Joe Celko's rules of Flower and Scorpion, on the Game Cabinet site.

http://www.pagat.com/domino/flower.html [04/05/2001 9:50:58]

Rules of Card Games: Teen Pathi
Teen Pathi
This page is based on information supplied by Mathew George, Edison, NJ, U.S.A
Introduction: players, cards, deal

Teen Pathi means "three cards". It is an Indian gambling game, also known as Flush, and closely related
to the British game Brag. An international 52 card pack is used, cards ranking in the usual order from ace
(high) down to two (low). Any reasonable number of players can take part; it is probably best for about 4
to 7 players.
Before playing it is necessary to agree the value of the minimum stake (which I will call one unit).
Everyone places this minimum stake in the pot - a collection of money in the centre of the table, which
will be won by one of the players. The dealer deals out the cards one at a time until everyone has three
cards. The players then bet on who has the best three card hand. Each has the option to look at their
three-card hand before betting (playing seen) or to leave their cards face down on the table (playing
blind).
The ranking of hands

The ranking of the possible hands, from high to low, is as follows.
1. Trio - three cards of the same rank. Three aces are the best trio and three twos are the lowest.
2. Straight run - three consecutive cards of the same suit. Ace can be used in the run A-2-3, which is
the highest straight run. Next comes A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2, which is the lowest.
2-A-K is not a valid run.
3. Normal run - three consecutive cards, not all of the same suit. A-2-3 is the best normal run, then
A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2. 2-A-K is not valid.
4. Colour - any three cards of the same suit. When comparing two colours, compare the highest card;
if these are equal compare the second; if these are equal too, compare the lowest. Thus the highest
colour is A-K-J and the lowest is 5-3-2.
5. Pair - two cards of the same rank. Between two such hands, compare the pair first, then the odd
card if these are equal. The highest pair hand is therefore A-A-K and the lowest is 2-2-3.
6. High card - three cards that do not belong to any of the above types. Compare the highest card
first, then the second highest, then the lowest. The best hand of this type is A-K-J of mixed suits,
and the worst is 5-3-2.
Any hand of a higher type beats any hand of a lower type - for example the lowest run 4-3-2 beats the
best colour A-K-J.
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The betting process

The betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer, and continues with players taking turns in
clockwise order around the table, for as many circuits as are needed. Each player in turn can either put an
additional bet into the pot to stay in, or pay nothing further and fold. When folding you permanently drop
out of the betting and sacrifice any money you have already put into the pot during that deal.
The amount that you have to put in at your turn in order to stay in the game depends on the "current
stake", and whether you are playing blind or seen - seen players have to bet twice as much as blind
players to stay in. At the start of the betting the current stake is one unit (i.e. the amouint that each player
put in the pot as an ante).
If you are a blind player (you have not looked at your cards), you must put in at least the current
stake and not more than twice the current stake. The current stake for the next player is then the
amount that you put in.
If you are a seen player you must bet at least twice the current stake and not more than four times
the current stake. The current stake for the next player becomes half the amount that you bet.
If you are a blind player, you may choose to look at your cards when your turn comes to bet. You then
become a seen player and from that turn onwards you must bet at least twice the current stake (or fold).
The betting continues in this way until one of the following things happens:
1. All except one player have folded. In that case the last surviving player wins all the money in the
pot, ireespective of the cards held.
2. All except two players have folded and one of these players at their turn pays for a show. In that
case the cards of both players are exposed and compared.
The rules for a show are as follows:
A show cannot occur until all but two players have dropped out.
If you are a blind player, the cost of a show is the current stake, paid into the pot, irrespective of
whether the other player is blind or seen. You do not look at your own cards until after you have
paid for the show.
If you are a seen player and the other player is blind, you are not allowed to demand a show. The
seen player can only continue betting or drop out.
If both players are seen, either player in turn may pay twice the current stake for a show.
In a show, both players' cards are exposed, and the player whose hand is higher ranking wins the
pot. If the hands are equal, the player who did not pay for the show wins the pot.
If all the players are seen, then at your turn, immediately after betting the minimum amount (twice the
current stake), you can ask the player who bet immediately before you for a compromise. That player
can accept or refuse the compromise.
If the compromise is accepted, the two players involved privately compare their cards, and the
player with the lower ranking cards must immediately fold. If they are equal, the player who asked
for the compromise must fold.
If the compromise is refused, the betting continues as usual with the player after the one who

asked for the compromise.

Example. Players A, B , C & D are playing the game. They all put 1 unit on the table and D deals. Player
A decides to play blind and puts one more unit. Player B sees his cards and folds. Player C plays blind
and bets one unit. Player D looks at his cards and puts in 2 units (the minimum amount); the current stake
remains at one unit. Player A raises the stake by putting in 2 units. Player C looks at his cards and folds.
Player D puts in 4 units (the minimum amount for a seen player since A chas raised the current stake to
2). Player A decides to look at his cards, and having done so he puts in 4 units and asks for a show.
Player D shows his cards and the winner takes it all.
Note that the betting process in this game is quite different from Poker betting. There is no concept of
equalising the bets, and a showdown is not possible with more than two players.
Variations
Some play with a higher limit on the amount by which the bet can be increased - so a blind player can bet
more than twice the current stake, and a seen player can bet more than four times the current stake.
Some players set a limit on how many times a player can bet blind - for example that you could bet blind
on your first three turns, but on your fourth turn you would have to look at your cards and bet as a seen
player from then on.
Some play that the amount to be paid for a show is twice the minimum bet - i.e. twice the current stake
for a blind player, or four times the current stake for a seen player.
Some further variations are suggested in the Party Games section of the apna India sports page


Rules of Card Games: French Tarot
French Tarot
Introduction
The Players
The Cards
The Deal
The Bidding
The Play of the Cards
Bonuses
The Scoring
Tarot for Three Players
Tarot for Five Players
Variations
Other versions for five players
Bidding variations
Variations in the bonuses
Petit Imprenable
Variations in the Scoring
Direction of Play
Tarot for Two Players
Other French Tarot WWW Sites
Introduction
Games are played with Tarot cards in various countries of Europe, but nowhere is it as popular as in
France. There are clubs, tournaments (including duplicate events) and an official body, the Fdration
Franaise de Tarot. French Tarot is also played in the French speaking parts of Canada. The following
description is partly based on contributions from Craig Kaplan, Michel Braunwarth and Eric Betito.
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The Players
Tarot is a trick-taking game in which the partnerships vary from hand to hand. It is most commonly
played by four players, and this version is described first. However it is also common for five to play,
and it is also possible for three; the necessary modifications will be described at the end.
The Cards
The deck consists of 78 cards. The four suits are the standard ones of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs,
and each suit contains fourteen cards ranking from high to low:
Roi (king), Dame (queen), Cavalier (knight), Valet (jack), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
In addition to the four standard suits there is a extra suit of twenty-one atouts (trumps) numbered from
21 (high) to 1 (low).
Finally, there is a special card called the excuse, or the fool, marked with a star in the corner.
Three cards, the 1 of trump (called the petit), the 21 of trump and the excuse are particularly important in
the game and are known as bouts ("ends") or sometimes in books as oudlers.
Not only are the bouts worth points, but having them in your tricks also reduces the total number of
points you need to win.
Values of the cards

In each hand one player, the taker (le preneur) plays alone against the other three in partnership. The
taker's objective is to accumulate enough card points to win the hand by taking tricks.
For every card in every trick taken, you get the following card points:
Bouts (21, 1, excuse): 4.5 points each

Kings: 4.5 points each
Queens: 3.5 points each
Knights: 2.5 points each

Jacks: 1.5 points each

Other cards: 0.5 points each
It's easiest to count them in pairs, grouping each court card or bout with a 0.5 point card - so for example
a queen and a pip card together are worth 4 points. The total of the card points is 91.
The number of points the taker needs to win depends on the number of bouts the taker has in his tricks:
With 3 bouts the taker needs at least 36 card points to win;
With 2 bouts the taker needs at least 41 card points to win;
With 1 bout the taker needs at least 51 card points to win;
With 0 bouts the taker needs at least 56 card points to win.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random - thereafter the turn to deal passes to the right after each hand (the
whole game is played counter-clockwise). The player opposite the dealer shuffles and the player to the
left of the dealer cuts.
In a hand, 18 cards are dealt to each player, in packets of 3. During the deal, six cards are dealt face down
to the centre of the table to form the talon or chien (meaning the dog, but maybe the best English
equivalent is "kitty"). The chien cards are dealt singly at any time during the deal, at the choice of the
dealer, escept that the first three and the last three cards of the deck cannot be dealt to the chien.
A player who is dealt only the 1 of trumps and no others (counting the excuse as a trump) immediately
declares this and the hand is cancelled - the cards are thrown in and the next dealer deals.
The Bids
Each player, starting with the player to the dealer's right and continuing counter-clockwise, has just one
chance to bid on the hand, or pass. If someone bids, subsequent players have the choice of bidding higher
or passing. If all four players pass, the hand is thrown in and the next dealer deals (this happens quite
often).
The possible bids, from lowest to highest, are as follows:
Petite (Small) - also known in many of the books as prise (take)
You can use the chien cards to improve your hand (see below) and you then try to take enough
card points in tricks to win.
Garde (Guard)
Same as Petite but outranks Petite in bidding.
Garde sans le chien (Guard without the kitty)
No one looks at the chien, but the card points in it count as part of the taker's tricks.
Garde contre le chien (Guard against the kitty)
No one looks at the chien and it is counted as part of the tricks of the opponents of the taker.

The highest bidding player becomes the taker. The remaining three players form a temporary team,
trying to prevent the bidder from making enough card points.
In Petite or Garde, the taker turns the six cards of the chien face up for all to see and then takes them into
his hand. He then discards face down any six cards which must not include trumps, kings or the excuse.
In the (very rare) case that the taker can't obey this rule, he can discard trumps (but never bouts); any
trumps discarded must be shown to the other players. The cards discarded by the taker count as part of
his tricks.
The play of the cards

When the discard is complete, the cards are played. The player to the dealer's right leads to the first trick.
Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or the highest card of the suit led if no trumps were played.
The winner of a trick leads to the next.
You have to follow suit if you can, and if you have no cards of the suit which was led you must play a
trump. If trumps are led, the other players must of course follow with trumps if they can.
There is a further restriction: whenever you have to play a trump (either because trumps were led or
because you have no cards of the suit which was led), you must if possible play a trump which is higher
than the highest trump so far played to the trick. If you are unable to do this, you are free to play any
trump, but you must still play a trump, even though you cannot win the trick with it.
Playing the excuse

The excuse is an exception to the above rules. If you hold the excuse you may play it to any trick you
choose - irrespective of what was led and whether you have that suit or not. With one rare exception (see
below), the excuse can never win the trick - the trick is won as usual by the highest trump, or in the
absence of trumps by the highest card of the suit led.
It is legal to lead the excuse, and in this case the second player to the trick can play any card, and this
second card defines what suit must be followed.
Provided that the excuse is played before the last trick, the team that played the excuse keeps it in their
trick pile, even though they may have lost the trick to which it was played. If the trick is in fact won by
the opponents of the player of the excuse, the trick will be one card short; to compensate for this, the
team that played the excuse must transfer one card from their trick pile to the winners of the trick. This
will be a 0.5 point card; if they do not yet have such a card in their tricks, they can wait until they take a
trick containing a 0.5 point card and transfer it then.
If the excuse is played in the last trick, the excuse is taken by the team who wins the trick.
There is just one extremely rare case in which the excuse can win a trick: if one team has won every trick
except the last one, and then leads the excuse to the last trick the excuse wins.

Bonuses
There are some special bonuses. The scores for these bonuses are not card points, so they do not help you
to win your bid. They are extra points which can be scored in addition to what you win or lose for your
bid.
Poigne
This is a bonus which is scored if a player declares that he has 10 or more trumps:
10 trumps : 20 points (Single Poigne)
13 trumps : 30 points (Double Poigne)
15 trumps : 40 points (Triple Poigne)
To declare a poigne, the holder must show the correct number of trumps just before playing to the first
trick. The trumps must be sorted so that the other players can easily see what is there. The excuse can be
counted as a trump in a poigne, but if the excuse is shown, this indicates that the player does not have
any other trumps concealed. The bonus is counted for the team who wins the hand, so if you declare a
poigne and then lose, you have given the bonus points to the other side. A poigne is only scored if it is
declared. It is not compulsory to declare a poigne when you have one; if you hold 10 or more trumps
but are not confident that your side will win you may be wiser not to mention it.
Petit au bout
This is a bonus which occurs if the 1 of trump is played in the last trick. In this case the team that takes
the last trick wins the bonus (10 points).
Chelem
Chelem (= Slam) is a bonus for taking all the tricks. The score depends on whether it was announced in
advance:
Chelem annonc: the team (the taker normally) announces chelem before the beginning of the
play, and leads to the first trick. The bonus is 400 points if they succeed in winning every trick and
-200 points penalty if they fail).
Chelem non annonc: the team wins all the tricks without having announced it. They get a bonus
of 200 points.
If one side has won all the tricks except the last, and then leads the excuse to the last trick, the excuse
wins. This special rule, which probably comes up about once in a lifetime, allows a chelem to be made
by a player with the excuse. When making a chelem with the excuse in this way, it counts as petit au bout
if you win the 1 of trumps in the second last trick.

The scoring
At the end of the hand, the taker counts his card points and the opposing team pool their tricks and count
their card points. The six chien cards are added to the taker's tricks, unless the bid was "Garde contre le
chien", in which case the chien cards are added to the opponents' tricks. The taker wins if he has enough
card points, depending on the number of bouts in his tricks.
The amount of points won or lost by the taker is calculated as follows:

25 points for the game
plus the difference beetween the card points the taker actually won and the minimum number of
points he needed (pt).
the petit au bout bonus is added or subtracted if applicable (pb)
This total is multiplied by a factor (mu) depending on the bid:

Petite (Prise) x 1
Garde x 2
Garde sans le chien x 4
Garde contre le chien x 6
The following bonuses are then added or subtracted if they apply; they are not affected by the multiplier:
the poigne bonus (pg)
the chelem bonus (ch)
The calculation of the score, expressed as a formula, is: ((25 + pt + pb) * mu) + pg + ch
The calculated points are either won by the taker from all three opponents or lost by the taker to all three
opponents. The opponents always win or lose equally: for example if one of them wins petit au bout they
all benefit.
Example of scoring:
A B C D
Hand #1 240 -80 -80 -80
Hand #2 144 208 -176 -176
Hand #3 216 280 -392 -104
Hand #4 186 250 -302 -134
Hand #5 108 172 -380 100
Hand #1: A bids garde and has 56 card points with 2 bouts. Each other player gives (25 + 15) * 2 = 80
points to A.
Hand #2: B bids garde, has 49 card points with 3 bouts and takes the last trick with the 1 of trump. Each
other player gives (25 + 13 + 10 )* 2 = 96 points to B.
Hand #3: C bids garde, has 40 card points with 2 bouts and the other team takes the last trick with the 1

of trump. C gives (25 + 1 + 10) * 2 = 72 points to each other player.

Hand #4: C bids garde with 3 bouts, and takes 41 card points, but the other team captures his 1 of trumps
in the last trick. C now only has two bouts in tricks so his target score becomes 41. Each other player
gives (25 + 0 - 10) * 2 = 30 points to C.
Hand #5: D bids garde, has 40 card points with 3 bouts and the other team declares a poigne of 10
trumps. Each other player gives (25 + 4) * 2 + 20 = 78 points to D.
Note: to make the addition easier, some players prefer to round all the scores to the nearest 5 or 10
points.
Tarot for Three Players

The game is essentially the same as with four players. Each player is dealt 24 cards, in packets of 4.
Because the hands are larger the number of trumps needed for a poigne is increased: single 13; double
15; triple 18.
Because the tricks contain an odd number of cards, there will sometimes be an odd half card point when
counting. This is rounded in favour of the taker if he wins, and in favour of the opponents if he loses. If
the taker is half a point short of the target, the bid is lost by one card point.
Tarot for Five Players

Each player is dealt 15 cards, so there are only 3 cards in the chien. The number of trumps needed for a
poigne is reduced: single 8; double 10; triple 13. Half card points are treated as in the three player game.
With five players, there are two teams. Before exposing the talon, the taker calls a king and the player
who has that card plays as the partner of the taker; the other three players play as a team against them. If
the taker has all four kings, he may call a queen. The holder of the called king must not say anything to
give away the fact that he has it. The identity of the taker's partner is only revealed when the called king
is played, though it may be suspected earlier from the fact that the holder of the king will try to help the
taker. If the called king (or queen) is found to be in the chien or in the hand of the taker, then the taker
plays alone against four opponents.
Many people play that when the taker has a partner, the taker pays or receives double, while the partner
and the three opponents pay or receive singly. Others play that the taker and partner split the gain or loss
equally between them, which is more awkward, because it can lead to fractional scores. If the taker plays
alone, the taker's win or loss will of course be four times that of each opponent.
Note on Poigne
Whatever the number of players, you can remember the minimum number of trumps needed for a
Poigne as follows: you have a Poigne if more than half of the cards in your hand are trumps.

Variations
Other variants for five players:
1. Each player is dealt 14 cards and there are 8 cards in the chien but the taker is alone. This variant is
very rarely played.
2. The dealer doesn't take part in the hand but deals to the other four players who play as in the four
handed game. If everyone passes the same dealer redeals until someone bids.
In the five player game with calling a king, some people play that you are not allowed to lead the suit of
the called king in the first trick, except that if the holder of the king happens to be on lead, the king itself
may be led.
Variations in the bidding

There used to be a bid between petite and garde called pousse; the conditions are the same but the score
is different - some players still allow this. On the other hand some play without petite, so that the lowest
bid is garde.
Petit imprenable
Some play that a player dealt the petit (1 of trumps) alone (i.e. not holding any other trumps or the
excuse) does not have to cancel the hand, but instead can declare "petit imprenable" (untouchable one).
The player then plays the petit as though it were another excuse - it loses the trick, but the player keeps
the card. Practice varies as to whether "petit imprenable" is declared immediately after the deal, when the
player plays to the first trick, or not until the petit itself is played.
Some play that a player who is dealt the excuse but no other trumps is also allowed to cancel the hand.
Bonuses
The following bonuses are allowed by some players:
misre
- a bonus if you have no trumps or no court cards, worth 10 points
petit chelem
- a bonus for making nearly all the tricks - all except one or all except three, as agreed by the
players
Some people require the declarations to be made before the first lead, rather than at declarer's first turn to
play.

Scoring
Apart from the tournament scoring given in the main account, there are many alternative scoring system
in use. For example:
80 for Garde; 160 for Garde Sans; 320 for Garde Contre; 500 for a petit chelem; 1000 for a grand
chelem; card points above or below those needed for the contract rounded to the nearest 10; no
multiplying factors; other scores as above.
Another version: petite x1, garde x2, garde sans x4, garde contre x5; grand chelem wins 400 if
announced and made, loses 200 if announced and lost, wins 200 if made without announcement; petit
chelem (all but one trick) 300 if announced and made, loses 150 if announced and lost, no score if made
without announcement.
When playing with the pousse bid, the multipliers may be: petite x1, pousse x2, garde x4, garde sans x8,
garde contre x12.
Poignes may score: single 10, double 20, triple 40.
French Tarot used to be played with pools (mouches). This method is a little cumbersome and has been
dropped for club and tournament play, but it may still be encountered in informal games. At the
beginning of the game, and subsequently whenever there are no mouches, everyone pays an equal
amount (say 10) to form a mouche, and the dealer adds an extra 5. A player who wins a contract takes the
largest mouche; a declarer who loses pays into a new mouche equal in size to the largest mouche. At the
beginning of each deal, the dealer adds 5 to (one of the) largest mouche(s). When playing with mouches
there may be no base payment for the game - only for the card points won in excess of the minimum
needed.
Direction of play
A few people play the entire game clockwise rather than anticlockwise.
Tarot for Two Players

This section is based on a contribution from Maxence Crossley
The game is basically the same as for four players, but each player has 21 cards in hand plus 18 more on
the table in six piles of three, each pile having the top card face up.
The deal is as follows: three cards one by one to your opponent, face down, side by side; then three cards
to yourself, similarly; then three more to your opponent alongside the first three cards and three more to
yourself. At this point there is a row of six cards face down in front of each player. Now repeat the
process, dealing the new cards on top of the old ones, so that each player has six face-down piles of two
cards. Then do the same again, but dealing the cards face up on top of the piles, so that each player has
six piles of three cards with a face up card on top. The remaining cards are dealt out three at a time to the
two players, so that each has a hand of 21 cards.
There is no bidding. The non-dealer leads, and the play continues under the usual rules - i.e. you must

follow suit and trump if void, and when a trump is led it must be beaten if possible. The face-up cards on
your piles can be played to tricks as though they were part of your hand. At the end of each trick, if you
have played from a pile you turn the next card of that pile face up. At the end of the play, when both
players have played all the cards from their hands and their piles, the winner is determined using the
usual targets - for example if you have two bouts and your opponent has one, you win if you have 41 or
more points and your opponent needs 51 or more to win. If you want to keep score, the winner gets 25
points plus one for each card point the winner has in excess of the target. If the petit is played to the last
trick, the winner of the trick scores an extra 10 for petit au bout. There is no score for poignee.
Other French Tarot WWW sites

Here is the web page of the official Tarot organisation in France: La Fdration Franaise de Tarot.
Maurice Doury's French language site Vous avez dit tarot! has not only rules but also information on
organisation and tournaments in France, and some help on the tactics of the game, including hand
valuation, playing technique and methods of signalling. There are also further links to other Tarot sites
and software.
The Comit Ile-de-France de Tarot site has many links including the official rules, and several pages on
tactics (in French).
La page des jeux de tarot has a collection of links to French language rules of Tarot, as well reviews of
Tarot computer software with links.
Jean-Franois Bustarret's Tarot page has rules in French.
Fabrice's web site (in French) includes a section on Tarot with rules, strategies, on-line tournaments and a
section in which a game of Tarot is played at the rate of one card every 2 or 3 days, with discussion on
the best play at each stage.
Rules in French can be also found on Sylvain Lhullier's page rgles du jeu de tarot. Unfortunately this
page begins with two historical errors: that playing-cards arrived in Europe in the 10th century, and that
the earliest European cards were Tarot cards (the same misinformation is included in the rule leaflets
produced by the Fdration Franaise de Tarot).
V & V Beuselinck's Taroscopie site contains an electronic book of Tarot rules, strategy and organisation
of clubs and tournaments, which can be viewed on-line or downloaded.
The Tarot Pro computer program by Patrick Coscas is available from his Recreasoft web site.
Daniel Bonniot's free Objective Tarot program for Windows 95 and NT is availaible from his page.
Here is a link to the web site for Jean-Pierre Grillon's Tarot program.
Franois Uhrich has written a Tarot program for the Macintosh.

Card images used with permission of France Cartes


Rules of Card Games: German Solo
German Solo
This game is generally just known as Solo. It originated in Germany as a simplified version of l'Hombre,
and is described in some American books as "Modern Ombre". It is little known in Germany nowadays,
but is still played in parts of the USA.
The name German Solo is used on this page to distinguish this game from various other games called
Solo, such as:
Solo Whist - a descendant of Boston Whist played in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Six-bid Solo (or Slough) - an ace-ten game also played in the USA.
German Solo is played with a 32 card pack consisting A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each suit. There are four
players, each ultimately playing for themselves, though temporary partnerships are created by the
bidding.
The relation to l'Hombre can be seen from the fact that the highest trump ( Q) and third highest trump (
Q) are fixed, and the second highest trump is the card that would normally be lowest in the trump suit,
namely the seven.
Further details can be found on the page The Complete Guide to the Rules of Solo.

http://www.pagat.com/lhombre/solo.html [04/05/2001 9:51:05]

Rules of Card Games: German Whist
German Whist
This page is partly based on a contribution from Alan Holdsworth.
Introduction
German Whist is an adaptation of classic Whist for two players. There is nothing German about it - as far
as I know it is of British origin.
Players and Cards

This is a game for two players only, using a standard pack of 52 cards ranked A(high) K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5
4 3 2 (low) in each suit.
Deal
The players agree who should deal first, and the turn to deal alternates after each hand. The deal is 13
cards each, dealt one at a time. The stock of undealt cards is placed on the table, face-down except for the
top card which is turned face-up and placed on top of the stock. The suit of this face-up card is the trump
suit for the hand.
Play
The play is in tricks and consists of two stages: in the first stage the players compete to win good cards
from the stock to add to their hand; in the second stage, when the stock is empty, the object is to win the
majority of the tricks. The non-dealer leads (plays the first card) to the first trick.
A trick consists of one card played by each player. The person who plays first to a trick may play any
card, and the other player must play a card of the same suit if possible. Having no cards of the suit led,
the second player may play any card. If both cards are of the same suit, the higher card wins the trick. If
they are of different suits the first player wins unless the second player played a trump, in which case the
trump wins.
When you win a trick you must take the face-up card from the top of the stock and add it to your hand.
The loser then takes the next card of the stock, which is face-down, without showing it to the winner, so
that both players again have 13 cards in their hands. The two cards played to the trick are turned face
down and set aside, the top card of the remaining stock is turned face-up and the winner of the trick just
played leads a card to the next one.
Play continues in this way until, after 13 tricks have been played, there are no cards left in the stock. The
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Rules of Card Games: German Whist
winner of the 13th trick leads, and the play continues without replenishment until after 13 more tricks
both players run out of cards. In this second stage each player keeps the tricks they won in front of them,
and whoever wins the majority of the 13 tricks of this second stage wins the hand.
Tactics
Notice that tricks won in the first stage do not count towards winning the game; the sole aim in the first
stage is to collect cards that will enable you to win the majority of tricks in the second stage. Therefore
you only try to win a trick if you judge that the exposed card on top of the stock is likely to be better than
the card underneath it. For example if hearts are trumps and the exposed card is the 5 you would
definitely try to lose the trick, as the next card is likely to be better. Even if the exposed card is average
(say the J) you would not use a high card to win it, as all this would achieve would be to replace a
high card in your hand by an average one.

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Rules of Card Games: Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy
This page is based on a contribution from Magnus, with additional material from John McLeod.
Introduction
The Deck
The Deal
Object of the Game
The Play
Knocking
Scoring
Variations
Oklahoma Gin
Playing with 3 or 4 players
Other Gin Rummy pages
Software and Servers
Introduction
Gin Rummy is one of the most popular forms of rummy. The game is generally played by two players,
each receiving ten cards.
Note: I have been told that among some players the name Gin Rummy is fact refers to not to the game
described below, but to the game which is called 500 Rum on this web site.
The Deck
One standard deck of 52 cards is used. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high:
Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen King.
The cards have values as follows:
Face cards (K,Q,J) 10 points
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Ace 1 point
Number cards are worth their spot (index) value.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal alternates between the players. Each player is
dealt ten cards, one at a time. The twenty-first card is turned face up to start the discard pile and the
remainder of the deck is placed face down beside it to form the stock. The players look at and sort their
cards.
Object of the Game

The object of the game is to arrange as many as possible of the ten cards in your hand into sets. There are
two kinds of sets: sequences and groups.
a sequence consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as 4, 5,
6 or 8, 9, 10, J.
a group is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.
A card can belong to only one set at a time - you cannot use the same card as part of both a group and a
sequence.
Play
A normal turn consists of two parts:
1. The Draw. You must begin by taking one card from either the top of the stock pile or the top card
on the discard pile, and adding it to your hand. The discard pile is face up, so you can see in
advance what you are getting. The stock is face down, so if you choose to draw from the stock you
do not see the card until after you have committed yourself to take it. If you draw from the stock,
you add the card to your hand without showing it to the other players.
2. The Discard To complete your turn, one card must be discarded from your hand and placed on
top of the discard pile face up. If you took the top card from the discard pile, you must discard a
different card - taking the top discard and putting the same card back is not permitted.
For the first turn of the hand, the draw is done in a special way. First, the person who did not deal
chooses whether to take the turned up-card. If the non-dealer declines it, the dealer may take the card. If
both players refuse the turned-up card, the non-dealer draws the top card from the stock pile. Whichever
player took a card completes their turn by discarding and then it is the other player's turn to play.
Knocking
The play ends when a player knocks. This can be done on any turn (including the first), immediately
after drawing, provided that you can form sufficient of your cards into sets. Having knocked, you
complete your turn by discarding one card as usual and then spreading your remaining cards face up on

the table, arranged as far as possible into groups and sequences. Any remaining cards from your hand
which are not part of a set are called unmatched cards or deadwood. In order to be allowed to knock,
the total value of your unmatched cards must be ten points or less. Knocking with no unmatched cards at
all is called going gin, and earns a special bonus.
You are never forced to knock. A player who is able to knock may choose instead to carry on playing, to
try to get a better score.
The opponent of the player who knocked must then spread their cards face-up, arranging them into sets
where possible. Provided that the knocker did not go gin, the opponent is also allowed to lay off any
unmatched cards by using them to extend the sets laid down by the knocker - by adding a fourth card of
the same rank to a group of three, or further consecutive cards of the same suit to either end of a
sequence.
If a player goes gin, the opponent is not allowed to lay off any cards.
Note that the knocker is never allowed to lay off cards on the oppponent's sets.
The play also ends if the stock pile is reduced to two cards, and the player who took the third last card
discards without knocking. In this case the hand is cancelled, there is no score, and the same dealer deals
again.
Scoring
Each player counts the total value of their unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, the knocker
scores the difference between the two counts.
If the knocker did not go gin, and the counts are equal, or the knocker's count is greater than that of the
opponent, the knocker has been undercut. In this case the knocker's opponent scores the difference
between the counts plus a 10 point bonus.
A player who goes gin scores a bonus 20 points, plus the opponent's count in unmatched cards, if any. A
player who goes gin can never be undercut. Even if the other player has no unmatched cards at all, the
knocker gets the 20 point bonus the other player scores nothing.
The game continues with further deals until one player's cumulative score reaches 100 points or more.
This player then receives an additional bonus of 100 points. If the loser failed to score anything at all
during the game, then the winner's bonus is 200 points rather than 100.
In addition, each player adds a further 20 points for each hand they won. This is called the line bonus or
box bonus. These additional points cannot be counted as part of the 100 needed to win the game.
After the bonuses have been added, the player with the lower score pays the player with the higher score
an amount proportional to the difference between their scores.

Variations
Some players begin the game differently: the non-dealer receives 11 cards and the dealer 10, and no card
is turned up. The non-dealer's first turn is simply to discard a card, after which the dealer takes a normal
turn, drawing the discard or from the stock, and play alternates as usual.
Some people play that the bonus for going gin is 25 (rather than 20) and the bonus for an undercut is 20
(rather than 10). Some play that the bonus for an undercut, the bonus for going gin, and the box bonus for
each game won are all 25 points.
Many people play that if a player goes gin, the opponent is not allowed to lay off any cards on the
knocker's sets.
Some play that if you pick up your opponent's discard you are not allowed to discard the same card that
you just picked up. You have to discard a different card, keeping the discard you picked up in your hand
at least until your next turn; you can discard it then or later if you wish to.
Some play that if the loser failed to score during the whole game, the winner's entire score is doubled
(rather than just doubling the 100 game bonus to 200).
Oklahoma Gin
In this popular variation the value of the original face up card determines the maximum count of
unmatched cards with which it is possible to knock. Pictures denote 10 as usual. So if a seven is turned
up, in order to knock you must reduce your count to 7 or fewer.
If the original face up card is a spade, the final score for that deal (including any undercut or gin bonus)
is doubled.
The target score for winning Oklahoma Gin is generally set at 150 rather than 100.
Some play that if an ace is turned up you may only knock if you can go gin.
Some play that a player who undercuts the knocker scores an extra box in addition to the undercut
bonus. Also a player who goes gin scores two extra boxes. These extra boxes are recorded on the
scorepad; they do not count towards winning the game, but at the end of the game they translate into 20
or 25 points each, along with the normal boxes for hands won. If the up-card was a spade, you get two
extra boxes for an undercut and four extra boxes for going gin.
Playing with 3 or 4 Players.

When three people play gin rummy, the dealer deals to the other two players but does not take part in the
play. The loser of each hand deals the next, which is therefore played between the winner and the dealer
of the previous hand.
Four people can play as two partnerships. In this case, each player in a team plays a separate game with
one of the opposing pair. Players alternate opponents, but stay in the same teams. At the end of each
hand, if both players on a team won, the team scores the total of their points. If one player from each

team won, the team with the higher score scores the difference. The first team whose cumulative score
reaches 125 points or more wins.
Other Gin Rummy pages

The Gin Rummy Association's Gin Rummy Tournaments page has information about forthcoming Gin
Rummy events.
Software and Servers

Gin Rummy software:
Freeverse software have a Gin Rummy game for Macintosh computers
Gin Rummy Pro, written by Patrick Coscas, is available from his Recreasoft web site.
Ultimate Gin and Ultimate Gin II are available from Accidental Software
Cybersym's Dynamic Gin is a shareware Gin Rummy program for Windows 95.
A shareware Gin Rummy program can be downloaded from Meggiesoft.
Special K Software's Gin Rummy program is available from http://www.dezzanet.net.au/~gmckay
and from http://www.geocities.com/heartland/forest/8063.
Servers for playing Gin Rummy on-line:

The IPlay server offer Gin Rummy and other games.
Bill Hale's Java Gin Rummy program allows you to play on line against a computer opponent
using a Java enabled web browser.
The Igames server allows you to play on-line against a live opponent.
Net Gin Rummy, which allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a human
opponent over the Internet, LAN, modem or direct connection, is available from NetIntellGames.
Yahoo! Games
Sancho's Video Casino includes webTV compatible Gin Rummy and Hollywood Gin games to
play on-line against the computer


Rules of Card Games: Gleek
Gleek
This three player game was popular in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. The name must be related
to the German gleich (equal); a gleek in this game is a set of three equal cards, and four of a kind is
called a mournival.
Gleek was a fairly elaborate game in four main stages:
1. bid for the right to improve your hand by discarding cards and replacing them from the stock;
2. vie (bet) for who has the best ruff (longest suit);
3. declare your gleeks and mournivals;
4. play the cards in tricks; each trick scores and certain trumps have an additional value.
A full reconstruction can be found on the Gleek page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games site.
A Gleek computer program is available from the Tommy's Toys site.

http://www.pagat.com/pointtrk/gleek.html [04/05/2001 9:51:15]

Rules of Card Games: Golden Ten
Golden Ten
This is a game for 3 to 7 players, related to Hearts, played with a Rook deck of 56 cards. The cards are of
four colors: red, yellow, blue and black. In each color there are cards numbered from 14 (high) to 1
(low). The aim is to avoid wnning tricks containing red cards (especially the 5 and 10), while trying to
win the trick containing the yellow 10 if you can.
Deal and play are clockwise. The dealer deals out the cards, one at a time, as far as they will go so that
each player has equally many. With 3, 5 or 6 players there will be one or two cards left over; these are
taken by the winner of the first trick.
The player to dealer's left leads to the first trick. When playing to a trick you must if possible play a card
of the same color as the led card. If you have no cards of this color you may play any card. Whoever
plays the highest card of the color that was led wins the trick and leads to the next.
When all the cards have been played each player counts the value of the cards in their tricks. Each red
card in your tricks counts 1 point against you, except for the five which counts 5 against you and the ten
which counts 10 against you. The 10 of yellow is called the Golden Ten and it reduces your red card
penalties by 10 points; if you had fewer than 10 red penalty points, the Golden 10 reduces them to zero.
A game consists of six deals, the turn to deal passing to the left after each hand. The player with the
lowest cumulative score of penalty points wins the game.

Last updated 21st November 1998
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Rules of Card Games: Gong Zhu
Gong Zhu
Introduction
The Play
Values of Cards
Exposing Cards
Scoring
Variations
Other Gong Zhu WWW Sites
Introduction
This is a Chinese version of Hearts, which was taught to me by Guo Juan. It is popular with Chinese
Weiqi (Go) players when relaxing between tournament games.
An approximate English translation of the name of the game is Chase the Pig: zhu means pig or boar and
gong is to root out, or force out of hiding. In the game, the queen of spades is a penalty card, known as
the pig - players may try to drive out the pig by leading spades; also the loser of the game is known as
the pig, and may be required to grovel under the table as a penalty.

The game is for four or five players using a standard 52 card pack. The cards in each suit rank from high
to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Four can play as individuals or as partners - partners sit opposite.
When 5 play it is necessary to take out two cards - the twos of clubs and diamonds. At the beginning of
the hand all the cards are dealt out equally to the players. Unlike in Western Hearts, there is no passing of
cards. Everyone plays with the cards they are dealt.
The Play
The play is in tricks. There are no trumps. In the first hand the holder of the two of spades leads to the
first trick; in subsequent hands, the player who took the pig (queen of spades) on the previous hand leads
to the first trick.
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Any card may be led (there is no restriction on leading hearts or spades). Players must follow suit if
possible. If you cannot follow suit you may play any card. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit
led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
Values of cards
The object is to take or avoid taking in tricks particular cards which carry a penalty or bonus to the
person who wins them. The scoring cards are as follows:
Card Score
Queen of spades (pig) -100
Ace of hearts -50
King of hearts -40
Queen of hearts -30
Jack of hearts -20
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 of hearts -10 each
4, 3, 2 of hearts 0 each
Jack of diamonds (sheep) +100
In addition the ten of clubs counts +50 if the player who takes it takes no other scoring cards. If the
player does take other scoring cards, the ten of clubs counts nothing in itself, but doubles the value of all
other scoring cards taken. Note that the 4, 3 and 2 of hearts are scoring cards, even though they score
zero, so the ten of clubs plus the three of hearts score twice zero which is zero.
If one player takes all the hearts, they score +200 instead of -200. Note that it is necessary to take the 4,
3 and 2 of hearts to get this plus score, but you don't need the pig (queen of spades). If a player takes all
the hearts and the pig as well, then the score for the pig becomes +100, making a total of +300. The
sheep (jack of diamonds) is still worth a further +100 to a player who takes all the hearts.
During the play, the hearts, pig, sheep and ten of clubs are kept face up in front of the players who take
them in tricks. All the other cards played to tricks are turned face down when the trick is complete, and
are kept in a single heap.
Exposing cards
There are four cards which may be exposed by their holders before the start of play: ace of hearts, queen
of spades, jack of diamonds, ten of clubs.
The effect of exposing a card is basically to double its value. Specifically:

Ace of hearts exposed

All hearts are worth double. If a player takes all the hearts this will therefore be worth +400
instead of +200.
Queen of spades exposed
The pig is worth -200 instead of -100 (or +200 to a player who takes all the hearts)
Jack of diamonds exposed
The sheep is worth +200 instead of +100.
Ten of clubs exposed
The ten of clubs quadruples the value of all scoring cards taken by the same player instead of
doubling them. Therefore if the ten of clubs and pig are both exposed and the same player takes
both, that player gets -800 (4 x -200). If the player who takes the exposed ten of clubs gets no
other scoring cards it is worth +100 rather then +50.
If you expose a card, you are not allowed to play it to the first trick in which that suit is led, unless you
have no other cards of that suit. For example, if you expose the queen of spades, then the first time that
someone leads a spade you are not allowed to play the queen if you have other spades. The other players
can take advantage of this to get rid of their ace and king of spades safely on the first trick of the suit -
safe, that is, unless you have sneakily exposed the queen of spades having no other spades.
If you lead the suit of your exposed card yourself, and the suit has not been led before, then you must not
lead the exposed card itself unless it is the only card you have in that suit.
Scoring
Keep a cumulative total of each player's score - positive or negative. When a player reaches minus 1000
they have lost, and a new game is started. The penalty for losing is that you are a pig; you are given a
long narrow strip of paper and you must put one end in your mouth; the strip of paper hangs there until
someone else loses a game, at which time you can give it to them. On the other hand, if you lose again,
you get another strip of paper to hang from your mouth.
In addition, as previously mentioned, the loser may also be required to grovel under the table.
Variations
The following variation was contributed by Theodore Hwa. The game is as described above, with the
following differences:
1. Value of hearts: The hearts 10, 9, 8, ..., 2 are scored the negative of their face value, except for the
4 of hearts which is -10 instead of -4 (this exception is made so that the total of all the hearts
remains -200).
2. When any player takes all the hearts, the values of the pig and sheep are interchanged for all
players for that deal. That is, if one player takes all the hearts and someone else takes the pig, then
the player who took the pig scores +100 for it, etc. The pig and sheep always cancel each other
out, even for the player who took all the hearts.

3. A player who takes all the point cards (all hearts, queen of spades, jack of diamonds, ten of clubs)
scores +1000.
4. If any player reaches -1000 exactly at the end of a deal, the game still ends, but that player's score
is converted to +1000.
5. There is no option to expose cards to double their score.
In rec.games.playing-cards, jp described a variation played by Chinese students at CU Boulder. They
called it "Catch the Pig". They played as in the main account except that you could double the value of
the key cards (pig, sheep, ten of clubs or ace of hearts for hearts) by putting them "up for sale" face
down, or quadruple their value by putting them face up.
Jun Qian has contributed the following variations:
Some play that if you are dealt an exposable card as the first card of your hand and you expose it
before seeing your other cards, the effect is doubled. For example a pig exposed as your first card
is worth -400, and a club ten exposed as your first card multiplies the value of all your scoring
cards by eight.
Some play that if you expose the sheep it becomes a negative card, worth -200, or in some circles
-400.
Some play that if you take all the hearts, the pig and the sheep, all these cards become positive.
This is called Zhu Yang Man Juan (catch pig and sheep in hand). If you take all the hearts and the
pig, but not the sheep, the pig remains negative.
Other Gong Zhu WWW Sites

Here are two Gong Zhu servers through which you can play on line against live opponents:
http://pc-680a.cis.ohio-state.edu/pig/
http://bogart.Colorado.EDU/~hand/

Last updated 1st December 1998

Rules of Card Games: Tute
Tute
This page is partly based on information from Luis Fernando Gimnez and John Williamson and also
draws on descriptions of Tute in several books, such as:
- Juegos de Naipes Espaoles (Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, 1972)
- Carmia Verdejo: Juegos de Cartas (Salvat, 1995)
- Jos L Nez Elvira: El gran libro de los juegos de cartas (Martinez Roca, Barcelona, 1990)
Introduction
The Cards
Partnership Tute (4 players)
The deal
The play
Singing
Scoring
Variations
Individual Tute (2 or 3 players)
Tute corriente (2 players)
Tute habanero (2 players)
Tute arrastrado (3 or 4 players)
Tute subastado (3 or 4 players)
Tute gana-pierde (3, 4 or 5 players)
Guiote (2 to 5 players)
Introduction
Tute is one of the most popular card games of Spain, and also in some Latin American countries. It is a
point-trick game with trumps of the "marriage" type. There are several versions, all with the same basic
structure of trick taking and card values, but adapted for different numbers of players, and in some cases
with the extra complication of bidding. The game for four players in two fixed partnerships will be
described first, then versions for other numbers of players.
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The Cards
For Tute, a standard Spanish pack of 40 cards is used. The suits and the rank and value of the cards in
each suit are as follows:
Suit Symbol Rank Point value

Ace (as) 11
Swords (espadas) Three (tres) 10
King (rey) 4
Horse (caballo) 3
Batons (bastos)
Jack (sota) 2
Seven (siete) 0
Cups (copas) Six (seis) 0
Five (cinco) 0
Coins (oros) Four (cuatro) 0

Two (dos) 0
It can be seen that there are 120 card points in the pack altogether (30 in each of the four suits). In
addition to these, 10 points are awarded for winning the last trick, bringing the total available to 130, and
further points can be scored by a player who holds the king and horse of the same suit.
In each deal one suit is designated as the trump suit, all of whose cards can beat any card of the other
three suits. In most forms of the game the trump suit is determined by turning a card face up during the
deal - this card is called "la carta que pinta" (the card that paints).
Partnership Tute
The deal
The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The dealer
shuffles the cards, the player to dealer's left cuts, and then all the cards are dealt out one at a time, face
down, starting with the player to dealer's right and continuing anticlockwise, so that each player has 10
cards.
The last card of the pack, which belongs to the dealer, is turned face up, and the suit of this card is
trumps. This card is part of the dealer's hand. When the other players have seen it the dealer can pick it
up and play it in the same way as the other cards.

The Play
The cards are played out in tricks, the object being to win tricks containing high-value cards. The
direction of play is anticlockwise; the player to dealer's right leads to the first trick.
Any card may be led. If possible, the other players must follow suit - that is, play a card of the same suit
that was led. Subject to the necessity of following suit, players are also obliged to play a card which beats
the best card so far played to the trick is they can. This means that:
if you are able to follow suit, and no one has yet played a trump to the trick, you must play a card
which beats the highest card of the led suit that has been played to the trick so far;
if you are unable to follow suit, and no one has yet played a trump to the trick, you must play a
trump if you have one;
if you are unable to follow suit, and a trump has already been played to the trick, you must play a
trump which beats the highest trump so far played to the trick if you can.
On the other hand, if you are unable to beat the best card in the trick, you have no obligation except to
follow suit. This means that:
if you are able to follow suit but unable to beat the highest card of the led suit played, you may
play any card of the led suit;
if a non-trump was led and the trick has been trumped, but you can follow suit, you may play any
card of the led suit;
if a non-trump was led and the trick has been trumped, but you have no cards of the suit led and no
trumps which beat the highest trump on the table, you may play any card you wish (there is no
obligation to trump in this case);
if a trump was led and you cannot beat the highest trump played to the trick, you must still follow
suit with a trump, but can play any trump you wish;
if you have no card of the suit led and no trumps you may play any card you wish.
If no trumps were played, the trick is won by the highest card of the suit was led. If anyone trumped it is
won by the highest trump played. The cards of the completed tricks are kept face down in front of one of
the members of the team that won the trick. The winner of the trick leads to the next.
Singing (los cnticos)

A player who holds in hand the king and horse of the same suit can score extra points by declaring
("singing") them, and showing the two cards. The king and horse of a non-trump suit are worth 20 points,
and the king and horse of trumps are worth 40. When declaring a 20 you also mention the suit - for
example "20 in cups" (veinte en copas). When declaring 40 it is not necessary to mention the suit (as it
must be the trump suit).
You are only allowed to sing immediately after winning a trick. Before leading to the next you can
declare one king-horse combination which you have in your hand. If you have more than one such
combination you must win another trick before you are allowed to declare another. If you want to declare
a 40 and a 20, you must declare the 40 first. It is illegal for a player to declare a 40 having previously
declared a 20.

Scoring
When all the cards have been played, each team counts the points in the tricks they have won. The team
which won the last trick counts 10 points extra (called diez de ltimas or diez de monte), and any team
which has declared any 20's or 40's adds in these points as well.
The team which has more points in total wins the game. If there is a tie the team that won the last trick
wins.
It is usual to agree to play a series of games - say six or eight. The team which wins more games wins the
match, and the losers pay for the drinks. Sometimes it is agreed that the match should continue until the
winning team is ahead of the losing team by a margin of two games.
Variations
A tute is a combination of all four kings or all four horses held in one hand. Some play that a player who
has a tute can declare it after winning a trick, and this declaration wins the game.
Some play that the partner of a player who wins a trick can also sing. It is then possible that both partners
will sing after the same trick, but each player can only sing one 20 or 40 at a time.
Some play that if a team wins with 101 or more points, they win two games instead of one.
Individual Tute
Luis Fernando Gimnez describes the following version of Tute for three or two players playing as
individuals.
The dealer deals 10 cards to each player, one at a time. The next card is placed face up to determine the
trump suit and the remaining undealt cards form a stock which is placed face down across the trump
card, leaving its rank and value visible. After each trick, each player, beginning with the winner of the
trick and going around anticlockwise, draws a card from the stock without showing it to the other
players. In the two-player game the trump is drawn as the last card of the stock; in the three player game
the face-down stock is exhausted after three tricks and the face-up trump is left on the table. After the
stock is exhausted the players continue playing from the cards in their hands.
The remaining rules and the scoring are the same as when playing with partners, except that each of the
players counts their points separately and the player who has most wins.
The players descide at the beginning how long they want to play (number of games or length of time). At
the end of the session the player who has won the most games is the overall winner.
Tute corriente
The books say that this two-player game is the oldest form of Tute. Six cards are dealt to each player, and
the thirteenth card is placed face up on the table and determines the trump suit. The remaining stock is
placed face down across the face-up trump. The non-dealer leads to the first trick.

Until the stock is exhausted, there is no requirement to follow suit, overtake or trump - the second player
to a trick may play any card. The winner of the trick draws the top card of the stock without showing it,
the other player draws the next card, and the winner of the trick then leads to the next. The face up trump
will be taken as the last card of the stock. When there are no stock cards left, the play continues as before
except that the second player to each trick is obliged to follow suit and to beat the led card if possible,
and if holding no card of the suit led to play a trump if possible.
A player who has just won a trick can sing one 40 or 20. Declaring a 20 does not debar you from
declaring a 40 later. If immediately after winning a trick you hold 4 kings or 4 horses (a tute) you can
sing them and win the game.
If the face-up trump is an ace, three or picture card it can be exchanged for the trump seven. If it is a 4, 5,
6 or 7 it can be exchanged for the trump 2. If you wish to exchange you must notify your opponent by
placing your trump two or seven under the face-up trump. Then the next time after that that you win a
trick (assuming that you do win a trick before the stock is exhausted), you can add the face-up trump to
your hand. If you win no tricks before the face-up trump is drawn from the stock, then you simply take
your two or seven back.
After all the cards have been played each player counts the points won for cards in tricks, singing and the
ten for last. 101 or more points are needed to win. If neither player has as many as this a second deal is
played, dealt by the player who scored the 10 for last in the first deal. The points won in the second deal
are added to those won in the first. As soon as you believe you have 101 or more points you can claim to
have won. If your claim is correct you win, but if you claim and it turns out that you have fewer than 101
points you lose (irrespective of how many points your opponent has).
Tute habanero
This is another two player game. The rules are the same as for tute corriente except for the following:
1. Eight cards are dealt to each player, instead of six.
2. There is an alternative way of winning, called capote. At the moment when the stock is exhausted,
if you think you can win all of the last eight tricks, you can announce this. If you succeed you win,
irrespective of the number of points taken by either player. On the other hand if you lose even one
of the last eight tricks after announcing capote, your opponent wins the game.
Tute americano
This is another two player game. The rules are the same as for tute corriente except for the following:
1. Eight cards are dealt to each player instead of six.
2. Declarations of tute (4 kings or 4 horses) are not valid.
3. During the first part of the game, while there are cards in the stock, if a trump is led you must play
a trump (but need not overtake the lead). If a non-trump is led you may play any card. If you fail to
play a trump on a trump lead, then you must keep separate all cards that you subsequently draw
from the stock, so that you can demonstrate to your opponent that you had no trumps at the time

when you failed to follow suit, any trumps you eventually acquire having been picked up later.
When the stock is exhausted you must follow suit, beat the led card, and trump if you have none of
the suit, as usual.
4. The winner is the first player to score 121 or more points.
Tute arrastrado
This is a game for three players, though often four play with the dealer sitting out of each hand.
Thirteen cards are dealt to each player and the last card is turned face-up to determine the trump suit. If it
is higher than 7, it can be exchanged for the trump 7; if it is a 7, 6, 5 or 4 it can be exchanged for the
trump 2. The holder of the trump 7 or 2 makes the exchange before the lead to the first trick.
The player to dealer's right leads and the rules of play are the same as in partnership tute, as is the
singing. Tute (4 kings or 4 horses) is valid - a player who can declare a tute after winning a trick wins
the hand outright.
At the end of the play, each player counts their points won for cards, singing, and the last trick. The
player who has most points wins 100 chips from each opponent if he has 100 points or fewer; 200 chips
from each opponent if he has 101 or more. Also any player who sang a 40 or 20 receives 40 or 20 chips
from each opponent for this. If there are four at the table, the dealer does not take part in the payments.
It is also possible to play with a pot (plato). In this case everyone at the table puts in 100 chips at the start
and whenever the pot is emptied. To win the pot you have to announce before the play begins that you
will win at least 101 points on the hand. If no one makes such an announcement the hand is played and
the winner is paid as described above. If you play for the pot and succeed in taking 101 or more points
then you win 200 chips from each opponent and take the pot. If you play for the pot and take 100 points
or fewer, you have to pay 200 chips to each opponent and double the pot. In the unlikely event that more
than one player wants to play for the pot, then there is an auction and whoever is prepared to contract to
take more points is allowed to play for it, winning if they make at least the contracted number of points.
Tute subastado
This description of Tute subastado (Auction Tute) is base on a contribution from John Williamson.
The players
There are three players, each playing for themselves, though two will be partners against the third
in each hand. It is also possible for four to play, with the dealer sitting out of each hand or acting
as censor.
The cards
Only 36 cards are used - the twos from the 40 card pack are set aside. The rank and values of the
remaining cards are as usual in Tute.
The deal
The deal, bidding and play are anticlockwise. Twelve cards are dealt to each player in ones. In this
version of Tute no card is turned face up for trumps - the trump suit will be chosen by the highest

bidder.
Object of the game
In each deal one player becomes the soloist, who is determined by auction. The soloist's aim is to
take at least the number of points bid, by capturing scoring cards in tricks, winning the last trick
and making declarations. The other players' aim is of course to prevent the soloist from doing so.
The bidding
After each deal there is a round of bidding to determine the soloist. The player to dealer's right
begins by either saying "pass" or bidding a number of points; the minimum bid is 60 points and
bids must be made in multiples of five. The second and third player in turn each either pass or bid
a higher number of points than was bid by the previous player. There is only one round of bidding
and the player who bids the highest number of points becomes the soloist. If all three players pass,
the hands are thrown in and there is a fresh deal.
The play
The soloist declares which suit is to be trumps and leads to the first trick. The rules of trick taking
are as follows:
The trick is won by the highest trump played, or, if no trumps are played, by the highest card of the
suit led. It is obligatory, if possible, to play a card of the suit led and to head the trick. If suit
cannot be followed, then you must trump the trick and play a higher trump than any so far played
to the trick. If, however, you can neither follow suit nor play a higher trump, you may play any
card.
Declarations
After winning a trick and before leading to the next, the soloist may declare the holding of a rey
(king) and caballo (horse) of the same suit. If in the trump suit, the declaration scores 40 points. A
declaration in any other suit scores 20 points. Only one declaration may be made at a time. Both
cards must be shown, and a declaration in trumps must be made before a declaration in any other
suit.
Scoring
When all the tricks have been played, determine whether the bid has been made by adding up:
the value of cards the soloist has won in tricks;
the value of any declarations made by the soloist;
an extra 10 points if the soloist won the last trick.
If the soloist succeeds in making at least the number of points bid, each of the opponents pays the
soloist according to the agreed stake (e.g. 10 pesetas for each five points). If the soloist fails to
make enough points, the soloist pays each opponent the amount agreed.
If the soloist's bid was 120 points or more the payment for the bid (won or lost) is doubled.
Variations
Some play that the minimum bid is 50 or 70, rather than 60.
Some play that all bids must be in multiples of ten rather than five.
Some allow the bidding to go around the table more than once.
The censor

When playing tute subastado with four players, it can be agreed that the dealer should act as a
censor. In this version of the game, at the end of the auction the dealer looks at the soloists's hand
and has the option announcing a higher bid and temporarily swapping places with the soloist. In
the dealer takes this option the cards are played and the dealer wins or loses from the two
opponents on the basis of the increased bid; the displaced soloist neither pays nor is paid. The
players then resume their places and the game continues. If the dealer chooses not to increase the
bid, the hand is played out between the soloist and the opponents in the usual way.
Tute gana-pierde
Tute gana-pierde (win-lose tute) has at least two versions: one for four or five players in which the aim is
to avoid taking most points, and one for three players where the aim is to avoid having the middle score.
1. Version for 4 or 5 players.
In this version the player who takes the most points is the loser, unless that player manages to take
101 or more points and win. There are 4 or 5 players. The dealer deals out all the cards singly,
exposing the last to determine the trump suit. The player to dealer's right leads and the cards are
played out under the usual rules.
A player who wins a trick containing a king and horse of the same suit gets an extra 20 points - or
40 if the suit is trumps. It is also possible to sing a 40 or 20 after winning a trick if one has the king
and horse of a suit in hand - though clearly this would only be done by a player aiming to take 101
or more points. The winner of the last trick can choose whether or not to claim the 10 extra points.
At the end of the play, the players count their points individually, and if no one has taken more
than 100 points, the player who has taken the most points loses. If a player takes 101 or more
points or more, that player wins and all the others lose.
If there is a tie for most points, and one of the tieing players took the last trick, that player loses. If
none of the tieing players took the last trick, then the one of them sitting nearest to the right of the
player who did take the last trick loses.
2. Version for 3 players
This is played with a reduced pack of 36 cards, omitting the twos. The object is to take most or
least points, avoiding coming in the middle. Twelve cards are dealt to each player; no card is
turned up for trumps, and the first part of the hand is played without trumps.
The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, and the usual rules of play apply.
If the king and horse of the same suit are played to the same trick, the winner of this trick must
declare 40 and score 40 points, and the suit of the king and horse becomes trumps, starting with
the next trick, for the rest of the hand. If there are any further tricks which contain the king and
horse of a suit, the trick winner must declare this and score 20.
There is no singing of combinations held in a player's hand.
The winner of the last trick scores 10 points and players count the points they have won. The
player who has the middle score is the loser. In case of a tie between two players, if the tieing
players' scores are less than the third player's score, the third player loses. If the third player's score
is less, the tieing players both lose.
The session continues until a player has lost six times, and that player is the overall loser.

Guiote
This is a version of Tute for 2, 3 or 4 players played in Aragn, Navarra and part of Castilla. In Guiote
the horse (caballo) and jack (sota) change places. This means that:
the jack beats the horse in each suit;
the jacks are worth 3 and the horses are worth 2;
you can sing a 40 or 20 if you have a king and a jack (not a king and a horse);

There are some other differences:

The "tute" combination of 4 equal cards is not valid.
It is possible to sing more than one 40 or 20 after winning a trick. In games with a stock,
declarations can be made after winning a trick and drawing from the stock.
The winner of the last trick deals the next hand. In the case of hands that are not played to the end
because a player claims to have enough points to win, the winner deals next.
These rule differences can be applied to any of the versions of Tute described above, producing
corresponding variations of Guiote.

Last updated 23rd April 1999

Games played with Flower Cards

This is part of the index of card games classified by type of cards used.
Flower cards consist come in a pack of 48. For each month of the year there are four cards showing a
flower or plant associated with that month. Most packs also have a 49th (blank) card which is not used in
the game, except in certain cases to decide who must drop out when there is a large number of players.
The cards themselves are much smaller and thicker than normal western playing-cards. A 48 card pack is
illustrated below.
Flower cards probably originated in Japan are used in Japan, Korea and Hawaii, usually for games of the
fishing group. At the start of the game, some cards are face up on the table, half of the remaining cards
are dealt out to the players and the rest are in a face down stock. For example, with three players you
would begin with 6 cards face up, 7 in the hand of each player and a stock of 21. At your turn you play a
card from your hand, and if it matches a face-up card (being the same month), you capture both cards.
Then you turn over the top card of the stock, and again if this matches a face-up card you capture both
cards. If either the card you play or the card you turn up from the stock does not match anything, it is left
face up on the table to be captured in future. In some games the lone 1-point card of the
November/Willow/Rain suit (known as Gaji or Onifuda or lightning) can be used as a wild card to match
any other card.
The object is to capture scoring cards, and also to collect in your captures certain sets of cards which give
you an extra bonus. The bonus sets vary depending on the specific game being played. The scores for the
individual cards are shown in the table below. There seem to be two different systems of scoring the
cards. In Japanese and Korean scoring the cards which show scrolls (known as tanzaku) are worth 5
points, and those with animals, birds or other opbjects score 10 or 20. In Hawaii, the 5 and 10 point cards
are reversed - the tanzaku are worth 10 and the less valuable animals and objects are only worth 5.
In Japan the cards are called Hanafuda (flower cards) and the fishing games played with them include
Hachi-hachi (88), Koi Koi, Hana Awase and Mushi. The cards are also used in Japan for a group of
banking games similar to Baccarat and known as Kabu (nine). In Kabu games the months January to
October take on the values 1 to 9, and the November and December cards are not used.
In Korea the cards are called Hato and the game played with them is called Minhato.
In Hawaii, it seems that the cards are called Hanafuda as in Japan, but the game is called Sakura
(Cherry) after the March suit or Higo Bana.
I intend to include detailed rules of some of the games on this site at some future date. Meanwhile,
further information about the games and computer versions of some of them can be found in the
following web pages.
Freeware Hanafuda game, plus links to other pages.
http://www.pagat.com/class/flower.html (1 de 4) [04/05/2001 9:51:36]

Bob Forster's Hanafuda page with rules of the Hawaiian game Sakura.
Digi Demon Hanafuda page with rules of the Hawaiian game Higo Bana.
Site for the computer program Hanafuda 1.3 (Hawaiian style)
Finally, here are the cards and their values:

Japanese scoring 20 points 10 points 5 points 1 point
Hawaiian scoring 20 points 5 points 10 points 0 points
January
Pine
Matsu
February
Plum
Ume
March
Cherry
Sakura
April
Wisteria
Fuji
May
Iris
Ayame

June
Peony
Botan
July
Clover
Hagi
August
Pampas
Susuki
September
Chrysanthemum
Kiku
October
Maple
Momiji
November
Rain or Willow Gaji
Yanagi

December
Paulownia
Kiri


Card Games: Hand and Foot
Hand and Foot

Introduction
Partnership Hand and Foot for Four Players
Players, Cards, Deal
The Object of the Game: Melds
Values of the Cards
Bonus Scores
Minimum Initial Meld Requirements
The Play
Picking up the Foot
The Red and Black Threes
Advice on Tactics
Variations
Saskatchewan Hand and Foot
Bain Hand and Foot
Steve Simpson's Hand and Foot Rules
Brian Brouillette's Hand and Foot Rules
Roger DeMeritt's Hand and Foot Rules
Hand and Foot Software
Special Cards for Hand and Foot
Introduction
Hand and Foot is a North American game related to Canasta, in which each player is dealt two sets of cards - the
hand, which is played first, and the foot, which is played when the hand has been used up. There are numerous
variations of this game and no standard rules. The most usual version is for four players in partnership, and this
will be described first; these rules were contributed by Bill Whitnack. A number of variations are then given - I
would like to thank Barbara Bain, Dave Petrie, Brian Brouillette and Steve Simpson for providing information
about these.
Although most people say that Hand and Foot is best played by four people in partnerships, it can also be played
by six in two teams of three, or by any number of people playing as individuals.
http://www.pagat.com/rummy/handfoot.html (1 de 10) [04/05/2001 9:51:39]

Partnership Hand and Foot for Four Players

(based on a contribution from Bill Whitnack)
Players, Cards, Deal

Partners sit opposite each other. Five decks of cards are used, including two jokers per deck (270 cards in all).
Choose which partnership will deal first. After the cards have been thoroughly mixed, one partner takes part of the
deck, deals four face-down stacks of 13 cards and passes them around the table in a clockwise direction until each
player has a stack - the hand. Meanwhile the partner of the hand dealer takes another part of the deck and deals
another four stacks of 13 cards each and passes them also in a clockwise direction until each player has a second
stack - the foot.
The remainder of the undealt cards are put in a face-down pile in the middle of the table to form a stock. The top
card of the stock is turned face-up and placed next to it to start a discard pile. The players' "foot" stacks are placed
face down around the stock and discard piles - the players are not allowed to look at them until they have played
all the cards in their hands. Each player picks up their "hand" stack, and play begins with the player to the left of
the one who dealt the hands.
After the end of the play, the turn to deal passes to the left. A complete game consists of four deals.
The Object of the Game: Melds

The aim is to get rid of cards from your hand, and then from your foot, by melding them. A meld is a set of from
three to seven cards of equal rank placed face up on the table. Melds belong to a partnership, not to an individual
player. After a meld of three or more cards has been started, either player of the partnership can add further cards
to it until there are seven. You can make a meld of cards of any rank from A, K, Q, ... down to 4. Threes have
special uses and cannot be melded in the normal way. Twos and jokers are "wild cards" and can be used as
substitutes in melds, as long as there at least twice as many real cards of the rank of the meld as wild cards. Thus a
meld of 3, 4 or 5 cards can contain at most one wild card and a meld of 6 or 7 can contain at most two. You can
also make a meld consisting entirely of wild cards - twos and jokers. In fact you must make such a meld to be
allowed to go out and win the deal. There are three types of meld:
a clean meld has no wild cards
a dirty meld has one or two wild cards (but not more than one unless there are at least 6 cards in the meld)
a wild meld consists entirely of wild cards.
A meld of seven cards is complete and is called a pile. While melds are fanned out face up, complete piles are
squared up and the cards placed on top shows the type - a red card for a clean pile, a black card for a dirty pile, and
a joker for a wild pile (or a two if it contains no joker). Usually the complete piles of seven cards are kept in front
of one member of a partnership (along with red threes), while the other partner keeps the incomplete melds of three
to six cards.
You score points for cards you have melded, and lose points for any cards left in your hand at the end of the play.
The play ends when someone gets rid of all the cards in their "hand" and "foot", by melding or discarding them;
this is known as "going out". In order to be allowed to go out, you must satisfy all of the following conditions:
1. your partnership must have completed at least two dirty piles, two clean piles and one wild pile (exactly
seven cards in each);
2. your partner must have picked up their "foot" and played at least part of one turn from it;
3. you must ask partner's permission to go out. If partner agrees you must meld all of your remaining cards, or

meld all but one of your remaining cards and discard your last card. If partner says no, you are not allowed
to go out on that turn.
Card Values
Individual cards have values as follows. They count for you if you have melded them, but against you if they are
left in your hand or foot at the end of the play:
Jokers .......... 50 points each
Twos & Aces .......... 20 points each
Eight through King .......... 10 points each
Four through Seven .......... 5 points each
Black Threes .......... 5 points each
Bonus Points
There are also the following Bonus Points. Both teams score points for any complete piles they have made, in
addition to the scores for the cards within the pile. Only the team that goes out scores the bonus for going out,
obviously. The red threes count plus 100 points if they have been placed face up on the table with your melds, but
minus 100 points if not (for example if you do not manage to pick up your foot before an opponent goes out, any
red threes in it will score minus 100 points).
Each complete "Clean" Pile of 7 cards .......... 500 points
Each complete "Dirty" Pile of 7 cards .......... 300 points
Each complete "Wild" Pile of 7 cards .......... 1500 points
For "Going Out" .......... 100 Points
Each Red Three .......... 100 points
Minimum Initial Meld Requirements

In each deal, there is a minimum requirement for the total value of the cards making up the first meld put down by
each partnership. Red threes do not count towards this minimum:
Round 1 .......... 50 points
Round 2 .......... 90 points
Round 3 .......... 120 points
Round 4 .......... 150 points
The Play
The player to the left of the person who dealt the "hands" then starts the play, and the turn to play passes clockwise
around the table until someone goes out. Each player, immediately before taking their first turn, must place any red
threes they hold face up on the table and draw an equal number of cards from the stock pile to replace them. They
then proceed to draw cards for their first turn. A turn normally consists of:
1. taking the top two cards from the stock;
2. optionally melding some cards or adding to your partnership's melds;
3. discarding one card on top of the discard pile.
If you draw a red three from the stock you should immediately place it face up on the table with your melds and

draw a new card from the stock to replace it.

As an alternative to drawing two cards from the stock, you may take the top seven cards from the discard pile. If
the pile contains fewer than seven cards, you may take the whole pile, but you may never take more than seven
cards from the pile at one time. In order to pick up from the discard pile you must fulfill all of the following
conditions:
1. the top card of the discard pile must not be a three;
2. you must hold two cards which are the same rank as this top card;
3. you must immediately meld these three cards (the two you are holding and the top discard), possibly along
with other cards that you are holding.
If your side has not yet melded (putting down red threes does not count as melding), then the first time that you
meld you must put down cards whose individual values add up to at least the minimum meld requirement. You can
put down several melds at once to achieve this if you wish. If you are picking up the pile, you can meld additional
cards from your hand along with the the top discard and the two that match it to help make up your minimum
count, and some of these additional cards could be wild. However, you cannot count any of the other 6 cards you
are about to pick up from the discard pile towards this minimum.
Example: It is the first round (minimum 50 points). A nine is discarded by the player to your right
and in your hand you hold two nines and a two. You can use your two nines to take the top 7 cards of
the discard pile and make a dirty meld of three nines and a two for 50 points. You would not be
allowed to do this if the two was buried in the discard pile rather than held in your hand.
A partnership is not allowed to have two incomplete melds of the same rank, but if you complete a pile, you can
then start another meld of the same rank. Therefore if you have an incomplete meld of five or six cards on the
table, you will not be able to pick up a card of that rank from the discard pile unless you have enough cards of that
rank to finish the first seven card pile and make a new three card meld of the same rank. These cards must all come
from your holding and the top card of the pile - again you are not allowed to make use of other cards you are about
to pick up from the discard pile to satisfy the requirement.
Example: The top card of the discard pile is an eight, and there is another eight buried three cards
deep. You have two eights and a two in your hand and a meld of five eights on the table. You are not
allowed to pick up from the discard pile, because having completed your pile of eights, you will only
have two cards with which to start your new meld of eights (the buried eight cannot be included until
you have made a legal meld). If you had three eights and a two in your hand, you could use the top
eight from the discard pile and one of your eights to complete your eight pile, and start a new meld
with two eights and a two. You could then pick up the next 6 cards of the discard pile and add the
buried eight to your new meld as well.
If you discard a black three, this blocks the next player from picking up from the discard pile.
You may discard a wild card (though in practice it is unusual to do so). In this case the next player could only pick
up the pile with two matching wild cards (two twos to pick up a two, or two jokers to pick up a joker).
Picking up the Foot

When you get rid of all the cards in your "hand", you then pick up your "foot" and continue to play from that.
There are two slightly different ways this can happen. If you manage to meld all the cards from your "hand", you
can immediately pick up your "foot" and continue your turn, discarding one card from it at the end. Alternatively,
if you meld all the cards from your "hand" but one, and then discard this last card, you can pick up your "foot" and
begin playing with it at the start of your next turn.

The red and black threes

Red and black threes cannot be used in melds.
Red threes count for the players if they are laid down on the table with their melds and against if not. Whenever
you find that you are holding a red three you should immediately place it face up on the table with your melds and
draw a replacement card from the stock. This can happen because you find it in your hand, or pick it up in your
foot, or draw it from the stock, or (very exceptionally) pick it up from the discard pile (this could only happen if
the original turned up card happened to be a red three). If your opponents "go out" before you have picked up your
"foot" cards, any red threes in your "foot" will count against you, along with all the other cards it contains.
Black threes have no use except to block the next player from picking up from the discard pile when you discard
them. Any black threes that you are left with at the end count 5 points against you. There is no way to get rid of
them other than by discarding them one at a time onto the discard pile.
Advice on Tactics
(contributed by Bill Whitnack)
As with most card games, one learns from experience what works best; different players adopt different kinds of
strategies. It is important to observe your partner's discards and melds and co-operate with what your partner is
trying to do. If you get into your foot before your partner, you should avoid completing melds as this may make it
difficult for your partner to get into his / her foot. There are two exceptions to this:
1. when the opposition are down to very few cards, it may be wise to complete as many melds as possible, so
as to collect the bonuses for them if the opposition "goes out";
2. it is generally worth completing your "wild card" pile as soon as possible because of its
3. high point value.
Try for higher "card count" melds (such as aces) if possible and if the cards are running for you.
Try to keep a few pairs in hand of the ranks that you think the opposition may discard, so that you can perhaps pick
up from the discard pile. This is especially useful while you are waiting for your partner to get into his / her foot.
Often, however, you cannot take the discard pile because you are blocked by a black three discarded by your right
hand opponent.
Try not "burn" any more wild cards than you must (by making dirty melds), unless you have the wild meld well in
hand, or unless you need to dirty a meld to get into your foot. It's a good idea always to save one wild card for just
that purpose, and hope to pick up a few more wild cards in your foot. Wild cards are often the key to completing
melds and "going out", although there are times when you may find you have too many of them.
Variations
Wild card or red three turned up
By agreement, if the card turned up to start the discard pile happens to be a wild card or a red three, it may be put
back into the stock pile and another card turned up.


Any number of people from two to six can play, using one more deck of cards than the number of players. Four or
six can play as partners; with two three or five, everyone must play for themselves. The game for four players in
partnerships is said to be best.
Saskatchewan Hand and Foot

This variation was contributed by Dave Petrie.
The main differences from the version described above are as follows:
Each player is dealt 11 cards as a hand and 13 as a foot.
Completed melds of seven cards are called canastas.
In melds you must have more normal cards than wild cards - so there can be up to 3 wild cards in a dirty
canasta, and up to two wild cards in a dirty meld of five or six cards.
Melds are not limited to seven cards; you can add further cards of the same rank to a canasta.
Initial meld requirements are as described above, except that in the fourth round you need a hidden canasta
(i.e. a complete meld of seven cards collected in your hand without using the discard pile).
When picking up the discard pile, you take the whole thing, not just the top seven cards.
To "go out" you need at least one clean canasta, one dirty canasta and one wild card canasta.
Bain Hand and Foot

This version has much in common with Pennies from Heaven and has therefore been moved to that page.
Steve Simpson's Hand and Foot Rules

This is a version of Hand and Foot without partners, and was the first form of the game to be included on this page.
The rules given below are more or less a copy of Steve Simpson's Hand and Foot page, which was last seen at
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/ssimpson/handfoot.html. Steve Simpson reports that he learned this version from
Rob Groz.
Players
Two or more players, playing as individuals.
Cards
Normal playing cards including the jokers. One more deck than the number of people playing - i.e. three decks of
cards for two people, five decks for four people, etc.
The Shuffle
All the cards are shuffled together and placed in the middle of the table in TWO piles. A gap is placed between the
two piles for the discard pile.

The Deal
Each player deals his own cards to himself. Each player picks up a small pile of roughly 22 cards from either of the
two piles. Each player then deals his cards in front of him into two piles of eleven cards each. If the player picked
up exactly 22 cards on the first try then he gets 100 bonus points added to his score. If he has less than 22 cards he
picks up more, as needed, from either of the two main decks. If he has more than 22 cards then the extra cards are
returned to the main piles.
Each player now has two piles of cards in front of himself. The left hand pile is the player's hand and the player
picks up this pile. The right hand pile of cards is passed to the player on his right. This pile becomes the other
player's foot. The foot piles stay face down until later in the game.
Game Object
The object of the game is to get the most points. There are four rounds to the game and on each round each player
tries to get rid of all his cards while putting the most points he can on the table.
Points for cards
Red Threes 500 points (these always count against you - read on.)
Joker 50 points
Twos and Aces 20 points
Eight through King 10 points
Four through Seven 5 points
Black Threes 5 points
Other Points
Picking up 22 100 points

For "Going out" 100 points
Each "Clean" pile 300 points
Each "Dirty" pile 100 points
The Cards
Jokers and Twos are wild cards. In the game you make "sets" of cards which are three or more of the same card -
three kings, five eights, etc. The suit of cards makes no difference. You cannot make a set of Jokers or Twos -
these can only be used as wild cards. You cannot make a set of threes, regardless of the colour. Cards "down"
on the table count for you and are added to your score. Cards left in your hand or in your Foot count against you
and are subtracted from your score.
Since you cannot make sets of Threes, a Three can only count against you. Discard red threes immediately.
Minimum Points to "Put Down" for Each Round

On each round you have to have a number of points the first time you "put down" points onto the table. Once a
player has the minimum points down, the player has no minimum for the rest of the round.
Round 1 50 points
Round 2 90 points
Round 3 120 points

Round 4 150 points
Picking Up and Discarding

On each player's turn he picks up cards, optionally puts cards down on the table for points, and then discards. On
each turn a player picks up TWO cards from the main piles. He can pick up both cards from the same pile or one
card from each pile. He plays his turn and then discards one card. Instead of picking up two cards a player may
pick up the top card on the discard pile but he must pick up the TOP SEVEN cards in the discard pile. The player
can only pick up from the discard pile if
1. there are at least seven cards in the discard pile,
2. the player has at least two other cards of the same type IN HIS HAND, and
3. the player must put the top card and the other two cards from his hand down as points on the table.
Wild cards cannot count for the two cards in his hand. You cannot pick up a top discard of twos, threes or jokers
because you cannot make a "set" from those cards. Remember that if this is the first time the player is "putting
down" cards for that round he has to have a minimum to put down the first time.
Picking up the Foot

When a player gets rid of all his cards from his hand, he picks up his Foot and continues to play from there. If
someone "goes out" before a player gets into his Foot, all the points in his Foot count against him (including any
dreaded red threes). There are two ways to "get into your foot". One is to put down all your cards except one
discard card (which you discard). Your turn ends, you have no cards, you pick up your Foot. You can begin using
your Foot on your next turn. The other way to get into your Foot is to completely use up all the cards in your Hand
(by putting them down as points on the table). If you can put down all your cards without discarding then you can
immediately pick up your Foot and begin using the cards during the same turn.
Clean and Dirty Piles

During the game you attempt to get piles of seven or more of the same card. If a pile has seven or more cards and
there are no wild cards in the pile then the pile is called a Clean Pile. If there are seven or more cards in the pile
and there are wild cards in the pile, then the pile is called a Dirty Pile. By convention, once a pile reaches seven
cards they are pulled together into a neat stack and either a red or black card from the pile is moved to the top of
the pile. A red card on top signifies that the pile is a Clean Pile. A black card on top signifies a Dirty Pile. A Clean
Pile is worth 300 points and a Dirty Pile is worth 100 points. These points are in addition to the points from the
cards themselves (each King is worth 10 points for example).
Limits on Wild Cards

In any set of cards you must have at least one more normal card than wild cards. For example, if you have three
fives you can add up to two wild cards to the set. You can't add a third wild card until there are four fives down.
Note that any wild card in a set makes the entire set dirty. You cannot have more than one set of the same card. For
example, you cant have a pile of two fives and a wild card and then start a new pile of fives.
Going Out
In order to "go out" you must get rid of all the cards in your Hand and your Foot and have at least one Clean and
one Dirty pile. You must also have a discard card. You can have as many clean and dirty piles as you want but you
must have at least one of each in order to "go out". Players get points for clean and dirty piles even if they are not

the player that goes out. Once a player "goes out", play ends for that round. The points on the table are added to
your score. Points in your hand or your Foot are counted against you and are subtracted from your score.
Brian Brouillette's Hand and Foot Rules

These variations of Steve Simpson's version above were contributed by Brian Brouillette.
In this game there are two versions of the bonus scores. In the lower scoring version, the bonus scores are as in
Steve Simpson's rules above. In the higher scoring version of the game, a clean (also called "natural") meld
scores 500 points while a dirty (also called "unnatural") meld scores 300 points. This allows a player caught with
one or more red threes during a round a chance to recover (since the red threes always count as minus 500 points
each).
In round four, a player must possess two clean and two dirty melds in order to be eligible to go out.
When going out, you may if you wish meld all your cards; you are not obliged to end by discarding a card.
If a wild card is discarded, the discard pile is "frozen" and removed from the playing surface of the table. These
cards may be thoroughly shuffled and placed under the draw piles if more cards are needed to complete a round.
Black threes can be used to create a clean meld that only scores 300 points in the higher scoring version of the
game or 100 points in the lower scoring version of the game (minus five points for each card in the meld since
black threes always count as minus five points each, even if melded). Wild cards may not be used in creating a
meld of threes! The discard pile may not be picked up with a pair of black threes!
Partner version
This form of Hand and Foot can also be played as a partnership game. The rules are exactly the same as the basic
version, except that players work in pairs, facing across the table from one another. One partner is chosen to keep
all of the partial melds under construction that are put down on the table, while the other partner looks after the
completed melds. Once one partner has put down, the other partner's minimum is immediately satisfied, since there
is only one set of melds under construction per partnership. As with most partnership games, there can be no
"talking across the table" to discuss the cards in play or strategies. The only game related discussion allowed is that
when one person wishes to go out, that person must ask the partner, "May I go out?" If the partner says, "No," the
play continues. To go out on rounds one through three, the requirement is to possess two clean melds and two dirty
melds. To go out on round four, the requirement is for a partnership to possess four clean and four dirty melds.
Roger DeMeritt's Hand and Foot Rules

Roger DeMeritt's rules can be found on his Hand and Foot page. He is also collecting variations and is hoping to
produce an improved uniform set of rules for the game that can be adopted by players everywhere.
Hand and Foot Software

Larry Whitish's shareware Hand and Foot program is available from SAC Products.

Special Hand and Foot Cards

Jim Tranchida has made a special set of equipment for Hand and Foot. In the set you get a plastic tray, rules and
five decks of 54 cards. In the decks there are no suits; instead there are cards numbered from 1 to 11 (replacing 4 to
king in a normal deck), four "wild" cards corresponding to what would normally twos, two "500" cards (red
threes), two "hand and foot" cards (black threes) and two jokers. The sets can be obtained from Jim Tranchida,
4918 Palms Rd., Casco Mi. 48064, USA (jtranchida@aol.com).
Another set of cards for "Hand 'n Foot" is manufactured by JD Ventures (HANDnFOOTgame@webtv.net).


Rules of Card Games: Red Dog
Red Dog
Red Dog was originally a banking game in which punters bet on whether any card in their hand would be
the same suit as and higher than a card to be dealt from the pack. This game, also called High Card
Pool, and its variations Slippery Sam, Shoot and Polish Red Dog (also called Stitch or Polski
Pachuck) are described on this page:
Red Dog / High Card Pool
Shoot
Slippery Sam
Polish Red Dog
In American Casinos, the name Red Dog is now used for a different banking game (also called
Ace-Deuce, In Between or Yablon) in which two cards are dealt face up, and the player bets on whether
a third card will rank between the first two cards. That game is described on the Yablon page.
In the card games literature, there is quite a lot of variation as to which of the names Red Dog, Slippery
Sam and Shoot are applied to which version of the game. If you have views as to whether the names on
this page are correctly assigned to the variations, or if you are familiar with other versions, please let me
know.
Red Dog / High Card Pool

A standard 52 card pack is used with cards ranking from ace (high) down to two (low). There can be
from three to about eight players; each in turn will be the dealer - the first dealer is chosen at random.
Before the deal each player puts an equal stake (ante) into the pot. The dealer then deals five cards to
each player, and the players look at their hands.
Starting with the player to dealer's left, going around the table clockwise and ending with the dealer, each
player has a chance to bet. At your turn you choose how much to bet - you must be at least the amount of
the ante, and may bet anything up to the entire pot - and you place your stake next to the pot. When you
have bet, the dealer burns one card (i.e. takes it from the top of the deack, shows it to the players, and
adds it face up to the bottom of the deck) and then deals one card face up in front of you.
If you have a card in your hand which is the same suit as the dealt card and higher in rank, you
show this card, take back your stake, and the dealer gives you an equal amount out of the pot.
http://www.pagat.com/banking/reddog.html (1 de 3) [04/05/2001 9:51:40]

If you have no card which is the same suit as and higher than the dealt card, you must show your
whole hand, and the dealer sweeps your stake into the pot.
Your cards and the dealt card are now set aside face down and it is the next player's turn to bet against
the pot, whatever it now contains. If the pot is empty, or contains less than the minimum bet, each player
immediately puts in the initial stake again.
After everyone has bet, the turn to deal passes. Whatever was in the pot stays there for the next hand, and
each player adds another ante to it (but if the players agree that the pot has become too large they may
split it between them and ante to a new pot).
Variations
Some play that only four cards are dealt to each player. This enables a larger number of players to take
part without the cards running out. Some play with only three cards dealt to each player.
Red Dog can be played with a bank put up by the dealer, as in Shoot or Slippery Sam; in this case the
players do not ante, and if the pot becomes empty the deal immediately passes to the next player.
Shoot
The game is similar to Red Dog, but there are the following differences.
At the start, the dealer alone puts up a stake, which can be any amount between an agreed minimum and
maximum.
The dealer deals just three cards to each other player. Players may not look at their cards until just before
their turn to bet (when the previous player's turn is over).
At your turn, you may bet anything between an agreed minimum and the amount currently in the pot
(obviously the agreed minimum for a player's stake must be less than the minimum that the dealer has to
put into the pool). The dealer then turns up a card and you win if you can show a card from your hand of
the same suit and higher in rank; otherwise you lose.
If the pot becomes empty, anyone who has not yet bet in that deal does not have a chance to do so. The
deal immediately passes to the next player to the left.
If money remains in the pot at the end of a deal, the same dealer deals again. When the same person has
dealt three times in succession they can choose whether to pass the deal on to the next player, keeping
whatever is in the pot, or to deal a fourth time and pass the deal on after that, keeping whatever remains
in the pot after the fourth hand.
Slippery Sam
This is also called Six-Spot Red Dog. The betting mechanism is the same as in Shoot, but the players bet
on the basis of the dealer's turned up card, without having seen the cards in their hands.
The dealer deals just three cards to each other player, but they must not look at their cards. Then the

dealer continues by dealing cards face up in the centre of the table until a six or lower appears. Each
player bets on having a higher card in the same suit as the face up card. After the player has decided how
much to bet, the player's whole hand is then exposed and the player wins the amount of the stake from
the pot if it contains a higher card of the same suit as the dealer's card; if not, the player's bet is added to
the pot.
If the pot becomes empty in the middle of a hand, the deal passes to the next player, who creates a new
pot. At the end of a hand, the dealer retains anything that is left in the pot, and the deal passes to the next
player.
Variations
In his Encyclopedia of Games (1973), John Scarne says that the following variation is popular in Fort
Wayne, Indiana. The dealer deals three cards to each player and one face up in the centre. The player can
either bet against this card or ask the dealer to deal another card - for which the player has to pay into the
pot one fifth of what it contains (or some other agreed amount). If the player does not wish to bet against
the second card, a third card can be called for at the same price. After paying for the third card the player
may either bet against it or pass without betting, and the turn passes to the next player.
Polish Red Dog

This is similar to Slippery Sam, except that the players bet without seeing either their own cards or the
dealer's card. It is described in Ostrow's Complete Card Player (1945), and the description is reprinted in
various later books. Alternative names are Stitch and Polski Pachuck.
The banker's initial stake is a fixed amount, and a player's maximum bet is half of what is in the pot at the
time. When the player has bet, the dealer burns one card (faces it and puts it on the bottom of the pack),
and turns up the next card, and the player's three cards are exposed. If the player has a higher card of the
same suit as the dealer's card, the player is paid from the pot twice the amount of the bet; otherwise the
bet is added to the pot.
If the pot is busted (runs out of money), the deal immediately passes to the next player. Otherwise the
same player continues dealing until at the end of a hand the pot is at least three times its initial size. At
this point the dealer declares a stitch round - a final deal after which if the pot is still not busted the dealer
collects whatever is in it and the turn to deal passes to the left.

Last updated 2nd September 1999

Rules of Card Games: Setback / Pitch
Pitch
Pitch is also known as Setback or High-Low-Jack. There is also a set of very similar games
known as Smear, which are described on a separate page.
Introduction
Partnership Pitch
Players and Cards
Deal
Bidding
Play
Scoring
Winning the Game
Partnership Variations
Drawing cards
Pitching
2, 3 or 6 players
No trumps on first trick
Smear
Five Point Set Back
Oklahoma Ten Point Pitch
Pawnee Ten Point Call Your Partner Pitch
Nine Card Pitch
Fish Pitch
Pitch with Fives, Pedro, Cinch
Cutthroat Pitch
Money game
Racehorse
http://www.pagat.com/allfours/pitch.html (1 de 10) [04/05/2001 9:51:43]

14 point Tunkhannock Pitch

Pitch User Group, and other Setback / Pitch Web Sites
Pitch Software
Introduction
Pitch is a North American game, derived from the old English game of All Fours (which was also known
in America as Seven Up or Old Sledge). Pitch is All Fours with bidding added. Some of the newer
versions of Pitch include other features such as extra points and an opportunity to improve one's hand by
taking extra cards and discarding.
There are two main types of Pitch game: Partnership Pitch (played with partners, obviously) and
Cutthroat Pitch (in which everyone plays for themselves). Whereas card game books tend to concentrate
on Cutthroat Pitch, most of the e-mail I get is about Partnership Pitch, and this preference is reflected in
the balance of information on this page. I have the impression that Cutthroat Pitch is more often played
on the coasts, and usually for money. The various types of Partnership Pitch are most popular in the
mid-west and are family or social games played to a score. There are many variations of pitch, mostly
involving increasing the number of points from four to five, ten or more by introducing extra scoring
trumps.
Partnership Pitch
This description is based on a contribution from Brian Gordon.
Players and Cards

The deck is a standard American deck of fifty-two cards, ace high. The game is usually for four players
in two teams, partners sitting across from each other. The game is played clockwise.
Deal
Each player is dealt six cards. The turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
Bidding
There is one round of bidding. The possible bids are two, three, four and smudge (smudge is really a
bid of five). Each player in turn either passes or bids higher than the previous bid if any, except for the
dealer, who, having last bid, may "steal the bid" by bidding the same as the highest bid. The final bidder
becomes the pitcher, and has the right to name trump and lead to the first trick.
If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid at least the minimum bid of two. This is called a "force
bid".
The bids represent how many of the following four items will be won when the tricks of the game are
played out:

High
awarded to the team which holds the highest card in the trump suit in play, i.e. the ace if it has
been dealt;
Low
awarded to the team which wins the trick containing the lowest trump card in play, i.e. the two if it
has been dealt. If the two is not dealt in play, the three may be low. If the three was not dealt
either, the four, and so on;
Jack
awarded to the team which wins the trick containing the jack of trumps. If the jack of trumps was
not dealt no one gets this point;
Game
awarded to the team which has the higher total value of cards in its tricks. Card values are as
follows:
each ace 4
each king 3
each queen 2
each jack 1
each ten 10
The total value of all the cards in the deck is 80, and whichever side has the higher total in its
tricks gets the point for game. In case of a tie, no one gets this point.
The bid of smudge requires all six tricks to be won by the declaring side, in addition to the four points
listed above. (Sometimes a team can win all the tricks, but if the jack of trumps was not dealt, that is not
sufficient to win a smudge bid.)
The play
The pitcher leads a card to the first trick, and the suit of this card becomes the trump suit. The winner of
each trick leads the next, and may lead any card. A player who has a card of the suit led must either
follow suit or trump. Players may play trump on any trick, even if they can follow suit. A player who
has no cards of the suit led can play anything - either a trump or a card of another suit. Each trick is won
by the highest trump card played, or if there are no trumps in it then by the highest card in the suit led.
Scoring
If you bid and make your bid, you get the number of points you make (in other words, if you bid two and
make four, your team scores four points). However, to score five points (smudge), you need to actually
bid smudge - if you bid four, and actually win all the tricks, including the jack of trump, you still only
score four. The opposing team makes whatever number of points they earn. For example if the declarer's
team bid two, but the opponents capture the 2 of trump, the opponents score one for Low.
If a team fails to make its bid is said to be set. It loses (or is set back) the value of the bid, while the
other team again scores whatever it makes.

A cumulative score is kept for each team. A team's score can be negative.
Winning the Game

In order to win, a team needs at least 21 points, but they can only win at the end of a hand in which they
made their bid. A team which reaches 21 or more on a hand where they are against the declarer - nor do
they win if they bid and lose a contract, but still have 21 or more points.
It is therefore possible for the winning team to have fewer points than the losing team. For example,
suppose that we have 18 points and they have 24, but they have not yet won because they acquired their
last 4 points playing against our bids. If we now bid 3 and make it, and they take 1 point, we win, even
though we have just 21 points while they have 25.
Partnership Variations
Draw
After trump is declared, players discard any cards they don't want face down, and the dealer replenishes
their hands to six cards from the undealt portion of the deck. Normally, players will discard all their
non-trump cards in the hope of replacing them with trump. This makes it more likley that the ace, two,
and jack will end up in play.
Pitching
A player may lead (or "pitch") a card insetad of bidding. Pitching in this way is equivalent to a bid of
four with the led suit as trump. If someone pitches, none of the other players can bid, except for the
dealer, who still has the option to take the bid by pitching or announcing a smudge. If the dealer does
take the bid in this way, the original bidder must take back the card they pitched. Some play that if the
dealer does this and is set, the loss is doubled.
Six players
The six player game is two against two against two, all sitting opposite their partners. Instead of six
cards, each is dealt eight. There is no draw, but everyone discards two cards after trump is announced.
No trumps on first trick.

In this variation, the declarer is allowed to make a non-trump lead. In this case it is illegal for any player
to a play a trump on the first trick. Usually the declarer will use this opportunity to lead the ace of
another suit, so that partner may throw the ten (for game points) under it.

Smear
There is a group of Pitch variations which go by the name of Smear. These are described on the Smear
page of this site.
Five Point Set Back

On his Set Back page, Brad Wilson describes a partnership version with five points: high, low, right, left,
game. The "right bower" is the trump jack and the "left bower" is the off jack, ranking just below it. Note
that these two cards rank between the queen and ten of trumps, not at the top of the suit as in Euchre.
This game is played with a 28 card pack: the cards from 3 to 8 of a 52 card pack are removed, leaving A,
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 2 in each suit. Six cards are dealt to each player, in threes, and the remaining cards are not
used. You can bid any number from 1 to 5, and the bidding can go around the table several times if
necessary, but you cannot bid any more after you have passed. When everyone has passed except the
high bidder, or someone has bid five, the bidding ends. The high bidder nominates trumps and leads any
card to the first trick. Players must follow suit, except that a non-trump lead may be trumped even if you
have a card of the suit led.
As usual the bidding team score the points if they fulfill the bid, and are set back the amount of the bid if
they don't. The bidder's opponents always score the points they make. The first team to reach 12 or more
points wins.
Oklahoma Ten Point Pitch

This variation from Oklahoma was contributed by Al Connor. It is very closely related to Minnesota
Smear.
1. Players and Cards.
The game is played by either four or six people in teams two, using a standard American 52 card
deck with two distinguishable Jokers, designated high and low. The Jack of the same color as the
Jack of trumps is known as the Off-Jack (for example, if clubs are trumps, the Jack of Spades is
the Off-Jack). The Off-Jack and High and Low Jokers are part of the trump suit and the ranking of
trumps from high to low is: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Off-Jack, High Joker, Low Joker, Ten, Nine,
Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two.
2. Deal
If there are four players, each is dealt nine cards. If there are six players, each is dealt eight cards.
The remaining undealt cards are placed face down to form a "widow" hand.
3. Points
There are extra points for the Off-Jack and Jokers, and optionally for the three of trumps. This
makes a total of ten or seven points to bid for. The points are:
High: Scored by the team who hold the highest trump in play.
Low: Scored by the team who hold the lowest trump in play (not by the team that wins it in
a trick).

Jack: Scored by the team (if any) who win the jack of trumps in a trick.
Off-Jack: Awarded to the team (if any) which wins a trick containing the Off-Jack.
High Joker: Awarded to the team which wins the trick containing the High Joker, if it is in
play.
Low Joker: Awarded to the team which wins the trick containing the Low Joker, if it is in
play.
Trey of Trumps: Three points are awarded to the team that wins the trick containing the
Three of Trumps.
Note: The 3 point score for the three of trumps is optional. If not used then there would be
only seven points available for bidding.
Game: Either as in the basic game, or some players award the point to the team that wins
the trick containing the Ten of Trumps.
4. Bidding
There is just one round of bidding. The minimum bid is two; the maximum is the total number of
points available - either ten or seven, depending on whether you count the trey of trumps. The
dealer is not allowed to "steal the bid".
5. The Discard
If playing six-handed, the bid winner picks up the six cards from the "widow" and declares the
trump suit. All players then discard down to six playing cards. The bid winner then starts the play.
If playing four-handed, the bidder declares the trump suit and then all players are allowed to
discard from 0 to 3 cards, and receive an equal number of replacement cards from the deck (if
sufficient are available), bringing their hands back to nine cards. All players then discard down to
six cards. Some play without the discard and draw feature - the players simply each discard three
cards. The bid winner then starts the play.
6. The Play
Some play that the bidder's first lead must be a trump; others play that anything can be led.
There are three options for following suit, depending on house rules:
1. Players who can follow suit must either do so or trump; players who cannot follow suit may
play anything.
2. Players who can follow suit must always do so; players who cannot follow suit may play
anything.
3. Players who must either follow suit or trump unless unable to do either, in which case they
can play anything.
7. Scoring
The scoring and conditions for winning the game are the same as in the basic game, except that
there is no 'smudge'.
Dave Coleman-Reese reports a variation of this game without the Off-Jack and with no score for the
Trump Three, so that there are 6 points to bid for.
On his web page, Larry Charbonneau describes another version of ten-point Pitch. Each of the four

players is dealt nine cards, the minimum bid is four, and the dealer must take the bid for four if everyone
else passes. After the bidder has named trumps the players discard all their non-trump cards and refill
their hands to six cards. Any cards remaining in the stock are given to the bidder, who can take them or
give them to partner without first looking at them. A player with more than six trumps must discard any
excess trumps out of the game.
In the play, only trump plays are legal. A player who has no trumps left drops out of the play. If they won
a trick with their last trump, the lead passes to the left. The game point goes to the side that wins the ten
of trumps in a trick. The bidding side win the points they bid if successful, and lose the same amount
otherwise. The first team to 52 points or more wins the game. A player can bid to "shoot the moon", for
which their team has to rake all ten points; if they succeed they win the whole game if their previous
score was zero or above, or advance to zero if their score was below zero; if they fail they lose the whole
game.
Variations are given for Pitch with other numbers of points by omitting some of the ten, or by adding
other off-trumps (Off-Ace, Off-Ten, Off-Three, Off-Two) ranking just below their real counterparts.
There is also "Dirty Pitch" in which the point for Low goes to the side that wins the Two rather than
holding it, and "Reverse Pitch" in which the rank of the trumps is reversed (two high and ace low).
Pawnee Ten Point Call Your Partner Pitch

This version was contributed by James Adams, whose brothers learned it while working for Boeing
aircraft in Wichita Kansas in the 1950's. Rules can be found on his Pawnee Ten Point Call Your Partner
Pitch web page. The game is normally played by five players using a 54 card pack including two jokers;
points are one each for high, jack, off-jack, high joker, low joker, ten, low and three points for the three.
The low point is acored by the team of the player that was dealt the lowest trumps; the other points by the
players who win the cards in play. Ten cards each are dealt, leaving four in the kitty. The minimum bid is
five and the dealer must bid five if everyone else passes. The highest bid, for ten points, is called "shoot
the moon" and is worth 42 points if successful.
The high bidder calls for a trump, and the holder of this trump is the bidder's partner. The high bidder
takes the kitty and everyone discards down to six cards. Point scoring trumps (jacks, jokers and three)
and the called trump cannot be discarded. Only trumps can be played; players who run out of trumps
drop out of the play. The high bidder leads to the first trick, on which the called trump must be played.
The bidding team each win the number of points they made if these are enough to fulfill the bid;
otherwise they lose the amount of the bid. Each member of the opposing team acores the points made by
that team. If the called trump is held by the high bidder (for example if it was in the kitty), the bidder
plays alone against a team of four opponents. Game is 42 points. If more than one player reaches or
exceeds 42 in the same hand, and the bidder is one of these, the bidder wins; if none of them is the
bidder, further hands are played until a player has 42 ort more points after a successful bid.
Nine Card Pitch

Like normal pitch this is for four players, two against two, with partners facing each other, but as the
name suggests, nine cards are dealt to each player.
In additional to high, low, jack and game, there are two further points available:

Five - scored by a team which wins the five of trumps in a trick;

High spade - the highest spade in play, scored by the team which wins it in a trick.
The possible bids are three, four, five and six. After the pitcher has declared trumps, each player may
discard up to four cards, to be replaced by cards from the undealt part of the deck. The play is as in
normal Pitch, except that the pitcher is not required to lead a trump to the first trick.
Each team begins with a score of 21, and their score for a hand is subtracted from this if they are
successful. If they fail in their bid, they are said to "go up", and their bid is added to their score. The
winners are the first team whose score reaches zero or less, but it is only possible to win on a hand where
you succeed in a bid, or the opponents fail in their bid. If a team's points won in play would cause them
to reach or pass zero while they were playing against a successful bid, that team's score becomes one.
Fish Pitch
This variation was contributed by Judd A. Schorr
Each of the four players is dealt 12 cards from a 52 card pack: 6 for their hand and 6 which are kept face
down in front of them. The bidding is as in normal Pitch. In the first trick everyone must play from their
hand, but from then on, players can either play from their hand or 'fish' a card from the unknown 6 in
front of them. There are 12 tricks played in all, and all but 4 cards are out, so the two and jack of trumps
are usually in play.
You can try to take a trick that you really, really want by fishing a card on it, and sometimes you can
make it. However, sometimes, you give the opposite team low or an extra ten towards game. In this
variant, even if you are dealt a poor visible hand, you are still in the action, as nobody knows what you
will throw next. It also makes it difficult (and fun) to 'count cards' for two reasons - all the cards are out,
and you can seemingly violate following suit by fishing a card. (You can't tell for certain if a person is
out of trump altogether, only that they are out of trump in their hand!) This variant is really a lot of fun,
and should be tried.
Pitch with Fives, Pedro, Cinch

The version of Pitch in which the five is an additional scoring trump worth 5 points (making 9 points in
all) is now described on the Pedro page, along with Double Pedro or Cinch, in which the other five of the
same colour is also a trump scoring 5 (for a total of 14 points).
Cutthroat Pitch
Pitch can also be played by two or more players, each playing for themselves. The rules of bidding and
play are the same as for the partnership game. In the game with more than two players, the opponents
will tend gang up against the bidder to try to prevent the bid being made.

Money game
Ben Butzer reports that at UCLA, instead of playing up to 21 points for game, they would play for 10
cents per point. The game is played without partners. The scoring is as in the partnership game, except
that each player individually scores the points they make. If you are the high bidder you are set back if
the points you make are less than your bid.
Players can join or leave the game after any hand. When the personnel change, the game is settled up:
each player's score is compared to the average - winners receive 10 cents for each point they are above
the average and losers lose 10 cents for each point below.
The smudge bid in this version is called shooting the moon or mooning. Mooning has no effect on your
points score. If you shoot the moon successfully you win $1 from each other player (recorded on the
scoresheet with a star). If you shoot and miss you pay out $1 each.
Moon can only be bid over 4

Tom Price reports a version in which Moon can only be bid over a bid of 4 by another player. The only
person who can bid over Moon is the dealer, who can still "steal" the bid. If you bid Moon and make it
you gain 4 points, just as though you had bid 4; if you lose your score goes to 4 in the hole (i.e. minus 4),
irrespective of what score you were on before.
In this game the players other than the eventual winner have to pay the winner an additional stake for
each time they were set (as in the money version of Smear). A player who bids Moon and fails is charged
for two sets.
Racehorse
Patrick Mathews describes a version of the money game above, called Racehorse. This is usually played
by 5 or more people, each playing for themselves. If the pitcher's bid succeeds, the pitcher receives $1.00
for each point bid from each of the other players. A pitcher whose bid fails pays $1.00 per point bid to
each opponent. In either case, the other players do not receive anything for the points they make. The
play of the hand ends as soon as it is clear whether the bid has succeeded, since further points won by
either side do not affect payment.
A pitcher whose bid fails is said to be "upped". Presumably this term derives from the practice of scoring
in reverse in some Pitch variations - see for example Nine Card Pitch above.
A pitcher who wins deals the next hand. If the pitcher is upped, the player to the pitcher's right deals the
next hand, so that the upped pitcher has the first bid.
14 point Tunkhannock Pitch

This game from Pennsylvania is somewhat related to the first version of partnership 10-point Pitch
described above. It is normally played "cutthroat" by four people, but can also be played as a partnership
game. A 54 card pack including two jokers is used -the off-jack, high joker and low joker rank in that
order as trumps just below the jack. There is a six card deal and after the bidding three cards are

discarded and the hands replenished. The minimum bid is 3, maximum is smudge (equivalent to 15),
which is a bid to take all 14 points and six tricks. Dealer can steal the bid with an equal bid, and must bid
three if the others all pass.
The points are high, low, jack, off-jack, high joker, low joker, game, last trick, high spade (worth one
point each) and five (5 points). Points go to the player winning the card in a trick. The game point is
scored by the player who takes most card points. Trumps need not be led at the start. You may trump
even when you have the suit led, but you may only discard from a different non-trump suit when you
cannot follow suit.
Detailed rules can be found on Bill and Joe's 14 point Tunkhannock Pitch page.
Pitch User Group, and other Setback / Pitch Web

Sites
A group of people are starting a newsletter / usergroup for Pitch players. The intention is to include
tournament info, rules, bidding contests / questions etc. You can visit their e-mail forum and discussion
group.
Umesh Shankar's Setback Page, with rules, variations and basic advice on strategy, which was formerly
at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~shankar/ has unfortunately disappeared, and I have not been able to
contact the author. If anyone can put me in touch with Umesh Shankar or knows where his page has
moved to, please let me know so that I can reinstate the link.
Brad Wilson's Set Back page describes a five point version.
Larry Charbonneau's 10 Point Pitch and Bill and Joe's 14 point Tunkhannock Pitch page describe further
variations.
Here are Dave T's Rules for Setback.
Pitch Software
Freeverse software make a Setback aka Pitch program for the Macintosh.
You can download Matt Reklaitis' Nine Card Pitch program.
Here is Dave T's PC Setback 2.1
The Widow Pitch program plays a seven card seven point Pitch game.


Rules of Card Games: Hola
Hola
This page is based on a description contributed by David Przednowek
Hola is a sort of trick taking game for two or four players, but it is unusual in that a card can only be
beaten by a card of equal value, or by a wild card, sevens and twos being wild. The object is to capture
aces, tens and the last trick. Hola is a Slavic word meaning "nakedness".
Hola may be of Polish origin. It is closely related to the Czech game Sedma (seven) and the Hungarian
game Zsrozs (greasing).
Players and Cards

Hola is for two players, or four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. A standard 52 card
pack is used.
Aces and tens are worth 10 points each - the other cards have no value. There are also 10 points for
winning the last trick. The object is to take as many of the available 90 points as possible by winning
tricks containing aces and tens, and winning the last trick.
Sevens and twos are wild, and can be used to capture cards of any rank.
With four players the game is played clockwise.
Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random and deals four cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed
face down to form a stockpile.
Play
In the two player game the non-dealer leads to the first trick. With four players it is the player to dealer's
left who leads. Any card may be led, and each of the other players in turn must play a card. They may
play any card they hold but in order to beat the card led they would have to play either a card of the same
rank as the lead or a wild card.
The player who led to the trick now has two options:
1. to end the trick, in which case it is won by the last player who played a wild card or a card of the
rank led;
2. to fight (i.e. to continue the trick) by leading another card.
If the player who led decides to fight, each player in turn now plays another card. When everyone has
played, the leader may end the trick or fight again by leading another round. This can continue for up to
four rounds, after which everyone has run out of cards and the trick has to end.
http://www.pagat.com/sedma/hola.html (1 de 3) [04/05/2001 9:51:44]

The winner of the trick is the last person who played a card of the same rank as the original lead or a wild
card. The winner of the trick gathers up all the played cards and keeps them face down (in the four player
game partners can keep their tricks in a single pile). Then each player, beginning with the one who led to
the trick, draws sufficient cards from the undealt stock to bring their hand back to four cards.
The player who won the trick then leads to a new trick.
Example: Suppose there are four players: A and C are partners against B and D and their cards are:
Player A: A, 10, 7, 2
Player B: Q, 10, 7, 6
Player C: J, 10, 8, 2
Player D: 7, 6, 4, 2
If A leads the 10, the play might go like this:
A B C D
10 7 10 2 D is winning, so A continues:
2 10 8 6 now B is winning, so A continues:
7 6 J 7 now D is winning, so A continues;
A Q 2 4 C produces a 2 and wins the trick.
A and C win all 16 cards, everyone draws four new cards, and C leads to the next trick. It was a risk for
A to lead the ace on the fourth round, trusting that C had held back a wild card. A and C can win the
trick in three rounds C plays the 2 on the second round, as follows:
A B C D
10 7 10 2 D is winning, so A continues:
2 10 2 7 D is still winning, so A continues:
7 6 J 6 A stops at this point, having won the trick.
A wins the 12 cards, everyone draws three, and A leads to the next trick. A could still continue with the
ace, hoping to catch an ace from one of the opponents, but there is a risk that B or D may have held back
a wild card.
If after a trick there are not enough cards left in the stock for all the players to replenish their hands to
four cards, the remaining stock cards are distributed equally among the players. When there are no cards
left in the stock at all, play continues with the cards the players have in their hands, until all the cards
have been played.
Scoring
At the end of the play, each team scores 10 points for each ace or ten they won in tricks, and the team
which won the last trick gets an extra 10 points.
If one team won all the tricks (called a Hola), they score 170 points (rather than 90). This happens very
rarely.
If the non-dealing side take 50 or fewer points, the same player deals again for the next hand. If the
non-dealing side take 60 or more points, the opponent to the left of the previous dealer deals the next
hand.

The players should agree in advance the number of points needed to win the game - usually somewhere
between 200 and 500.
Variations
Hola may be played with sevens as the only wild cards, twos being worthless.
It is possible for three people to play Hola, each for themselves. In this case a 51 card pack is used -
obtained by removing one worthless card (i.e. not an ace, ten or wild card) from the standard pack.

Rules of Card games: L'Hombre
L'Hombre
This page is based on a description contributed by Jens Brix Christiansen
L'Hombre (pronounced "lomber") is a fast-moving trick-taking game, played by 3 (or 4) players. It has
an illustrious history, going back to the beginning of the 17th century, or earlier. This page describes the
version of the game currently played in Denmark.
Contents
Historical background
General Description
The Cards
The Deal
The Auction
The Bids and Contracts
Exchanging Cards with the Talon
The Play
The Scoring
Jargon, Customs, Conventions
Accommodating four players
Avoiding wash-outs
Variations
Danish l'Hombre Union
Historical background
L'Hombre was developed in Spain in the early 17th century, as a variation of an earlier four player game,
also called Hombre. The three player version, which in Spain was originally called Hombre Renegado
spread rapidly across Europe and during the 17th and 18th centuries became the premier card game,
occupying a position of prestige similar to Bridge today. It was variously known as Hombre, Ombre or
L'Hombre, and over the years it acquired many variations, of increasing complexity. Its popularity was
eclipsed in the late 18th century by a new four player variant Quadrille, which was in turn displaced by
Whist, Boston and eventually Bridge.
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Although L'Hombre died out in other parts of Europe, it remained popular in Denmark right up to the
20th century, and is still played there today. The game is organized with a L'Hombre union in Jutland,
the western part of Denmark. Versions of the game have also survived in Spain itself, where it is known
as El Tresillo, in the Faroes and Iceland, and in Peru and Bolivia, where it is known as Rocambor.
L'Hombre was one of the first games to introduce bidding, through which one player becomes the
declarer, trying to make a contract, with the other players cooperating to prevent him. The declarer was
originally called Hombre (i.e. the man). It was from L'Hombre that the idea of bidding was adopted into
other card games such as Tarot, Skat and Boston.
An excellent account of the early history of L'Hombre (from which some of the above information is
taken) can be found in a series of three articles by Thierry Depaulis in The Playing-Card (Journal of the
International Playing-Card Society). They are entitled "Ombre et Lumire. Un Peu de Lumire sur
L'Hombre" and appeared in Vol XV, No 4, pp 101-110, Vol XVI, No 1, pp 10-18, and Vol XVI, No 2, pp
44-53.
General Description
L'Hombre is a three-handed trick taking game. It is also quite often played by four people, but there are
still only 3 active players in each hand; the player opposite the dealer sits out. A deck of 40 cards is used.
Each active player is dealt 9 cards and the remaining 13 form the talon. Each hand begins with an
auction. The winner of the bidding becomes the declarer, and plays alone against the other two players
(defenders) in partnership.
The final bid by declarer determines the contract. Declarer plays either a game contract, where his
objective is to take more tricks than either defender, or a nolo contract, where his objective is not to take
any tricks at all.
When the contract is known, the players take turns exchanging cards with the talon, subject to restrictions
particular to each contract.
Afterwards, nine tricks are played. However, as soon as the outcome of the contract is clear, declarer will
face his hand and make a statement to that effect.
After the play, immediate payment is made in the form of tokens. In general, the amount of payment
increases with the rank of the contract. When declarer makes his contract, the defenders each pay
declarer; when the contract fails, declarer pays each defender.
The general direction of rotation in the game is counter-clockwise.
The following detailed description of the game is based on the rules as played in the author's family. By
comparison with other players' rules, it seems reasonable to describe this version of the game as "pure" or
"minimal".
Strictly, the version described here is called "Rasle L'Hombre". The Danish L'Hombre literature also
describes Pot L'Hombre, in which most of the payments are made to and from a pot, rather than between
the players, but few if any people now play this way.

Terminology
Like many card games, L'Hombre has a particular terminology. When played in Denmark, a mixture of
Danish, French, and Spanish terms are used. In this presentation, equivalent English terms have been
substituted for Danish terms, but French and Spanish terms have been left as used in Denmark.
The Cards
L'Hombre is played with a deck of 40 cards in the four standard suits. From a standard deck of 52 cards,
the 8s, 9s, and 10s are not used.
Ranking of Cards
The ranking of the cards depends on the type of contract.
Nolo contracts
In nolo contracts, there is no trump suit. The black suits and the red suits are ranked differently as
follows:
Black:
KQJ765432A
Red:
KQJA234567
Game contracts
In game contracts, there always is a trump suit. The black aces are permanent trumps, independent of
which suit otherwise is trumps. In this capacity, the spade ace is called spadille (abbreviated S) and the
club ace is called basta (abbreviated B).
The trump suit has the following ranking
Black:
S 2 B K Q J 7 6 5 4 3 (11 cards in all)
Red:
S 7 B A K Q J 2 3 4 5 6 (12 cards in all)
Spadille is thus always the highest trump, and basta is always the third highest trump. The second
highest trump is the card that would otherwise be the lowest ranking card in the trump suit (black 2 or red
7). It is called manille (sometimes abbreviated M). In a red trump suit, the ace is the fourth highest trump
and is called ponto (sometimes abbreviated P). The collective term matadors is used for the highest three
trumps: the spadille, manille and basta.
When a suit is not the trump suit, it retains its ranking as in nolo contracts, but since the black aces now
have their role of spadille and basta, there remain only 9 cards in each black suit.

The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random; thereafter the turn to deal rotates. The dealer is also called the
backhand (Bh). The player on the dealer's right is called the forehand (Fh); the player on the dealer's left
is called the middlehand (Mh). Bh shuffles and Mh cuts. Each player is dealt nine cards, three cards at a
time in rotation, starting with Fh. The remaining 13 cards form the talon, which is put aside face down to
be used later for exchanging cards.
The Auction
In the auction at his turn, a player has the following choice of call:
pass
A player that passes drops out of the auction and gives up his chance of becoming declarer.
bid
A player may make any bid that outranks any bid previously made in the auction.
self
A player may equal a bid previously made in the auction by a player who is after him in rotation
(Fh can call self over any other player; Mh can call self over Bh).
The first half of the auction takes place only between Fh and Mh. Fh calls first, and Mh and Fh then
take turns calling until their part of the auction is settled (when both have called, and at least one of them
has passed). Then Bh enters the auction, which continues with players taking turns until the entire
auction is settled. If all three players simply passed, the hand is a wash-out, no play is made, and the turn
to deal proceeds to Fh. If at least one bid was made, the auction ends when two players have passed. The
player who prevailed in the auction becomes declarer, and the final bid determines the contract.
A sample auction might go
Fh: game
Mh: tourn
Fh: self
Mh: pass
Bh: solo
Fh: self
Bh: pass.
Resulting contract: solo, played by the forehand.

The Bids and Contracts

The bids, and the corresponding contracts, are ranked as shown below (lowest bids first). The rates are
provided for quick reference when scoring.
Simple Game.
Game contract. Declarer names the trump suit. First declarer, then the defenders exchange cards
with the talon. Rate: 1, 1.
Spade Game.
Like Game, but spades are trumps. Rate: 1, 1.
Tourn.
Game contract. The top card of the talon is faced; it determines the trump suit (for this purpose,
spadille and basta signify spades and clubs, respectively). When declarer exchanges with the
talon, he gets the faced card as his first card. Rate: 1, 1.
Simple Nolo.
Nolo contract. Declarer (only) exchanges with the talon. Rate 2, 1, 1, ...
Grand Tourn.
Like tourn, but the bidder must have been dealt spadille and basta. The custom is for the bidder
to show the two cards as he bids. Rate 2, 1.
Solo.
Game contract. Declarer plays his hand as dealt; the defenders exchange cards with the talon. Rate
2, 1.
Pure Nolo ranks equal to Spade Solo.
Pure Nolo is a nolo contract. Neither declarer nor the defenders exchange cards.
Spade Solo is like Solo, with spades as trumps.
The first of these two bids made in an auction outranks the other. Rate 3, 2.
Nolo Ouvert.
Like Pure Nolo, but when declarer plays his first card, he also faces his hand for both defenders to
see. He continues to play his own cards at his turn. Rate 5, 3.
Following the auction, the winner defines the contract. For Simple Game and Solo, he needs to name the
trump suit. For Tourn and Grand Tourn, he faces the top card of the talon to determine the trump suit.
As a special rule, a player who has won the auction for a bid of Simple Game may define a contract of
Spade Game, Tourn, or Simple Nolo at this time. Also, it is usually tolerated that a declarer who won a
Solo Contract defines his contract as Spade Solo.
Exchanging Cards with the Talon

Declarer has the right to exchange cards with the talon when playing low level contracts (including
Grand Tourn). The defenders are allowed to exchange cards against game contracts, but not against nolo
contracts.

Declarer always exchanges first (if the contract allows it), then each of the defenders exchanges, in
rotation.
At his turn, a player may exchange as many of the cards in his hand as he wishes, from none at all up to
the number of (remaining) cards in the talon. The player first discards (face down) all the cards he wishes
to exchange; then he picks up an equal number of replacement cards in order from the top of the talon, so
that he again has nine cards. It is a principle of the game that each player remains responsible for the
correct procedure. A player who fouls up the exchange procedure is deemed to have lost the contract and
pays accordingly; a defender also pays what the other defender owes declarer.
Any cards from the talon that are not used for exchange are left face down for the remainder of the deal.
The Play
Play is counter-clockwise. No matter who is the declarer, forehand always leads to the first trick.
A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, unless it contains a trump, in which case the highest
trump wins it. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
Players must follow suit if they can, playing any card they wish from the suit led. A player with no card
of the suit led may play any card, including a trump. Note that in game contracts, spadille and basta
belong to the trump suit, not to the suits marked on them.
In game contracts, the obligation to follow suit does not apply fully to the matadors (the spadille, manille
and basta). When a trump is led, the holder of a matador need not play it, unless a higher matador was led
to the trick, and he has no other trumps. It follows that spadille can never be forced out. For instance,
suppose the manille (second highest trump) is led. If the next player has the spadille and no other trumps
he need not play the spadille, but may play any card. If the second player had the basta and no other
trump, he would have to play the basta, because it is lower than the manille. If the second player had S K
4 of trumps, he would have to play a trump, because although his S cannot be forced out, his other
trumps do not enjoy this privilege. If the trump 4 is led, the second player plays the spadille, and the third
player's only trump is the basto, the third player does not have to play the basto but can throw a card of
another suit. In this case the spadille was not led to the trick but played second, so does not draw the
basto.
In game contracts, each player keeps track of the tricks he has won; in nolo contracts, the defenders keep
track of declarer's tricks and no one keeps track of the defenders' tricks.
In the great majority of contracts, play continues only until the fate of contract is clear. For game
contracts, four outcomes are possible:
win
Declarer takes more tricks than either opponent. This happens as soon as declarer has five tricks,
or if the tricks are divided 4-3-2 (4 to declarer). Play ends immediately when it is obvious that
declarer will win (but see Tout).
bte

Declarer takes exactly as many tricks as the defender with most tricks. This happens when the
tricks 4-4-1 or 3-3-3.
kodille
The declarer has fewer tricks than one or both of the defenders.
Tout
Declarer takes all nine tricks. Declarer must announce his intention to take all tricks at the latest as
he wins the fifth trick. Leading to the sixth trick is always understood as a try for tout. (Tries for
Tout are extremely rare).
For nolo contracts, the outcomes are defined as follows:
win
Declarer takes no tricks.
bte
Declarer takes one trick.
kodille
Declarer takes two or more tricks. For Pure Nolo and Nolo Ouvert, play ends when declarer takes
his second trick. For Simple Nolo, however, any subsequent tricks also count.
Scoring
After the fate of each contract is known, payment in tokens is effected immediately.
win
Declarer receives a number of tokens from each of the other players, depending on the contract.
The number of tokens is 1 for simple games (including tourn), 2 for Nolo, Grand Tourn, and
Solo, 3 for Pure Nolo and Spade Solo, and 5 for Nolo Ouvert.
bte
Declarer pays the appropriate number of tokens to each of the other players. The rate for each
contract is exactly as for winning.
kodille
Declarer pays the other players as for a bte, plus an additional penalty. The extra penalty is 1
token for low contracts, 2 for Pure Nolo and Spade Solo, and 3 for Nolo Ouvert. For Simple Nolo,
the penalty is 1 extra token for each trick in excess of one won by declarer (for example if the
declarer in a Simple Nolo takes 4 tricks he pays 5 (2+3) to each defender).
Tout
If declarer wins an announced Tout, he receives one additional token from each of the other
players. If fails to win an announced Tout, he pays a token to each of the other players, but he still
receives payment for winning the game.

Abandoning the Hand after the Exchange

In game contracts (other than Solo and Spade Solo), declarer has the right to abandon the hand provided
that he has not yet played to the first trick. He does this by paying for bte and facing his hand. This
option is, of course, exercised when declarer's exchange was so disappointing that the risk of kodille
outweighs the chances of winning.
Jargon, Customs, Conventions

When a declarer holds four or more of the top cards of the trump suit, it is customary to describe him as
holding that many matadors. For instance, with diamonds as trumps, the hand
D: S 7 B A K Q 3 S: - H: 2 6 C: -
would be said to hold 6 matadors. In spite of this custom, the special exemptions from following suit still
only extends to the trumps that outrank the king.
Similarly, a solid holding of top trumps, but lacking Spadille, is described as a number of faux-matadors.
There is a custom that any player holding 9 matadors (possibly after an exchange) receives a special
prize of 2 Danish Kroner from everybody in the room, regardless whether they participate in the game.
This custom is now very symbolic after a century of inflation, but until recently you could read accounts
of players holding 9 matadors in local newspapers. In fact at the beginning of May 1997, the Danish
newspapers carried the story that the former Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen had recently held 9
matadors in clubs while playing l'Hombre privately. The 2 kroner per person were promptly paid.
When defending a game contract, it makes a considerable difference how the defenders divide the tricks
among them. If the defenders take five tricks, a 5-0 distribution yields kodille, a 4-1 distribution yields
bte, and a 3-2 distribution yields a win for declarer. It is therefore good strategy to play in such a way
that one defender takes as many tricks as possible. The negotiation between the defenders as to who
should be the stronger takes place during the exchange of cards with the talon. For simple games,
declarer has usually left around 8 cards in the talon. The convention is that when the first defender
exchanges at most one or two cards, thus ensuring that his partner can exchange as many as he could
need, he is signalling that he expects to be the weak defender. Conversely, if he determines that his cards
merit that he try to be the strong defender, he will exchange freely.
When exchanging freely for a game contract, declarer and a strong defender usually retain only trumps
and kings; declarer may sometimes retain a king-queen pair of a side suit. A weak defender (last in hand)
will usually try for a void in a side suit. Most tricks in game contracts are won by trumps or side suit
kings.
In nolo contracts, the defenders try to give declarer a trick. This requires both that a defender has a low
card in a suit, and usually that his partner is void in that suit, so that he does not overtake declarer.
Usually, therefore, defense starts with one defender cashing a long suit, hoping that his partner will
become void in the suit and be able to discard in another suit, or simply to pave the way for an attack in
that same suit. As an extreme example, in a nolo game where the diamonds are distributed so that one
defender has K Q 7, the other has 2 3, and declarer has 4 5 6, the successful defense is to cash the K and

Q, then to trap declarer with the 7.

Because defence is inherently more difficult that declarer play, the card requirements for successful
contracts are fairly modest. If, for a game contract, you would exchange only two cards with the talon,
you should usually be playing Solo.
Simple nolo is usually a fair chance on a hand that exchanges only one card, while exchanging 3 or more
cards is normally against the odds.
Because there are 11 trumps in black suits but 12 in red suits, black-suited game contracts win on hands
that appear slightly weaker than similar red-suited hands.
For game contracts, all cards from the talon are usually used. Hence, it can usually be assumed that all
the trumps participate in the play of the cards, and the players can take advantage of exact counting. In
side suits, counting is somewhat pointless.
A declarer exchanging from a side suit with K Q J will sometimes discard the K and Q. A subsequent
play of the J can mislead the weaker defender who might not play a trump on the J because he expects
his partner to beat it.
A defender exchanging only a few cards usually is best off by trying to make himiself void in a side suit.
Cards from the talon that are not used are said to "sleep".
During an evening's play, all contracts except Nolo Ouvert are usually played. Nolo Ouvert is played
once every 5-10 evenings. Tout is rare; the author has never seen an attempted Tout.
Accommodating four players.

Usually only three players are active at a time. The player opposite the dealer sits out, and when two
decks are in use, he shuffles the idle deck, leaving it on his left (which is the right of the next dealer).
The fourth player participates in the payment after the play as though he were a defender.
If the contract becomes Simple Nolo, the fourth player must join the contract and participate in the play.
After declarer has exchanged cards, the dealer picks up all 13 idle cards (the remaining talon and
declarer's discards). Of these 13 cards, he discards four, thus obtaining a hand of 9 cards. At this point he
may abandon his hand for bte, but if he plays to the first trick, his fate is scored as if he was a second
declarer; he and declarer settle their accounts independently of each other, each counting as a defender
against the other.
Avoiding the wash-out

Usually wash-outs are not tolerated. The simplest avoidance scheme, which is the tradition in the author's
family, is the rule that any player holding Spadille must bid at least once, and that the dealer must bid if
the two other players pass. In this way, a dealer who is forced to bid a poor hand has the consolation that
Spadille is in the talon. In such cases, the dealer will often play tourn, at least ensuring that one

additional trump will be obtained from the talon.
Kaske
Kaske is a technique for avoiding wash-outs which, although playable, appears to have gone out of
fashion. If all three players pass, each player in turn may bid "kaske". If the auction is won by a kaske
bid, the declarer takes eight cards from the talon and looks at them. He then chooses one of his own
original nine cards to supplement the eight cards; but he also has the option to discard all nine of his
original cards and take a ninth from the talon. Based on these nine cards, he names a trump suit. The
defenders then exchange with the remaining five or four cards in the talon, and a (simple) game contract
is played and scored normally.
Mort
Another possible method for avoiding wash-outs, useful only when there are four players, is as follows:
After three passes, the fourth player picks up all 13 cards from the talon and discards four cards. He then
names a trump suit and plays as declarer against three defenders, who cannot exchange any cards, since
the talon is already used up. The rate is as for Simple Game. Since there are three defenders, declarer can
win on the trick distributions like 3-2-2-2 and 4-3-1-1.
When playing with both kaske and mort, mort comes into effect only after all three players have passed
the right to kaske.
Variations on Contracts and Bids

Several types of additional contracts and associated bids are played in some circles. The variations on
contracts mentioned here are all rated and scored in ranges comparable to Grand Tourne or Simple Nolo.
Those who play with them need to agree in advance (or fight during play) on the ranking of the bids and
the scores involved.
Grand
This is L'Hombre's equivalent of No Trumps at bridge. Only spadille and basta count as trumps. Both
declarer and defenders exchange cards with the talon. Declarer must exchange at least five cards, and a
win requires at least five tricks.
Grandissimo
This is like Grand, but the declarer does not exchange any cards. This contract is to Grand what Solo is to
simple Game.

Grand Tourne on assorted features

Some players allow Grand Tourne to be bid on holdings other than two black aces. The specific holdings
allowed vary widely; many of them must be considered wildly gambling and would seem to undermine
the original idea of bidding in the game. Some of the combinations seen are:
two red aces
one red and one black ace
three (or four aces) - scoring an additional bonus
the 7 of diamonds
Once you open this bag of variations, there is no limit to the holdings that you can agree should qualify
for a Grand Tourne.
Variations on Simple Nolo

Sometimes multiple declarers are allowed at Simple Nolo. Once declarer has exchanged cards, a
defender (or both) may declare that they are joining the Simple Nolo, exchange cards, and proceed as
declarers. At the end of the play, each declarer settles his account with the two other players
independently. In a four-person game, the fourth player still needs to join the game.
There are numerous other variations on simple nolo, all of which seem to remove much of the traditional
style of the game.
defenders may also exchange
competitive bidding: to win the contract you must pledge to exchange more cards than your
competitor.
declarer may pick up one more card than he discarded, and then discard an extra card, but
afterwards he must play as in Nolo Ouvert.
declarer may repeat his exchange at the price of bete.
all three players exchange and each pay the others for tricks scored in excess of three.
mort-nolo; i..e. a mort may (or even must) be played as a nolo.
Bonus for taking the first five tricks

A declarer in a game contract may declare that he intends to take the first five tricks before he plays to
the first trick. If he succeeds, he scores an additional token; if he fails he loses a token to each player. The
outcome of the five-tricks declaration is independent of the outcome of the contract.
Defenders take 4 tricks each

One trick to declarer and four to each defender is a generally treated as a kodille result. However, a
known variant is to count this result as bte, and some even play it as a win for the declarer.

Danish l'Hombre Union

Here is the home page of the Dansk l'Hombre Union, which contains tournament rules (in Danish), and
club and contact information.


Rules of Card Games: Manni
Manni
Introduction
Basic Manni
Trjmann
Hornafjararmanni
Laugavatnsmanni
Introduction
Manni is a popular Icelandic card game, and has large numbers of local versions. Manni means little man
or chap, and is the name given to the spare hand of cards dealt to the table, which may be used to
improve a player's hand. This page is based on translations by Anthony Smith of parts of "Spilabk AB"
by . Gumundsson, 1989, Reykjavik and on information contributed by Eldsmiurinn (Palli). The rules
of the basic game will be given first, followed by several variations.
Basic Manni
Players and cards
Three players use a 48 card pack, made from a standard 52 card pack by taking out the twos. The
cards in each suit rank in the normal order from ace (high) to three (low). The four twos are used
as trump indicators; the trump suit rotates from deal to deal in the sequence hearts, spades,
diamonds, clubs, hearts, etc.
Deal
12 cards are dealt to each player, in packets of four. The remaining 12 cards form the Manni,
which is placed face-down in the centre of the table.
Exchanging cards
The player to dealer's left has the opportunity to change all 12 cards with the 12 cards of the Manni
(whose cards are unknown). If the player to dealer's left chooses not to exchange, the opportunity
to do so passes clockwise around the table. Once a player has exchanged the other players must
play with the cards they were dealt. If no one exchanges all play with their original cards and the
Manni is not looked at.
The Play
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible; if unable
to follow they may play any card. The trick is won by the highest trump in it, or, if it contains no
trump, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
Scoring
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A cumulative score is kept, everyone starting at zero. Players who win more than four tricks score
one point for each trick in excess of four; players with less than four tricks lose a point for each
trick short of four. Players with exactly four tricks neither win nor lose. The game continues until
one or more players have a cumulative score of 10 points or more. The player who then has most
points is the winner.
Trjmann
The name of this game seems to mean "tree-man". In this version 16 cards are dealt to each of the three
players, an packets of four, and there are just four left for the Manni. Instead of the trump suit rotating,
the player to dealer's left is the declarer, and must choose one of the four four possible contracts. Each
player must choose each contract once in the course of the whole game, which consists of twelve deals.
The contracts are:
Nullo (to avoid taking tricks; there are no trumps)
Grand (to take tricks with no trump suit)
Spades (to take tricks with spades as trumps)
Other (to take tricks with a trump suit chosen by the contractor)
The players must agree in advance whether the declarer is allowed to choose spades as trumps in the
"other" contract.
Before leading to the first trick, the declarer is allowed to discard up to 4 cards and replace them by
drawing an equal number of cards from the Manni. The other players are not allowed to exchange any
cards.
If the contract is Grand, Spades or Other, the declarer's target is 8 tricks and the other players have a
target of 4 tricks each. Each player wins 1 point for each trick above their target, or loses 1 point for each
trick below their target.
If the contract is Nullo, the declarer's target is 4 tricks and the other players have a target of 6 tricks each.
The aim is to avoid winning tricks, so you win 1 point for each trick below your target, or lose a point for
each trick you win in excess of your target.
Hornafjararmanni
On the web page Hornafjararmanni, Eldsmiurinn describes a version of Manni played in Hornafjrur,
on the South-East coast of Iceland. They play the World Championship there during the summer lobster
festival. In 1997 there were about 300 participants.
For this game the twos are kept in the pack, and the deal is 4 cards to the Manni, then 3 to each player,
repeated until the Manni has 16 cards and each player has 12. The player to dealer's right cuts the cards,
and the cut card determines the contract as follows:
ten or higher - no trumps
six to nine - the suit of the cut card is trumps
five or lower - nolo (avoid taking tricks, with no trumps)

The cut card ends up at the bottom of the pack and so goes to the dealer.
The player to dealer's left can discard up to seven cards and replace them from the top of the Manni. The
discards are put face down in apile separate from the Manni and are out of the game. then the player to
dealer's right can discard up to five and replace them. Finally the dealer can discard up to as many cards
as are left in the Manni - there will be four if the first two players exchanged the maximum number of
cards.
The player to dealer's left leads to the first trick and the play is as usual. Each player has a target of 4
tricks, the aim being to take as many tricks as possible if the contract is no trumps or a suit, but as few as
possible if it is nolo. As usual 1 point is scored for each trick above the target or lost for each trick below
when the aim is to win tricks, and these scores are reversed in nolo, when the aim is to lose. Further
hands are played until someone achieves a cumulative score of +10 or more points.
There is a tradition that the above version of Hornafjararmanni was invented by a minister of the local
church. This version has been the most popular in Hornafjrur as well as in other parts of the country
for the past few decades.
A different (perhaps older?) version of Hornafjararmanni is described in . Gumundsson's Spilabk
AB. It is similar to Trjmann, except that there are six possible contracts: Nullo, Grand, Spades, Hearts,
Clubs and Diamonds, the last four having the named suit as trumps. The game takes 18 deals. The first
time you are declarer you have the choice of any of the six contracts, the next time you can choose from
the remaining five, and so on until in the last three deals the declarer has no choice at all.
Laugavatnsmanni
This version, presumably played at Laugavatn, is described in . Gumundsson's Spilabk AB.
It is similar to Trjmann, but with six possible contracts: Nullo, Grand, Spades, Hearts, Clubs and
Diamonds, the last four having the named suit as trumps. The game takes 18 deals.
The player to the left of dealer chooses any contract he or she has not yet played, but either of the other
players can try to take over the role of declarer by announcing a great contract in either Grand or one of
the four suits, provided that the player has not already played a contract in this denomination. In a great
contract the declarer has a target of 14 tricks, and the other players a target of 1 each.
If either of the other players offers to play a great contract, the player left of dealer can retain the right to
be declarer by also undertaking to play a great contract, which can be in any suit or grand this player has
not yet used.
If the player to dealer's right announces a great contract and the player to dealer's left does not wish to
compete by also announcing one, the dealer can become declarer by undertaking a great contract in a
higher denomination, the ordering being Grand (high), hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs (low). Again this
higher bid must be in a suit or Grand that the dealer has not already played.
There is no "great nullo" contract.
As in Trjmann the declarer can discard up to 4 cards and replace them from the Manni. The declarer
leads to the first trick.

In the ordinary Grand and suit contracts the targets are 8 for the declarer and 4 for each of the other
players as usual. In Nullo the target is 4 for declarer and 6 for each of the others. Scoring is as in
Trjmann.
If declarer takes 15 tricks in a great contract, the declarer wins 4 points and each opponent loses 2. For
taking all 16 tricks the declarer wins 8 points and each other player loses 4. If the declarer takes 14 or
fewer tricks, the scoring is normal - each player wins or loses a point for each trick above or below their
target.

Last updated 3rd May 1999

Rules of Card Games: Hungarian Tarokk
Magyar szveg Hungarian Tarokk English text

The first version of this page was published in 1995, based on a description by Kirsty Healey and Matthew
Macfadyen. In 1998 it was revised and expanded by John McLeod, making extensive use of comments and
suggestions from Gbor Rvsz and Gyula Zsigri.
Introduction

Outline of the game
Choice of seats, dealing and ending the session
The bidding
Drawing from the talon and discarding
Calling a partner, bonuses and announcements
The play
The scoring
Conventions: cue bids and the yielded game
Variations
Advice on tactics
Customs and sayings
Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk
Introduction
This page describes basic Hungarian Tarokk, generally known as Hszashvsos tarokk (XX-calling tarokk), or
Paskievics tarokk after Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich, the prince of Warsaw who led Russian troops to Hungary to
put down the Hungarian revolution and war of independence in 1848/49. Possibly there is some connection between
the year '48 and the 48 card points needed to win the game. It is a tarot game played with a shortened pack of 42
cards, with an advanced structure of bids and bonuses. The game was developed in the 19th century from a version
of Austrian Zwanzigerrufen, and became the favourite game of the Hungarian establishment. It was discouraged
during the communist era because of its association with the gentry, but in the current more liberal political climate,
interest in this fine game may again be increasing. It is reported that according to the Austrian playing-card
manufacturer Piatnik, sales of Tarokk cards in Hungary are currently around 3500 to 4000 packs per year.
Of even more interest to players who like the challenge of a card game which offers the maximum opportunity for
skill and strategy is Illusztrlt tarokk (Illustrated Tarokk), in which the scope for scientific play is increased by
adding six extra bonuses. Illustrated Tarokk is described on a separate page.
http://www.pagat.com/tarot/xx-hivas.html (1 de 24) [04/05/2001 9:52:06]


The players
Tarokk is basically a game for four players, in that there are four active participants at a time. However it is
common for five to play, the dealer sitting out of each hand (this allows time for dealer to organise drinks, dispose
of them, and so on). Like all tarot games it is a trick-taking game; the partnerships vary from hand to hand and are
determined by a card called by the high bidder.
The cards
Tarokk is played with a 42 card pack. There are four plain suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) each consisting
of only five cards, and 22 tarokks, which function as trump cards. Tarokk cards are normally sold as a 54 card pack
with eight cards in each plain suits; from this you remove the 7s, 8s and 9s of the black suits and the 2s, 3s and 4s of
the red suits to leave the 42 cards needed for the game.
The cards have point values, the basic object of the game being to win more than half the points in tricks.
The highest tarokk is the skz, which looks a little like
a Joker. All the others bear Roman numerals, from the
XXI, which is the second highest down to the lowest,
the I, which is known as the pagt. The skz, XXI and
pagt are collectively known as honours (honrk)
and are worth 5 points each. The highest two tarokks
(skz and XXI) are known as the high honours
(nagyhonrk)
The 19 tarokks from XX down to II are worth just 1

point each.
The suits consist of five cards each.

In the black suits the cards rank from highest to lowest:
king (kirly), queen (dma), rider (lovas), jack
(bubi or botos), ten (tzes).
In the red suits the cards rank from highest to lowest:
king (kirly), queen (dma), rider (lovas), jack
(bubi or botos), ace (sz).
Although the cards have no corner indices, they are
fairly easy to tell apart: in each suit the king wears a
crown, the queen is female, the rider rides a horse and
the jack is the other picture.

The point values of the suit cards are as follows:

kings .... 5 points each
queens .... 4 points each
riders .... 3 points each
jacks .... 2 points each
tens and aces .... 1 point each
The total value of all the cards in the pack is 94 points:

15 in each suit, 15 for the honours, and 19 for the other
tarokks.
The mayor's hat

An important part of the apparatus of this game is the mayor's hat, which should look as silly as possible - one
version is a felt hat adorned with feathers and other decorations, but anything ridiculous looking will do. The largest
bonus in the game occurs when the second highest card - tarokk XXI - is captured by an opponent's skz. The player
who is unfortunate (or careless) enough to lose the XXI is called the mayor (polgrmester), and is obliged as a
penalty to wear the hat until someone else suffers the same misfortune.
Outline of the game

The entire game is played anticlockwise.
Nine cards are dealt to each of the four active players and the remaining six are placed face down to form the talon.
There is an auction in which the possible bids (from low to high) are "three", "two", "one" and "solo". The winner of
the auction (the "bidder" or "declarer") draws some cards from the talon and discards an equal number. The bid
determines the number of talon cards drawn by the declarer - "solo" means zero cards. The other talon cards are
distributed as equally as possible among the other three players and they also discard to reduce their hands to nine
cards again.
The partnerships vary from hand to hand. The declarer calls a tarokk - normally the XX - and the holder of the
called tarokk becomes the declarer's partner, but does not announce who they are. The other two players form the
opposing team. Often the partnerships are only discovered during the course of the play - for example when the
called card is played. In some cases the identity of the partners can be deduced from the bidding or subsequent
announcements.
After the declarer has called a tarokk, there is a round of announcements in which the declarer followed by the
other players in turn has the opportunity to:
announce their intention to try for one or more bonuses;
declare a holding of eight or nine tarokks;
say kontra to double the stake for the game or any bonuses announced by the other team if they think they
will fail.
The player to the dealer's right then leads to the first trick. It is compulsory to follow suit and to play a tarokk if you

have no cards of the suit led. After nine tricks have been played each side counts the card points in its tricks, the
declarer's team adding the cards discarded by the declarer, and the declarer's team wins if they have more than half
of the card points (at least 48).
At the end of each hand, payments are made in cash, or equivalent transactions are recorded on a scoresheet. As
well as the payment for game, there are bonus payments for a team which takes all three honours or all four kings in
tricks, takes at least three quarters of the points or all the tricks, wins the last trick with the pagt, or captures the
opponents' XXI with the skz. The bonus payments can often be greater than the payment for the game. There is a
double payment for any bonuses that were announced in advance, and any item that was kontra'd is further doubled.

The relative positions of the players are important, so seats are generally determined randomly by the following
method. Take from the pack one tarokk and one card of each suit (if there are 5 players) or one tarokk and three
cards of different suits (if there are four players); shuffle these and deal one face up to each position at the table.
Take another similar set of cards - a tarokk and three or four cards of different suits - and deal them face down to the
players. The players examine their cards and move to the position of the face up card of the corresponding suit. The
player who received the tarokk moves to the tarokk position and will bid first and play the first card in the first
hand; the player sitting to the left of the one who received the tarokk deals first.
The whole game is played anticlockwise. If there are just four players everyone takes part in every hand. If there are
five, the dealer sits out of each hand, dealing cards to the other four players only. The dealer shuffles and the player
to the dealer's left cuts. The dealer begins by dealing a packet of six cards face down; to form the talon. Next a
packet of five cards is dealt to each of the four active players, beginning to dealer's right and continuing
anticlockwise, and finally a packet of four cards is dealt to each active player in the same way.
After each hand has been played and scored, the turn to deal passes to the right.
The traditional way of ending a session of tarokk is for a player to give notice by saying "A skz oszt, nem oszt"
("The skz deals and does not deal"). The meaning of this is as follows. The skz is the person who is dealt the skz
(or picks it up from the talon) in the next deal after notice is given. The game continues until the next time it is this
player's turn to deal, and then goes on for one more complete round of deals, until the skz is about to deal for the
second time. At that point, the session ends (the skz does not deal). Therefore the number of complete hands to be
played after someone gives notice is from 5 to 9 if there are five players, and from 4 to 7 if there are four players,
depending on the position of the skz.
Customarily, notice to end the session is given by one of the players who is a net loser from the hands played so far.
However, any player is entitled to give notice, and of course the game can end at any time without notice being
given if all the players agree to stop.
The bidding
There is an auction to determine which player will be the declarer. The bidding begins with the player to dealer's
right and continues anticlockwise around the table. The four possible bids indicate the number of cards (from zero to
three) which the eventual winner of the bidding will exchange with the talon; the fewer cards exchanged the higher
the bid and the payment for the game. In ascending order the bids are:
three (hrom) (payment for the game: 1 point);
two (kett) (payment for the game: 2 points);
one (egy) (payment for the game: 3 points);
solo (szl) (payment for the game: 4 points).

A player who does not wish to bid can pass (passz). A player who passes cannot bid again in the auction.
To be allowed to bid at all, a player must have at least one of the honours (skz, XXI and pagt); if you have
none of these cards you must pass. If you have an honour you are allowed to bid but you are not compelled to.
Each bid must be higher than the previous one, with the following exception: if you have already bid, but another
player has subsequently bid higher, you may hold (the Hungarian expression is "tartom" - "I hold it"), which means
that you make a bid equal to the highest bid so far (but see variations). A bid can only be held once: if the last
positive bid was a hold, you cannot also hold but must bid higher or pass.
It is quite unusual for all four players to pass. If it happens, the cards are thrown in, and the same player deals again,
and for the next round (four deals if there are four players; five deals if there are five players) all the scores are
doubled. If during the doubled round another hand is passed out, another doubled round is started, leading to some
deals in which the scores are quadrupled while the two rounds overlap (but see variations).
If anyone bids, the auction continues for as many rounds as are necessary until all players but one have passed, or
until no higher bids are possible. The last player who bid becomes the declarer (felvev), and will draw 3, 2, 1 or no
cards from the talon, depending on the final bid.
Here are some simple examples of auctions. In this and all examples of this page the active players, in anticlockwise
order, are called A, B, C and D. A is the player to the right of the dealer, who bids first and will lead to the first
trick.
Bidding in Hungarian Bidding in English Result
A B C D A B C D
Passz Hrom Kett Passz Pass Three Two Pass B is the declarer and takes two
cards from the talon.
Tartom Passz Hold Pass
A is the declarer and takes no

cards from the talon. The auction
A B C D A B C D ends after A holds the Solo as
Hrom Kett Passz Egy Three Two Pass One there is no higher bid that D can
make. Notice that if B wanted to
Tartom Passz Szl Hold Pass Solo
bid again on the second round,
Tartom Hold the bid would have to be solo, as
D's bid of one has already been
held.
B makes the highest bid and

A B C D A B C D ends the auction. B is the
Passz Szl Pass Solo declarer and takes no cards from
the talon.
Normally it is agreed that certain bidding sequences are conventional, promising that the bidder holds a particular
tarokk or tarokks. These conventions (unlike bidding conventions in Bridge) are mandatory - if you make a
conventional bid you must hold the card(s) that you promise. They will be explained in the section on cue bids and
yielded games below.
There is one exception to the rule that you cannot bid without an honour. If the first three players pass, the fourth
player is permitted to bid holding no honour, but speculating on picking up an honour from the talon. If the bidder
does not obtain an honour from the talon, the game is automatically lost without play, and the bidder must pay the

value of the game to each other player (i.e. 1 point each, assuming that the bid was "three"). A bid of "three" in
fourth position without an honour is sometimes called a prbahrom (trial three).

Distributing the talon
Declarer receives cards bid from the top of the talon according to the final bid. The other players in anticlockwise
rotation get the remaining talon cards, which are distributed as equally as possible; the players nearest the declarer's
right get an extra card when necessary as follows:
Final bid Declarer 2nd player 3rd player 4th player
three (hrom) 3 cards 1 card 1 card 1 card
two (kett) 2 cards 2 cards 1 card 1 card
one (egy) 1 card 2 cards 2 cards 1 card
solo (szl) no cards 2 cards 2 cards 2 cards
If there are four players, they each take the cards they are entitled to (without showing them to the other players). If
there are five players the dealer distributes the talon cards (face down) to the players.
Discarding
The players add the cards they have gained from the talon to their hands and then discard an equal number of cards
face down, so that everyone has nine cards (in Hungarian the discarded cards are called the skart). The declarer's
discards are placed in a pile in front of the declarer, and any points in these cards count to the benefit of the
declarer's side. All the cards discarded by the other three players are put into a single pile, which is kept in front of
the dealer if there are five players, and immediately to the right of the dealer if there are four (this custom makes it
easier to remember who dealt); the points in these discards count for the declarer's opponents (even though one the
three players will normally be the declarer's partner).
It is always illegal to discard kings or honours (i.e. any 5 point cards). If you have made a cue bid or yielded the
game (see below), it is also illegal to discard the tarokk which you have indicated by your bidding. Any other cards,
including tarokks, may be discarded freely (but see variations).
After everyone has discarded, the number of tarokks in the discard must be announced. If there are five players the
dealer looks at the cards discarded by the three players other than the declarer, and either declares them "clean"
("tiszta"), or states how many tarokks have been discarded: "one tarokk discarded", "two tarokks discarded"
("egy tarokk fekszik", "kt tarokk fekszik"), etc. If there are only four players, the dealer is taking part in the game, so
is not allowed to see the discards; in this case when the discards are complete, any player who has discarded tarokks
must announce how many. No "clean" announcement is required from players who have not discarded tarokks -
anyone who does not say anything is assumed to have discarded suit cards only.
Any tarokks discarded by the declarer must be turned face up when all the discards are complete, so that everyone
knows not only how many tarokks the declarer has discarded but also which ones. The declarer's discarded tarokks
remain face up until the lead to the first trick.

Annulling the hand

Certain holdings are considered so poor that the player is allowed to annul the hand. These are:
all four kings;
the XXI and no other tarokks;
the pagt (I) and no other tarokks;
no tarokks at all;
the XXI, the pagt and no other tarokks.
Annulling the hand is voluntary - if you have cards which would allow you to annul the hand you can nevertheless
play on if you see some advantage in doing so. You are not allowed to annul the hand on the basis of any of the last
four holdings if you have discarded a tarokk into the skart (but see variations). However, a player who holds four
kings can annul the hand even after discarding a tarokk. A hand can only be annulled immediately after the talon
exchange; once the round of announcements is underway it is too late.
It may not be immediately obvious that four kings is a bad holding. In fact kings are usually a liability in this game -
they are worth 5 points but they nearly always get trumped and you are not allowed to discard them into the skart.
When a hand is annulled, there is no score. The cards are thrown in, the same dealer deals again, and the next four
or five hands (depending on the number of players) are played for doubled scores, in the same way as if the deal had
been passed out.

After everyone has discarded, there is what sounds like a second auction. This one starts with the declarer and
proceeds anticlockwise around the table, possibly for several rounds. There are four types of announcement that can
be made at this time:
1. A player who has 8 or 9 tarokks may declare them;
2. The declarer must call a partner;
3. Any player may announce one or more bonuses;
4. Players may say kontra, rekontra, etc. to a previously announced game or bonus.
Each of these possibilities will be described in detail, and then the procedure for the round of announcements will be
explained.
Calling a partner
The declarer begins the round of announcements by calling a tarokk whose holder will be declarer's partner
(partner, segt) for this hand. The other two active players will form the opposing team, the opponents (ellenfelek,
ellenjtkosok) or defenders (vdk). The declarer says, for example, "I call the twenty" ("Hvom a hszast") or
"The twenty helps me" ("Segt a hszas"). There are three circumstances in which the declarer is allowed to call a
tarokk other than the XX:
1. If as declarer you hold the XX yourself, you may instead call the highest tarokk below the XX which you do
not hold. For example, if your tarokks are skz, XX, XIX, XVIII, XV, XIII, VII you are allowed to call the
XVII. Alternatively you can, if you wish, call your own XX, in which case you will have no partner, and the
other three players will form a team against you, though they will not realise this until later.
2. If any of the players other than the declarer has discarded a tarokk, the declarer is free to call any tarokk
other than an honour. If the called tarokk has in fact been discarded, the declarer plays alone against three

opponents. The player who discarded the called tarokk is obliged in this case to kontra the game (see below).
3. If anyone other than the declarer has made a cue bid (see below), the declarer is not allowed to call the XX,
but must call the tarokk (XIX or XVIII) indicated by the cue bid. In a yielded game, the declarer must call
the XX. This applies even if tarokks have been discarded - the indicated tarokk cannot be discarded and must
be called.
If you hold the called tarokk you are the declarer's partner, but you must not make any sign to reveal this. Your
identity as the partner will only become known in the course of the subsequent announcements and play. Sometimes
the partnerships will remain a mystery right up to the point when the called tarokk is played.
Bonuses
Bonuses (figurk) are scored for achieving some feat during the play. Bonuses are won or lost by a partnership, not
an individual - if you make pagtultim, or lose your XXI to the enemy skz, your partner wins or loses the same
amount as you (but in the latter case it is only you who suffer the indignity of wearing the hat). If you are confident
that your side is going to win a particular bonus, you can announce during the round of announcements that your
side is going for this bonus. You and your partner win twice as much if you succeed, but if you fail, you both lose
the amount that you would have won. In most cases the bonuses, silent and announced, are scored independently of
each other and of the game; you can win some and lose others. (The only exceptions are bonuses double game and
volt, which interact with each other and the game score as explained under scoring).
In basic Hungarian tarokk, six bonuses are available:
1. Tultro, also known as tuli, trull or trl for short, is a bonus for a team that wins all three honours (skz,
XXI and pagt (I)) in its tricks. The name comes from the French "tous les trois" (all three). Payment: 1 point
if made silently; 2 points if announced.
2. Four kings (ngykirly) is a bonus for a team that wins all four kings in its tricks. Payment: 1 point if made
silently; 2 points if announced.
3. Double game (duplajtk) is a bonus for a team that wins more than three quarters of the card points in its
tricks - that is at least 71 points, keeping the other side to 23 card points or fewer. This bonus doubles the
payment for the game if made silently; if announced it multiplies the game score by 4.
4. Volt is a bonus for a team that wins all nine tricks. The payment for the game is then multiplied by three for
silent volt, or by six if it was announced.
5. Pagtultim, also known as pagtulti, is a bonus for winning the last trick with the pagt (tarokk I). The
payment for a silent pagtulti is 5 points. The pagt itself has to win the trick for this bonus to succeed. If the
pagt is played to the last trick and does not win, the pagtulti has failed and the team that played the pagt
have to pay 5 points to the other side (even if the last trick was won by the partner of the person who played
the pagt). If pagt ulti is announced, the payment is 10 points. If announced it can fail in three different
ways:
the pagt is beaten by a higher tarokk in the last trick;
the holder of the pagt is forced to play it before the last trick;
(unusual) the team that announced pagtulti do not hold the pagt at all.
6. XXI-catch (huszonegyfogs) is a bonus for catching an opponent's XXI with the skz. Payment: 21 points
and the player who lost the XXI has to wear the mayor's hat. If two partners manage to play the skz and the
XXI to the same trick, it does not count as a XXI-catch and there is no payment. The payment for an
announced XXI-catch is 42 points if it succeeds; if the XXI escapes or if it was not held by an opponent, the
team which announced the catch have to pay 42 points.

Kontra
During the round of announcements, an opponent of the declarer may double the score for the game by saying
"kontra the game" (kontra jtk). In the same way an opponent of a player who announced a bonus may kontra the
announcement, doubling the score for it. All kontras are independent of each other, so you must specify which
things you are saying kontra to, for example "kontra the pagtultim" or "kontra the four kings and the game". After
the game or an announcement has been kontra'd, either member of the side which originally announced it may
rekontra it, which doubles the score for that item again. Theoretically, the process can continue with further
doubles: the opponents of the announcers can "szubkontra", the announcers can then "hirskontra" and their
opponents can then "mordkontra". For example, if the contract is a "one" (egyes jtk), the game is worth 3 to begin
with; with kontra it is worth 6, with rekontra 12, with szubkontra 24, with hirskontra 48 and with mordkontra 96.
Kontras above szubkontra are rare in practice.
Declaring tarokks
Any player with 8 or 9 tarokks may declare the fact during the round of announcements, and is immediately paid for
it by each of the other three active players. The payment is 1 point from each player each for 8 tarokks (nyolc
tarokk), and 2 points from each for 9 tarokks (kilenc tarokk). It is not normally compulsory to make these
declarations. The exception is when you are announcing pagtultim or saying kontra to a pagtultim
announcement, in which case you must declare 8 or 9 tarokks if you have them.
It is illegal to declare 8 tarokks if you actually have nine.
If you have 8 or 9 tarokks and do not declare them during the round of announcements, you can still claim payment
for them from your partner at the end of the hand, but not from the opponents. There is a school of thought that it is
unsporting to claim payment from your partner for undeclared tarokks unless your team has won enough on the
hand to cover the payment.
Procedure for the round of announcements

The declarer speaks first and may declare tarokks. The declarer must call a partner, may then go on to announce
bonuses, and must end by saying "pass" (passz or mehet). Any declaration of tarokks comes first, then the calling
of a partner, and finally bonus announcements in any order. For example a declarer with a particularly fine hand
might begin the round of announcements by saying: "eight tarokks; I call the nineteen; trull; four kings; pass"
("nyolc tarokk, hvom a tizenkilencest, tultro, ngykirly, passz").
The round of announcements now continues in anticlockwise rotation. Each player, at their turn, may declare
tarokks, announce bonuses, and kontra things announced by the other team, always ending by saying "pass", to
indicate that the next player may now speak. The round of announcements continues as many times around the table
as necessary until three players in succession do nothing except pass.
In general any player can announce any bonus, and all announcements are made on behalf of the announcer's team.
For example, if you think your partner has the pagt, you can announce pagtultim, committing your partner to win
the last trick with it. There are some restrictions on announcing double game and volt:
1. You cannot announce both double game and volt at the same turn to speak.
2. You cannot announce double game if your team has previously announced volt.
When a player announces a bonus, it is necessary to know which team they belong to - i.e. whether they are for or
against the declarer. Without this arrangement it would become impossible to kontra these announcements, as you
would not know whether you were playing with or against the announcer. This is achieved as follows:
If a player makes an announcement and it is not otherwise provable whether they are for or against the

declarer, they are assumed to be on the same team as the player who most recently announced or kontra'd
anything. If there have been no kontras or announcements yet, the announcer is assumed to be the declarer's
partner.
Therefore, if you want to make an announcement and you are against the player who most recently
announced or kontra'd anything (or against the declarer if nothing has been announced or kontra'd), you must
also kontra (or rekontra) something said by your opponents, to make it known what side you are on.
If it is already known what side you are on - either because the declarer's partner is already known from the
bidding (if the game was yielded or a cue-bid card was called) or from previous announcements, or because
you have already made an announcement which proves what side you are on - you are free to make
announcements without including a kontra.
The above rules do not apply to declarations of tarokks. Anyone who has 8 or 9 tarokks can declare them freely, and
you do not necessarily know whether they are for or against you. Also, if you announce something after a
declaration of tarokks this does not prove that you are on the side of the player who declared the tarokks. (Some
players treat declarations differently - see variations).
Here some examples of rounds of announcements. Player B is the declarer in each case:
Example 1.
A B C D
I call the XX, pass Trull, four kings, pass Pass
Kontra the trull, pass Pagtultim, pass Pass Pass
Pass
The trull and four kings announcements imply that C has the XX. This encourages B to announce
pagtultim. It sounds as though A and C have the high honours, so that there is a possibility of a XXI-catch,
and the players will have to be careful about this.
Example 2.
A B C D
I call the XX, pass Kontra the game, pass Pass
Trull, pass Pass Pass Pass
Since the game has been kontra'd, A's trull announcement (without a rekontra of the game) shows that A does
not have the XX. It must be D who is B's partner.
Example 3.
A B C D
I call the XX, four kings, Kontra the four kings, Nine tarokks, pagtultim,
pass pass pass
Pass Kontra the pagtulti, pass Pass Pass
Pass
D's announcement shows that D and C are partners, since C was the previous speaker. If D wanted to
announce pagtulti in this position holding the XX, he would be obliged also to rekontra the four kings.
Therefore B knows that D is an enemy, and B can legally kontra the pagtulti.

The play
After the round of announcements the play of the hand begins. The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, and
the winner of each trick leads to the next. Any card may be led to a trick, and the other players in turn must follow
suit - i.e. play a card of the same suit that was led, or play a tarokk if a tarokk was led.
If a suit is led and you have no cards of that suit, you must play a tarokk if you have one. Only if you have neither
tarokks nor cards in the suit led are you free to play any card. The trick is won by the highest tarokk in it, or, if it
contains no tarokk, by the highest card of the suit led.
If your team has announced pagtultim, you are obliged to hold onto the pagt as long as possible. You may not
play it until you are forced to by the above rules of following suit and playing a tarokk if unable to. Even if it
becomes clear that the pagt cannot win the last trick, you are not allowed to play it early to save it.
Since often during the early stages of the play you do not know who your partner is, players keep their own tricks in
separate face-down piles, and the defenders' part of the discard must also be kept separate. Only when the called
tarokk has been played (or some other event has occurred which proves which players are partners) can the piles be
combined into two: declarer's cards and defenders' cards.
When all nine tricks have been played, the card points taken by each side are counted and the hand is scored. The
player to the right of the previous dealer then shuffles, has the cards cut, and deals the next hand.
The scoring
The scoring system is designed for people who settle up by pushing money across the table at the end of each hand.
In contracts with two players on each side, each player on the losing team pays one of the players on the winning
team the net score for the game and any bonuses which happened on that hand. If you are playing alone against the
other three players together (because you called your own XX or a discarded tarokk), you are paid the net score by
each of them (or if you lose you pay it to each of them), so the value to declarer of such contracts is three times as
much. When there are five players the payments are only between the four active players; the dealer neither wins
nor loses. If you prefer to note the scores on a score sheet, then receipts are recorded as plus and payments as minus,
so that the scores of the players always add up to zero.
First, the cards taken by each team are counted, using the scale of card points explained above. There are 94 card
points altogether. If the declarer's team have taken at least 48 points (more than half) they have won the game. The
opponents win if they have 47 or more. If either team has more than three quarters of the card points, so that the
other side has 23 points or fewer, they have won a double game. A team which has taken all the tricks has won
volt.
The basic payment for the game depends on the bid. These basic scores are doubled if double game was made by
either side, or multiplied by three if volt was made. If double game was announced, the basic game score is
multiplied by four and if volt was announced it is multiplied by six.
Bid Basic game score Silent double game Silent volt Announced double game Announced volt
Three 1 point 2 points 3 points 4 points 6 points
Two 2 points 4 points 6 points 8 points 12 points
One 3 points 6 points 9 points 12 points 18 points
Solo 4 points 8 points 12 points 16 points 24 points

Note that in the absence of announcements or kontras, the scores for game, double game and volt are alternatives -
if the bid is two and the declarer's team takes 75 card points, the payment of 4 points for double game replaces the 2
points for game; it is not additional.
If double game or volt is announced, or the game is kontra'd, the situation is more complex. The rules determining
the score for game, double game and volt are as follows:
1. If neither double game nor volt was announced and the game was not kontra'd, then only one of the game,
the double game and the volt is scored, depending on what card points / tricks are made.
2. If a team announces double game, they cannot score for the ordinary game, but they can score volt in
addition to the announced double game if they win all the tricks. If they lose not only the announcement but
the game as well, the opponents will score for the ordinary game as well as the failed announced double game
(5 times the game in total). If the opponents managed to make their own double game or even volt, they
would score that instead of the ordinary game, in addition to the failed announced double game.
3. If a team announces both double game and volt, then each of these bonuses is scored separately; it is
possible to win the double game while losing the volt. The ordinary game is not scored unless the
announcing team loses the game, in which case the opponents score for it. In the unlikely case that the
opponents made a silent double game or volt they would score that in place of the ordinary game.
4. If a team announces volt but not double game, the volt is scored (won or lost). The announcing team cannot
score anything for game or double game, but if the opponents win the game (or double game or volt) they
score for it.
5. If the game is kontra'd it is always scored. If either side makes a silent double game or volt, that is scored in
addition to the kontra'd game (but not both the double game and the volt).
6. If the game is kontra'd (or rekontra'd) and double game and / or volt is announced (by either team), the game
is scored as well as the announcements. A silent volt can be scored in addition to a kontra'd game and an
announced double game.
The following table summarises the amount by which the basic game score is to be multiplied in various situations,
according to the number of card points or tricks taken by the declarer's team. Positive multipliers indicate that
declarer's team wins; negative multipliers indicate that the opponents win.
BASIC GAME SCORE MULTIPLIERS FOR DECLARER'S TEAM
Points / tricks taken by declarer's team
Announcements
No trick 23 or fewer 24-47 48-70 71 or more All tricks
Nothing -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3
Double game -7 -6 -5 -4 +4 +7
Volt -9 -8 -7 -6 -6 +6
Double game, volt -13 -12 -11 -10 -2 +10
Kontra the game -5 -4 -2 +2 +4 +5
Kontra the game;
-9 -6 +2 +6 +8 +9
opponents announce double
Double game;
-11 -10 -9 -8 +8 +11
opponents kontra the double

Double game;
opponents kontra the double -13 -12 -10 -6 +10 +13
and the game
The above table does not give an exhaustive list of possible situations, but should be sufficient to illustrate how the
scoring works. For example if the bid is "two", the declarer announces double game, the opponents kontra the
double game and the game, and the declarer's team takes 52 card points, the score is -6 times 2, that is 12 points paid
to the opponents. This is made up of 4 points won by the declarer's team for the kontra'd game and 16 points won by
the opponents for the kontra'd announcement of double game.
The next table summarises the scores for other bonuses and declarations. These scores are not affected by the basic
game value; they are the same, no matter what type of game was bid:
Item Silent Announced Notes
Trull 1 2 A team which wins all the tricks scores

nothing for silent trull or silent four kings.
Announced trull or four kings are scored as
Four kings (ngykirly) 1 2 usual.
The pagt itself must win the last trick for this
Pagtultim 5 10
bonus to succeed.
The player who loses the XXI must wear the
XXI-catch (XXI-fogs) 21 42
hat.
Payment for declared tarokks is made by all
8 tarokks (nyolc tarokk) 1 1 other active players, including the partner of
the player who holds the tarokks. If the tarokks
are not declared, payment can be claimed at
9 tarokks (kilenc tarokk) 2 2 the end of the play from the partner of the
holder only.
All of the above scores for bonuses and declarations are available to either team. It is possible for a bonus to be
scored twice by one team - for example: if four kings are announced but the opposing team manages to capture all
four kings, the successful team scores 3 points for this - 2 points for the failed announcement plus 1 point for their
own silent four kings. It is even possible for both teams to announce the same bonus: for example team A announces
four kings, but team B kontras this and also announces four kings. Now if either side actually takes all four kings
they will score 6 points; if the kings are split both announcements will be lost, and team B's net score for the two
announcements will be 2 points.
The rule that silent trull and four kings cannot be scored in addition to volt has an interesting consequence. When
the bid is three and nothing has been announced, if you have taken all the honours and kings it is better to give up
one trick and make double game, trull and four kings for 4 points (2 + 1 + 1), rather than to win every trick and
make volt, which is worth only 3 points.
Conventions: cue bids and the yielded game

The purpose of conventional bidding is to enable two players who hold strong hands including honours to arrange to
be partners, even when neither of them holds the XX. This helps them to announce and make more valuable
bonuses.

Cue bids
A cue bid guarantees that the bidder holds a specific tarokk - the XIX or the XVIII. The main purpose of making a
cue bid is to enable the eventual winner of the bidding to become your partner by calling the card you have
indicated. In Hungarian these bids are called "invit" (literally invitations), but we have found that new players
learning the game find the term "invitation" for these bids confusing, so here I use instead the term "cue bid",
borrowed from Bridge.
However, unlike Bridge conventions, these bidding conventions are part of the rules of the game. It is illegal to
make a cue bid or to yield the game if you do not hold the indicated tarokk. On the other hand you are not forced to
make a cue bid or yield just because you hold the requisite cards - you may pass or make the minimum bid instead if
you wish.
A cue bid is made by means of a jump in the bidding:
A bid which is one level higher than the minimum bid available is a cue bid showing the XIX (but see
variations).
A bid which is two levels higher than the minimum bid available is a cue bid showing the XVIII.
If the bidding is eventually won by a player other than the one who made the cue bid, the declarer must call the
tarokk shown by the cue bid.
There are two situations in which a jump is not a cue bid:
1. There can only be one cue bid during the auction. If there has already been a cue bid, a second jump bid in the
same auction has no conventional meaning.
2. If the first three players pass, a bid by the fourth player is never counted as a cue bid. (There would be little
point in cue-bidding in this situation, since no other player is in a position to take over the contract and call
the cue-bid card.)
Normally a player who makes a cue bid will have a fairly strong hand and a high honour. It is possible to make a
cue bid when your only honour is the pagt but if you do this there is an additional constraint: you must announce
pagtultim at your first turn to speak during the round of announcements.
Note that using normal bidding conventions it is not possible to cue bid the XVII. The only possibility of a triple
jump would be an opening bid of Solo, and that cannot usefully be given a conventional meaning as a cue bid, since
no one can bid over it to call the indicated card. A possible method of cue bidding the XVII is explained in the
variations section.
Yielded game
A second type of conventional sequence is the yielded game (engedett jtk). This can only occur when one player
has bid three, someone else has bid two, and both of the other players have passed. In this case, a pass by the player
who originally bid three is conventional, guaranteeing that that player who passes holds the XX plus at least one
high honour (skz or XXI).
Examples of bidding sequences

Here are some further examples of bidding sequences, most of which involve conventional bids:
Bidding Comments

D's single jump is a cue bid of the XIX. A's solo bid is also a jump (A
A B C D could have held) but is not a cue bid, since D has already cue bid. A is
Three Pass Pass One the declarer, in a contract of solo, and must call D's XIX. As well as
increasing the value of the game, A's solo bid allows D to exchange two
Solo Pass cards with the talon, rather than A and D exchanging one each, which
may or may not be an advantage.
A B C D B's double jump is a cue bid of the XVIII. A is the declarer in a contract
Three Solo Pass Pass of solo and must call B's XVIII. The bidding ends after A's "hold" as
Hold there are no more legal bids that can be made.
A B C D
Two Pass Pass One A's opening bid of two is a jump (A could have started with three),
showing the XIX. D is the declarer, and must call A's XIX.
Pass
C is the declarer, the game is one, and C must call B's XIX. B could
A B C D have held C's bid of "two", so the one bid was a level higher than
Pass Three Two Pass necessary, and therefore a cue bid of the XIX. Some players adhere to
One Hold the older rules of bidding, whereby C is not allowed to hold in this
Pass situation (see variations). Under those older rules, C would need to bid
solo to become declarer and call the XIX.
B is the declarer, and must call the XIX which C has cue bid. Note that
A B C D many players still use an older system of conventions (see variations)
Three Two Solo whereby any jump to solo is a cue bid of the XVIII. Under the old
Pass Hold system C cannot cue bid the XIX in this example - whereas under the
new system C cannot cue bid the XVIII.
A cue bid the XIX and B and C competed to be allowed to call it. B
A B C D could have become A's partner by holding the Solo, but perhaps B has
Two One Solo the skz and is hoping for a XXI-catch. Note that if A had a change of
Pass Pass mind and did not want to be called as a partner by B or C, A could hold
the solo.
A B C D
Three Pass One Solo C cue bid the XIX, expecting to be called by A. D interfered with a solo
bid, but A held it and becomes the declarer, calling C's XIX.
Hold
This is a "yielded game". By passing, A shows the XX plus at least one

A B C D high honour and C must call the XX. Notice that in this fairly common
Three Pass Two Pass type of situation, the only way A can avoid making a conventional bid on
the second round of the bidding (after Three - Two) is to hold. To bid
Pass one or solo would be to cue bid the XIX or XVIII respectively, and to
pass is to yield the game, promising the XX.
A B C D There are no conventional bids or passes here. If D had passed A would

Three Two Pass One be in a similar situation to the example above, but since D bid one, this is
no longer counts as a yielded game. All we know for sure is that A, B
Pass Pass and D each have an honour.

A B C D The first three players all passed, so D's bid is not conventional. All we
know from this auction is that D has an honour. We may assume that D
Pass Pass Pass One
also has a fairly strong hand.
Variations
There are quite a lot of minor variations in the rules and conventions observed by different circles of tarokk players.
In choosing which rules to present above as the standard version of the game, I have been greatly helped by a survey
carried out in 1997 by Gyula Zsigri, in which he obtained responses from members of 11 different groups of tarokk
players in various parts of Hungary about which version of the rules they play. On a separate page, you can see a
summary of the survey results. Where there was a clear majority, I have followed the majority view of the people
surveyed, and in this way I hope I have produced a description which is fairly representative of the way tarokk is
actually played in Hungary now.
There are several Hungarian books with extensive descriptions of tarokk, including those by Dr Endre Kovcs, who
is widely regarded as the greatest expert on the game. Nevertheless, most of these books describe versions of tarokk
which differ in various ways from the rules most commonly played. In some cases this is because the books give
older versions of the rules. In others it is because the authors are attempting to introduce rule changes of their own
invention, often in the form of different scores and extra bonuses. Few of these proposed changes have been adopted
to any great extent in actual play.
The following books include substantial descriptions of tarokk:
G. J. Potter: A krtyajtk mvszete (Budapest, 1930) - reprinted in Zsigri Gyula: 21 vlogatott krtyajtk
(Szeged, 1993)
Dr Kovcs Endre, Dr Szigetvri Zoltn: Tarokk-r (Budapest, 1940)
Dr Fazekas Bla, Dr Kovcs Endre, Dr Szigetvri Zoltn: Tarokkakadmia (Budapest, 1948)
Michael Dummett: The Game of Tarot (London, 1980)
(ed. Dr Berend Mihly): Krtysok knyve (Budapest, 1984) - reprinted with revisions as Nagy Krtyaknyv
(1990, 1994)
Dr Kovcs Endre: Tarokk-kdex (Budapest, 1989)
Pais Jzsef: Ulti, tarokk s nhny kis krtyajtk (Budapest, 1990)
r Jnos: Tarokk-knyv (Nagykanizsa, 1993)
Marton Jnos: Magyar tarokk (Szeged, 1997)
Variations in the equipment and deal

Some players use the fours of the red suits instead of aces. This makes no actual difference to the game, but has the
slight practical advantage that the fours of hearts and diamonds are easier to tell apart than the aces, having suit
symbols in the corners.
Some players allow the person to dealer's left, instead of cutting the cards, to refuse to cut by knocking on the top of
the pack instead. In this case, after dealing the first six cards to the talon, the dealer must deal the remaining cards in
batches of nine. Each active player in turn, starting to the left of the dealer and going around clockwise decides
which batch to take as their hand.

Variations in the bidding procedure

There is an important variation in the rule about holding. The original rule was that you can only hold the bid of
another player if your first turn to speak was earlier, and no one else has already held that bid. So if the players in
anticlockwise order starting to dealer's right are A, B, C and D, A can hold the bids of all the other players, B can
hold bids by C and D, C can hold bids by D, and D can never hold. Most of the books still give this rule, and a
significant minority of players still follow it. The biggest practical difference occurs in cue bid sequences. For
example with the newer rule, the sequence A - Three; B - Two; A - Solo; B - Hold is possible. With the old rule A's
cue bid would be pointless as no one else would be allowed to bid after it - if A wanted to cue bid he should have
done so at his first turn.
If a player bids three and everyone else passes, some groups allow the bidder to increase the bid to two or one
before taking cards from the talon. This purpose of this rule is to allow for the fact that the bidder might want play
two or one, but was not allowed to bid it originally, lacking the necessary cards for a cue bid.
Some people do not play with the doubling of scores after a hand is passed out or annulled. In this variation, the
cards are thrown in, the turn to deal passes to the next dealer and the game continues with normal scoring as before.
Some play that if a hand is passed out or annulled during a doubled round, an additional round of hands for doubled
stakes is played after the end of the currently scheduled set of doubled hands. No hand is ever played for quadrupled
or higher stakes.
Others play that if a hand is passed out or annulled during a doubled round, a complete round of deals is then played
for quadrupled stakes. In this version the stakes are usually not allowed to be doubled further; if another passed or
annulled hand occurs during the quadrupled round, the period of quadrupled stakes is simply extended to last for a
complete round after this occurrence.
Variations in the discarding and annulling the hand

There are many players who do not allow tarokk XX to be discarded. In Gyula Zsigri's survey respondents were
almost equally split between those who allow this and those who do not. If you play the version in which it is illegal
to discard the XX, then there is little point in the rule releasing the declarer from the obligation to call the XX if a
tarokk has been discarded by any of the other players. In this case, it may be agreed that discarded tarokks are to be
admitted at your first turn to speak in the round of announcements, rather than immediately after the discard.
Some players who do not allow the XX to be discarded nevertheless still follow the rule that if one of the other
players has discarded a tarokk, the declarer can call any tarokk other than an honour.
Some players admit fewer holdings which allow the deal to be annulled. The only one universally acknowledged is
the singleton XXI. Some players allow a hand to be annulled with the singleton XXI or I or with four kings, but not
with XXI and I and not with no tarokks at all.
Some players allow the hand to be annulled by a player who has discarded tarokks. This makes annulments much
more frequent. For example, a player whose XXI is guarded by only one or two other tarokks will try to discard
these so as to throw in the hand and avoid a XXI-catch.
Variations in bonuses, announcements and declarations

Some players allow double game and volt to be announced at the same time.
Other players do not allow double game and volt to be announced by the same player, even on separate rounds; in
this version the only way a side can announce both is if one player announces double game and the player's partner
then announces volt.

Some players treat declarations of 8 or 9 tarokks like bonus announcements. A player who declares tarokks and
whose allegiance is not yet known is assumed to be on the same side as the most recent speaker in the round of
announcements who did not just say pass. Also, if you make an announcement when the most recent announcement
made was a declaration of tarokks, you are assumed to be on the same side as the player with the tarokks unless it
can be proved otherwise.
In his book, Jzsef Pais gives a different set of rules: the declarer's partner is not permitted to declare 8 or 9 tarokks
until it is provable that he is the partner; any player who announces anything or says kontra must in the same turn
declare 8 or 9 tarokks if held.
A few people play that a player who has discarded the called tarokk must state that this is the case when announcing
their obligatory kontra of the game.
Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk, which adds six further announced bonuses, is described on a separate page.
Variations in the scoring

There is quite a lot of variation in the way that the scores for game, double game and volt interact. For example:
Some play that if double game is announced or made, the basic game cannot be scored by either side unless it
is kontra'd. Similarly, if volt is announced or made, neither side can score an unannounced double game, nor
an unkontra'd basic game.
There is another variation in which the opponents of declarer cannot score silent double game or volt if they
did not kontra the game.
If the game is kontra'd or rekontra'd, some players apply these doubles to the score for any silent double game
or silent volt, instead of simply adding the score for the double game or volt. With this way of scoring, a
kontra'd game with silent volt scores 6 times the game (3 * 2), rather than 5 times. Also a rekontra'd game
with silent double game would score 8 times the game (4 * 2), rather than six times (4 + 2).
Some players allow a silent trull to be scored along with volt, but not a silent four kings.
Some play that if the opponents say kontra to the game, the number of card points they need to win is increased
from 47 to 48: if the card points divide 47-47 the declarer's side win. This version is described in Dr Kovcs' recent
books and has been adopted by a significant number of players.
Several of the recent books give different scores for some of the bonuses - for example:
four kings score 2 silent and 4 announced (instead of 1 and 2);
pagtulti scores 6 silent and 12 announced (instead of 5 and 10);
XXI-catch scores 30 silent and 60 announced (instead of 21 and 42).
In practice most players stick to the traditional scores.

There is a traditional rule in the five player game that anyone who received an honour from the talon must pay the
dealer for it at the end of the hand at the rate of 3 points for the skz, 2 points for the XXI, and 1 point for the pagt.
If the recipient forgets to pay before the deal of the next hand is complete, the previous dealer can claim double
payment. This rather pointless rule is nowadays rarely played.
Some play that in the five player game the dealer weeps or laughs (sr-nevet) with the defenders - in other words
loses or wins the same amount as the opponents of the declarer.

Variations in the bidding conventions

There is an important variation in the interpretation of cue bids. The original rule was that any jump bid of solo was
a cue bid of the XVIII, even if it was only a single jump. Most of the books still give this rule, but the majority of
players have gone over to the newer interpretation, whereby any single jump is a cue bid of the XIX.
There are other variations in the conventions:
Some play that the first bid of the auction is never a cue bid - so you can begin by bidding two or one on any
hand containing an honour. In this version, if you want to cue bid, and no one has bid before you, you must
start by bidding three and then make your jump on the next round.
Some play that a bid only counts as a cue bid if some other player eventually becomes the declarer. This
means that you can open the bidding with two or one without holding the requisite cards for a cue bid
provided that you hold all subsequent bids by other players so as to make sure that you become the declarer.
Some play that a cue bid is only an invitation to a player who has already bid, and that the invitation can only
be accepted by holding the cue bid. In any other case, the effect of the cue bid is cancelled.
Some players do not recognise conventional bids or yielded games at all.
In his book, Jzsef Pais suggests a way of cue bidding the XVII. The idea is that a single jump bid at your first
opportunity is a cue bid of the XIX, whereas if you first make a minimum bid and then a single jump on your
second turn to bid, this would be interpreted as a cue bid of the XVII. For example in each of the following
auctions:
A:pass, B:3, C:2, D:pass, B:1, C:solo, B:pass
A:3, B:2, C:pass, D:pass, A:hold, B:solo, A:hold
player B has made a cue bid showing the XVII and a high honour, and the declarer must call the XVII.
Advice on tactics
Assessing the strength of a hand
Before discussing the details of bidding, announcements and play, it is useful to have a general idea of what
constitutes a strong or weak hand. By a strong hand we mean one that has the power to take more than an average
share of the tricks. By winning tricks you not only gain card points but also choose what card to lead next, and so
decide the course of the play.
The strength of a hand depends mainly on tarokks: how many you have and how high they are. An average hand has
5 tarokks. A really strong hand contains at least 6 or 7 tarokks, including two or three of the highest ones (XVIII or
above) and several middle tarokks (X to XVII). A hand of 7 or 8 small tarokks most of which are small is less strong
than it may at first appear - although you can play a trump to most tricks you will not often have the lead, and so
will not be able to control the game.
In general the fewer different suits you have, the stronger your cards are. Suits of two or more cards headed by a
king are stronger than unheaded suits. A suit consisting of a lone king and no other cards is a disadvantage.
Normally it is good to have a strong hand, but when there is a prospect of a XXI-catch, players often need to avoid
taking tricks. A strong hand for taking tricks is generally not such a good hand for catching or saving the XXI; what
a good hand is for that purpose is dealt with separately under XXI-catch.
Tarokk is a game where players holding fairly poor cards often play important roles. If you pick up a weak hand, it
is not time to relax. The play of a weak hand can require more concentration than when your hand is strong: you
must try to deduce where the strength lies and how the cards are distributed among the other players, so that you can

play in a way that will help your partner.
Bidding
It is a rule that you must have an honour to bid, but it is important to realise that apart from this it is not necessary to
have a particularly strong hand. Your initial task as declarer is only to take more than half of the card points. If the
game is three or two your team will be exchanging at least as many talon cards as the opponents, you have an
honour and your partner will have at least one good tarokk (the called card). In fact it is sensible to bid on most
hands which contain the skz - for one thing you want to make sure that the hand is played so that you may have a
chance to catch the XXI. Holding the XXI or the pagt you will usually want to bid unless your hand is well below
average in strength.
If you have short tarokks including the XXI but not the skz, you may be tempted to pass because of the danger of a
XXI-catch. However, playing dead like this rarely works against good players. The holder of the skz will probably
try to catch the XXI in any case. Experience suggests that it is better for a weak XXI to bid so as to become declarer,
or at least to obtain more than one card from the talon. Discarding two cards should create at least one void suit on
which the XXI may escape. The only case in which passing is definitely better is when you are sitting in fourth
position after three passes, in which case you can annul the hand by passing.
Another type of hand on which you might pass is an average hand that contains the XX and the pagt but no high
honour. With this hand you expect to be called by the eventual winner of the bidding in any case, and then your
partner will have a high honour, rather than just the XIX that you would have to call. There are two ways in which
this plan can go wrong: if your hand is too strong there is a danger that everyone else might pass; and if your hand is
weak there is a danger that the players with the other two honours might get together successfully by means of a cue
bid, cutting out your XX.
There is one case in which you should nearly always bid if you have an honour: if the player to your immediate left
bids three you should automatically bid two if it is legal. If you are left to play the two it is a yielded game, and you
have an excellent partner with the XX and a high honour. On the other hand, if the player to your left bids again you
are relieved of the responsibility of being declarer and you have gained an additional card from the talon.
To make a cue bid you should have the indicated card (XIX or XVIII), a high honour, and a good hand, ideally
containing at least six tarokks. Cue bidding with the pagt and no high honour is very rare, and requires an
extremely strong hand, with at least eight and preferably nine good tarokks. To yield the game you do not need so
much strength - often you would rather have a partner with an honour than a partner with the XIX.
Finally, it is important for everyone to remember the bidding during the rest of the hand. Anyone who bids must
have at least one of the three honours, so if two or three people have bid, you already have useful information about
the position of these cards.
Discarding
From the point of view of getting the maximum number of points in your part of the skart, since kings and honours
cannot be discarded, the best discards are queens and riders for everyone except the declarer's partner. If you hold
the XX and know you are going to be called, then from this point of view you would prefer to discard a ten or an
ace, because your discard will belong to the declarer's opponents.
At the stage of the game when you have to discard, you may have few clues from the bidding about the locations of
the key cards or who the partners will be. Sometimes, however, you know or can guess the position, and this may
influence your discard. If you want to take the lead as often as possible, you prefer to keep just one or two suits and
discard other suits entirely. On the other hand, if you want to avoid having to lead, you will do better to keep cards
in as many different suits as you can, so that you will not be forced to win tricks with your tarokks when these suits
are led. Other things being equal, you want to lead when your partner is on your left (playing last), but when your

partner is on your right you sometimes want to avoid taking the lead. If you have the skz and are hoping to catch
the XXI, you want to avoid taking tricks until the XXI is played, and it may even be worth discarding a tarokk to
weaken your hand. The same can apply if you suspect that you are the partner of the XXI, with the enemy skz
sitting after the XXI when you lead to a trick.
Announcements
Do not be afraid to announce trull. In general, trull should be announced by the declarer's team whenever they have
both top honours, unless their cards are exceptionally weak. Often the pagt can be captured even if they do not hold
it. Even when the pagt cannot be caught, it will be difficult for the opponents to know when they can safely kontra
the announcement. If you have a reasonable hand including the called tarokk and a high honour, it can be worth
announcing trull even if you are not certain that the declarer holds the other high honour. The good news about your
hand can be useful to the declarer in other ways.
It is extremely difficult to predict when your side is going to make four kings. You certainly do not want kings in
your hand, as you are then likely to lose them to the opponents tarokks; four kings is most likely to make when both
partners have some high tarokks accompanied by cards in only one or at most two suits. The announcement of four
kings is often used as a general encouragement, showing a good hand and inviting your partner to make further
announcements, such as pagtulti or double game. Because the four kings announcement is used in this way, the
opponents should be on the lookout for an opportunity to kontra it. This will often be possible when the opponent
with longer tarokks has a couple of high ones which might win a late tarokk trick on which partner can be expected
to throw a king.
Pagtultim is harder to make than at first appears. More than half of the cards in the pack are tarokks, and all the
other tarokks have to be driven out in the first 8 tricks in order for the pagt to win. Without help from your partner,
you can never be 100% certain to make pagtulti however strong your hand is - for example an opponent might have
nine tarokks. To announce a pagtultim you need long tarokks, preferably at least seven, including several high
ones, and some evidence that your partner also has a good hand.
The defenders need 24 points to prevent double game, and depending on the contract they already have 3,4,5 or 6
cards in their trick pile, many of which are queens and riders. This means that if you announce double game in a one
or solo you can generally only afford to concede one trick, and that one must not contain too many valuable cards. If
the bid is two or three, the talon is likely to contain around 8-10 points, so two tricks can usually be given up
provided that at least one of them is cheap.
Play
Of the pack of 42 cards, over half are tarokks. Furthermore, six of the 20 suit cards are usually discarded, so of the
36 cards in play only 14 belong to the four suits. It is therefore clear that most tricks will be won by tarokks, and a
large part of the play is about the management of the tarokks. The suit cards are nevertheless important, partly
because they are worth points, and partly because when a suit is led, some of the players have to follow suit while
the others play tarokks.
Another basic point to notice is that all four kings must be in play - they cannot be discarded. This has various
consequences - for example if you lead for the first time a suit of which you do not have the king, at least one other
player will have to follow suit.
The game and the different bonuses require somewhat different styles of play to achieve them, and effective
cooperation between partners is needed for success. Normally the member of a team who is longer in tarokks will
decide on the line of play, and the shorter partner will try to cooperate with the longer partner's plan.
At the start, the players' attention is usually concentrated on the most valuable bonus that might be achieved. Interest

shifts to the smaller value items as the larger ones succeed or become impossible. The normal order of priorities is:
1. Catch or save the XXI.
2. Make or prevent pagtultim.
3. Make the game or double game.
4. Capture or save the pagt so as to make or prevent trull.
5. Capture kings to make four kings or prevent the other team from doing so.
Of course, this priority order may be altered if some bonuses have been announced and maybe kontra'd.
Catching the XXI
This is only possible if the skz and XXI belong to opposite teams, and even then, the cards will often lie in
such a way that there is very little chance of the XXI being caught. However, the bonus for XXI-catch is so
large in comparison to the others (not to mention the pleasure of seeing somebody wear the mayor's hat) that
it is normal to look for ways that the XXI can be caught or saved until it becomes clear that no catch is
possible. In particular, even though you do not know for certain who has the skz and who has the XXI, you
should assume until it is proved otherwise that they are in such positions that the XXI-catch is possible. This
is because the gain in managing to catch (or save) the XXI when your assumption is right far outweighs the
cost of your somewhat suboptimal play when the assumption is wrong.
The classic process for catching the XXI depends mostly on the holder of skz playing after the holder of the
XXI on whenever possible. This is easiest to achieve if the skz is sitting immediately to the victim's right.
The skz holder will try to avoid taking a trick before the XXI appears, so as not to have to lead. The ideal
hand for catching the XXI consists of the skz and five or six small tarokks, with the remaining cards in
different suits - not kings. It is also useful to have a strong partner!
A conspicuous sign of a player trying to catch the XXI is that they play tarokks which are as large as possible
without heading the trick - for example the skz holder may play the XVII under the XVIII to avoid taking the
lead and at the same time get rid of a large tarokk with which might be an embarrassment later. This kind of
play should be taken as a signal to partner that a XXI-catch is likely. It can occasionally also be used by a
player who does not have the skz as a way of misleading the other players. Conversely, the play of a very
small tarokk, when a larger losing tarokk could have been played, is a signal to partner that one is not trying
to catch the XXI. If the skz holder is forced to take a trick, the most usual lead is a suit card (preferably from
a suit not headed by the king), hoping that the XXI also has this suit and cannot escape on this trick.
If you are the partner of the skz and the skz is sitting to your left, you will take the lead as often as possible,
and probably lead large tarokks. If the skz is to your right, the catch is much more difficult - you need to
avoid the lead, or perhaps engineer some kind of deception. If you are sitting opposite the skz you still have a
good chance of a catch if the XXI is to your right. For an example of a catch from the wrong side, see
example deal 4.
If you are the partner of the XXI, you want to play in such a way as to allow the XXI to play after the skz on
some trick. If you have the lead, and the relative positions are such that the skz will be playing after your
partner there are two possible techniques:
if you think the XXI has longer tarokks you may be able to drive out the skz simply by leading
tarokks;
if on the other hand the skz is longer, you will have to lead a suit in the hope that either the skz will be
forced to take a trick, or that your partner will be able to risk trumping with the XXI while the skz has
to follow suit. For this purpose it is best to lead a suit not headed by a king.
Your partner's play may suggest which strategy to follow; for example, if the holder of the XXI leads tarokks
to try to drive out the suit, you should do this too, rather than employing the riskier tactic of looking for
escape suits. This is illustrated in example deal 9.
Making pagtultim

To drive out the enemy tarokks, the pagt holder needs either to lead tarokks, or to lead from a long suit
which will cost the other players tarokks. The pagt's partner should help by taking the lead and playing
tarokks as well.
In general, the most efficient technique for drawing tarokks if the partners are sitting next to each other works
like this: the left hand partner will lead a small tarokk, allowing the right-hand partner to win with a top card;
the right hand partner will then lead medium tarokks through the two opponents and continue as long as these
are allowed to win; if an opponent covers a medium tarokk with a higher one, the left hand partner will take
the trick and lead a low tarokk again. If partners are sitting opposite it is more difficult - in general it is best to
lead a low tarokk on which your partner plays a high one, and if it wins, leads a low tarokk back.
The above technique works when the two partners' tarokk holdings are well balanced. In the case of an
announced pagtultim the holder of the pagt, who should be longer in tarokks than partner, should not make
the mistake of playing too many high tarokks too soon. The pagt should begin with a medium or low tarokk,
allowing partner to take the trick and lead a tarokk back. The pagt's high tarokks will be more useful for
drawing the last tarokks from the opponents after partner runs out. If you are the pagt's partner you should
try to keep a low tarokk to be played last. You do not want to take a trick with your last tarokk, as you will
then have to lead a suit, which may damage the ultim by costing the pagt a tarokk while an opponent
follows suit.
Making the game or double game
Assuming that you are not in a position to win all of the tricks, it is generally better to let the opponents win
their tricks early - particularly by giving them tricks consisting mainly of tarokks, which are not very
valuable. A team which plays all its high tarokks too soon may lose some expensive tricks at the end of the
hand.
If neither you nor your partner have long tarokks, it is better not to lead them too often. Instead you should try
to lead suits of which your partner is void, so that your team's tarokks can be played to separate tricks rather
than falling together. Conversely, if your partner has declared 8 or 9 tarokks, you should definitely lead a
tarokk. It is generally good to arrange that the partner with shorter tarokks takes the early tricks - the
Hungarian expression is "kurta t" ("short takes the trick"). This way the longer partner's high tarokks are
saved for later, to be used after the short partner has run out.
Do not let your opponents win kings too cheaply. If an opponent to your left leads a low card of a suit you do
not have, play a fairly high tarokk; if you trump with a low tarokk you risk allowing the other opponent to
overtrump easily, collecting your partner's king.
Capturing or saving the pagt
If one team holds both high honours but not the pagt, it becomes worthwhile for them to capture the pagt,
especially if they have announced trull. There are three ways of saving the pagt: the easiest is to play it on
partner's high tarokk; the second is to use it to trump a suit held by both opponents; the third is to hang onto it
until your opponents have run out of tarokks. In any case, the best tactic for the team that holds the pagt is
usually to lead plain suits, hoping either to draw the opponents' tarokks or to find a suit on which the pagt
can be saved.
If you are trying to catch the pagt, you should try to avoid leading a plain suit unless you are fairly sure that
your partner is void of it. When playing tarokks you do not need to win every trick - you only need to play
high enough tarokks to prevent the pagt from escaping. For example, if your partner, sitting opposite you,
leads a low tarokk and the second player plays a medium one, you only need to beat the second player's card;
keep your top tarokks for later. If the pagt does not appear, it is usually desirable to continue leading tarokks
until one of the opponents runs out. It then becomes much harder for the pagt to escape. On the other hand,
leading tarokks too vigorously can be dangerous if you and your partner are both short - you may be helping
an opponent to make a silent pagtulti.
Collecting kings
When all the matters to do with the honours are resolved (which may sometimes not happen until the end of

the hand) one's attention can be turned to the kings. The normal ways to get a king home are by trumping, or
by a player who has no tarokks left dropping a king on partner's tarokk trick. The former process works by
leading the suits early, while your partner still has tarokks left; the latter depends on the player with long
tarokks keeping a big one till last.
A team that is trying to collect all the kings needs to arrange if possible to play a high tarokk on every trick in
which a king might escape. Leading tarokks will probably not be effective unless they are very strong.
Leading suits to drive out the kings and trumping them with high tarokks is likely to be more successful.
Customs and sayings

These are not a necessary part of the game, but for people who are interested we have included an example hand
which illustrates some of the traditional customs and sayings which are sometimes used by Tarokk players.
Go to Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk page.


Rules of Card Games: I Doubt It
I Doubt It
This page is based on a contribution from Hwei Yin.
Introduction
Players, Cards and Objective

Play
Ending a Round
Ending the Game
Variation: Force
Basic observations on tactics
Other WWW pages
Introduction
There are several similar games that go under the name I Doubt It! or Bullshit. The idea of all these
games is that you try to get rid of all your cards by playing them face down according to some rule. If
anyone thinks you have broken the rule they can challenge. After a challenge the last play is exposed and
whoever was in the wrong has to pick up the played cards.
The version of "I Doubt It" most often found in card game books has each player playing the next rank
above or below the previous play. The rules of that version are given on the Bullshit page.
The game described on this page, known as I Doubt It, or IDI for short, players must all (pretend to)
play the same rank of card until someone challenges. It is somewhat similar to the Russian game Verish'
ne Verish' (Trust - Don't Trust). Although it is a children's game, the strategy is very interesting and can
get quite convoluted.
Another, more elaborate game in which the cards are played face down and challenged is the Finnish
game Paskahousu.

There can be three or more players - probably no more than six. It is possible for two to play, but then the
force variation must be played. A standard pack is used, with no jokers. An equal number of cards (five
or more) is dealt to each player's hand. Each player must make keep the number of cards they own
clearly visible at all times.
The objective is to get rid of all the cards in your hand.
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Play
One player, designated as the lead, begins a round by playing a single card face down, starting a stack in
the center of the table, and announcing a rank - such as "queen", "seven", "ace", etc. Suit doesn't matter -
just rank. The card played may or may not actually match the announced rank, but no one knows for sure
except the person who played it.
Going clockwise, each player then takes a turn consisting of one of two options:
1. Pass without playing a card.
2. Play a single card face down on the stack. The played card is claimed to match the rank
announced by the lead, but in fact the card may or may not match this rank. Note that the rank
announced by the lead must be followed until the round is over.
The play continues around the table as many times as necessary until everyone passes or there is a
challenge. Note that if all the other players pass, it is perfectly legal (and very common) for one player to
repeatedly add cards to the stack.
Ending a round
The round can end in two ways.
1. All players pass
If all players pass, the cards in the stack are removed from play, without being revealed. The last
player who played a card on the stack takes the lead in a new round and new stack (possibly
announcing a different rank).
2. Challenge
After any play, and before another card is played on the stack, the player of the last card may be
challenged by any other player - you do not have to wait for your turn to challenge. The
challenging player is the first who touches the stack and declares "Doubt". The top card of the
stack is then revealed. If it is something other than the rank announced by the lead, then the person
who played it must pick up the stack. The challenging player then has the lead. If the played card
matches the rank announced by the lead, then it's the challenged player who gets the lead and the
challenger who must pick up the stack.
Ending the Game

When the player whose turn it is to play has just one card, and that card is the correct rank to match the
lead (or if it is that player's turn to lead to a new stack), the player wins the game.

Variation: Force
Hwei Yin invented the "force" option to make two-player games possible. This variation makes the pace
slower and more intense, and, although still hilarious, "force" strategies may get too subtle for young
children.
When playing this variation there are two ways of challenging. The challenger must say either "doubt" or
"force". If the challenger says "doubt" the challenge is resolved as explained above. If the challenger says
"force", the person whose play was challenged must produce from his hand a card whose rank matches
the announced rank of the lead. If such a card is produced, then the challenger must pick up both that
card and the stack, and the challenged player leads the next round. If the challenged player fails to
produce such a card, he must pick up the stack and the challenger leads.
A player who has just played his last card may be "doubted" but cannot be "forced".
Basic observations on tactics

The key to winning (with or without the "force" variation) is getting the lead and setting the rank to your
preference. This is done by winning challenges or ensuring that your card is the last played on the stack.
Eventually one person tends to collect all cards of a given rank. This is especially dangerous in the basic
game: if this person gets the lead, she knows that everyone else must pass, so it's easier for her to sneak
junk in as she dumps several cards uninterrupted.
The essential quandary for "forcing" comes when you have only one card that matches the lead. If you
play it, then someone can "force" you and you'll lose the challenge. If you lie and play something else
then you are safe from a force, but you might be doubted instead. After being stung with a few forces,
people often don't have the guts to play at all with only one matching card.
Like all bluffing games, IDI essentially becomes a game of pattern recognition. The player who wins
exploits patterns in her opponent's play before the they can adjust. Thus, a bad player can hand the game
to the same person every time by repeatedly challenging her and losing. This also means that two player
games are very intense, as each player has only one other personality to concentrate on.
Other WWW pages

Another description of this game, rejoicing in the name "Fourshit", can be found on Khopesh's Bullshit
page.
On this site, there are pages on the very similar Russian game Verish' ne verish' and the related game
Bullshit, in which the rank of cards played changes by one on each turn.


Rules of Card Games: Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk
Magyar szveg
Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk English text
The first version of this page was published in 1995, based on a description by Kirsty Healey and
Matthew Macfadyen. In 1998 it was revised and expanded by John McLeod, making extensive use of
comments and suggestions from Gbor Rvsz (who also provided the example deals) and Gyula Zsigri.
Introduction
The bidding
The play
The scoring
Advice on tactics
Conventional announcements
Example deals
Variations
High Tarokk
Royal Tarokk
Illustrated Tarokk with 54 cards
Other Illustrated Tarokk WWW pages
Introduction
Illustrated Tarokk (Illusztrlt tarokk), sometimes known as Palatine Tarokk (Palatinusz tarokk), is a
version of Hungarian Tarokk developed in the 1920's by Kroly Lingel and Lajos Polyk. They added six
extra bonuses to the basic game of Paskievics Tarokk, thereby significantly increasing the scope for
skilful play. Illustrated Tarokk is now played by quite a few good tarokk players in Hungary in
preference to the standard game.
Players who would like a gentle introduction to tarokk may prefer to start by learning ordinary Paskievics
Tarokk before trying this game. The Hungarian Tarokk page has a full description of the basic rules,
most of which are common to both games, and a discussion of elementary tactics. For ease of reference,
this Illustrated Tarokk page summarises the basic rules of tarokk as well as giving the special rules for
the illustrated version.
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Tarokk can be played by four or five players. If there are five, the dealer sits out of each hand.
A 42 card tarokk pack is used, consisting of:
22 tarokks, ranking from high to low: skz, XXI, XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, ..., V, IIII, III, II, I
5 cards of each of the suits hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades, ranking from high to low: king
(kirly), queen (dma), rider (lovas), jack (bubi or botos), ten (tzes) or ace (sz) (the black suits
have tens but the red suits have aces).
Tarokk I is known as the pagt. The skz, XXI and pagt are collectively known as honours (honrk).
The skz and XXI are the high honours (nagyhonrk).
All of the cards have point values. Honours and kings are worth 5, queens are 4, riders are 3, jacks are 2,
and all other cards are worth 1 point. There are 94 card points in the pack altogether.
A hat is also required. This should look as silly as possible. It is to be worn as a penalty by any player
whose XXI is caught by an opponent's skz.

To choose seats take two sets of five cards, each consisting of a tarokk and a card of each suit (omit one
suit if there are four players only). Deal one set of cards to the seats and the other to the players. Each
player moves to the seat with the matching card. The player sitting to the left of the player who received
the tarokk deals first.
The dealer shuffles, the player to dealer's left cuts, and the dealer deals six cards face down to form the
talon, then a batch of 5 cards to each player, then a batch of 4 to each player. Deal and play are
anticlockwise. The turn to deal passes to the right after each hand.
To end the session any player can say "A skz oszt, nem oszt" ("The skz deals and does not deal"). This is
customarily said by a player who is a net loser from the hands played so far. In the next hand note who
has the skz, continue playing until it is that player's turn to deal, play another complete round of deals
until the player who held the skz is about to deal for a second time, and then stop.
The bidding
The possible bids, in ascending order, are three (hrom), two (kett), one (egy) and solo (szl). The
auction begins with the player to the right of the dealer and continues anticlockwise. Each bid must be
higher than the previous one, except that in certain circumstances you can equal the highest bid so far by
saying "hold" (tartom). You are allowed to hold when you have already bid on a previous round,
someone else has subsequently bid higher, and the highest bid has not yet been held by anyone else (but
see variations).
A player who does not wish to bid can pass (passz). If someone bids, the auction continues until three
players have passed or no further bid is possible, and the final bidder becomes the declarer (felvev).

If all four players pass the cards are thrown in, the same player deals again, and for the next round (four
deals if there are four players; five deals if there are five players) all the scores are doubled. If during the
doubled round another hand is passed out, another doubled round is started, leading to some deals in
which the scores are quadrupled while the two rounds overlap.
There are several constraints on the bidding:
1. In order to bid, you must hold at least one honour. If you have no honours you must pass. There is
one exception to this: if the first three players pass, the fourth player is allowed to bid without an
honour, speculating on picking one up from the talon. If the bidder does not acquire an honour, the
cards are thrown in and the bidder pays the value of the basic game to each other player (1 point
each if the bid was three).
2. The single jump: A bid one level higher than necessary is a cue bid showing the XIX and a high
honour (but see variations). Notice that this is a difference from basic Hungarian Tarokk - in
Illustrated Tarokk you cannot cue bid when your only honour is the pagt. Examples of cue
bidding the XIX are:
an opening bid of two;
a bid of one over three;
after you have opened with three and another player has bid two, a bid of one instead of
hold.
If you do not have the requisite cards for a cue bid, you are not allowed to make a single jump bid
except in two special cases:
When there has already been a cue bid during the auction, a second jump has no special
meaning and can be made with any hand containing an honour.
When the first three players pass, a jump by the fourth player does not count as a cue bid.
After three passes the fourth player can freely bid "two" without holding the XIX.
3. The double jump: A bid two levels higher than necessary is a cue bid showing the XVIII and a
high honour. Again, in Illustrated Tarokk this cue bid is not possible if your only honour is the
pagt. Examples of cue bidding the XVIII:
an opening bid of one;
a bid of solo over three;
you open three, another player bids two, and you jump to solo.
If you do not have the requisite cards for the cue bid you cannot make a double jump bid; the only
exception is that if the first three players pass a bid of "one" by the fourth player does not count as
a cue bid, and thus can be made without the XVIII.
4. The yielded game: Suppose that one player opens three, another player bids two and then
everyone passes. This is called a yielded game (engedett jtk). By passing, the player who
originally bid three shows the XX and a high honour. Lacking these cards, a player who bids
three and is overcalled only by a bid of two cannot pass on the second round, but must hold the
two or make a cue bid.


The talon cards are distributed to the players, beginning with the declarer and continuing anticlockwise,
as follows:
Final bid Declarer 2nd player 3rd player 4th player
three (hrom) 3 cards 1 card 1 card 1 card
two (kett) 2 cards 2 cards 1 card 1 card
one (egy) 1 card 2 cards 2 cards 1 card
solo (szl) no cards 2 cards 2 cards 2 cards
If there are five players the dealer distributes the cards; if there are four players, they take their own
cards; in either case the talon cards are not exposed to the other players.
Each player then discards face down the same number of cards that they picked up. Honours and kings
can never be discarded. If there was a cue bid, the tarokk (XIX or XVIII) shown by the cue bid cannot
be discarded. In a yielded game the XX cannot be discarded. Apart from these restrictions, players are
free to discard any cards, including tarokks if they wish.
The declarer's discards are kept face-down in front of the declarer, and their values count with the
declarer's team's tricks. The other three players' discards are kept in front of the dealer if there are five
players, or immediately to the right of the dealer if there are four. Their values count as part of the
opponents' tricks.
After everyone has discarded, the number of tarokks in the discard must be announced.
If there are five players the dealer looks at the cards discarded by the three players other than the
declarer, and either declares them "clean" ("tiszta"), or states how many tarokks have been
discarded: "one tarokk discarded", "two tarokks discarded" ("egy tarokk fekszik", "kt tarokk
fekszik"), etc. If there are only four players, player's who discard tarokks must themselves
announce how many; anyone who says nothing is assumed to have discarded suit cards only - no
"clean" announcement is required.
Any tarokks discarded by the declarer must be turned face up when all the discards are complete,
so that everyone knows not only how many tarokks the declarer has discarded but also which ones.
A player who has any of the following holdings may (but is not obliged to) annul the hand:
all four kings;
the XXI and no other tarokks;
the pagt (I) and no other tarokks;
no tarokks at all;
the XXI, the pagt and no other tarokks.
A hand can only be annulled immediately after the talon exchange. Once the round of announcements is

underway it is too late. A player who has discarded a tarokk cannot annul the hand on the basis of any of
the last four holdings, but a player who has four kings can always annul the hand, even after discarding a
tarokk. When a hand is annulled, there is no score. The cards are thrown in and the same dealer deals
again. The next four or five hands (depending on the number of players) are played for doubled scores.

After everyone has discarded, there is a round of announcements, which is begun by the declarer and
continues anticlockwise around the table, possibly for several circuits. There are four types of
announcement that can be made at this time:
1. A player who has 8 or 9 tarokks may declare them;
2. The declarer must call a partner;
3. Any player may announce one or more bonuses;
4. Players may say kontra, rekontra, etc. to a previously announced game or bonus.
Each of these possibilities will be described in detail, and then the procedure for the round of
announcements will be explained.
Calling a partner
The declarer calls a tarokk whose holder will be declarer's partner for this hand. The other two active
players will form the opposing team, the opponents or defenders (ellenfelek). The declarer says, for
example, "I call the twenty" ("Hvom a hszast"). The declarer must call the XX except in the
following cases:
1. If as declarer you hold the XX yourself, you may instead call the highest tarokk below the XX
which you do not hold. Alternatively, you may also call your own XX, in which case you will have
no partner, and the other three players will form a team against you.
2. If any of the players other than the declarer has discarded a tarokk, the declarer is free to call any
tarokk other than an honour. If the called tarokk has in fact been discarded, the declarer plays
alone against three opponents. The player who discarded the called tarokk is obliged in this case to
kontra the game.
3. If anyone other than the declarer has made a cue bid, the declarer must call the tarokk (XIX or
XVIII) indicated by the cue bid. In a yielded game, the declarer must call the XX. This applies
even if tarokks have been discarded - the indicated tarokk cannot be discarded and must be called.
The declarer's partner must not make any sign to reveal their identity. This will only become known in
the course of the subsequent announcements and play.
Bonuses
Bonuses (figurk) are scored for achieving some feat during the play. All bonuses are won or lost by a
partnership, not an individual. Most bonuses are separate from each other and from the game; you can
win some bonuses and lose others, irrespective of whether the game is won or lost. (The only exceptions
are bonuses double game and volt, which interact with each other and the game score as explained

under scoring).
The chief difference between Illustrated Tarokk and ordinary Tarokk is that in the illustrated game six
extra bonuses are added. These extra bonuses (numbers 7 to 12 in the list below) score only if they are
announced in advance. The other bonuses (1 to 6) can also be scored if they are made silently, but score
twice as much if they are announced.
1. Tultro, also known as tuli, trull or trl is a bonus for a team that wins all three honours (skz,
XXI and pagt (I)) in its tricks. The name comes from the French "tous les trois" (all three).
Payment: 1 point if made silently; 2 points if announced.
2. Four kings (ngykirly) is a bonus for a team that wins all four kings in its tricks. Payment: 1
point if made silently; 2 points if announced.
3. Double game (duplajtk) is a bonus for a team that wins more than three quarters of the card
points in its tricks - that is at least 71 points, keeping the other side to 23 card points or less. This
bonus doubles the payment for the game if made silently; if announced it multiplies the game
value by 4.
4. Volt is a bonus for a team that wins all nine tricks. The payment for the game is then multiplied
by three for silent volt, or by six if it was announced.
5. Pagtultim, also known as pagtulti is a bonus for winning the last trick with the pagt (tarokk
I). The payment for a silent pagtulti is 5 points. The pagt itself has to win the trick for this bonus
to succeed. If the pagt is played to the last trick and does not win, the pagtulti has failed and
team that played the pagt have to pay 5 points to the other side (even if the last trick was won by
the partner of the person who played the pagt). If pagtulti is announced, the payment is 10
points. An announced pagtulti fails if the pagt is beaten by a higher tarokk in the last trick, or if
the holder of the pagt is forced to play it before the last trick, or if it turns out that the team that
announced pagtulti do not hold the pagt at all.
6. XXI-catch (huszonegyfogs) is a bonus for catching an opponent's XXI with the skz. Payment:
21 points and the player who lost the XXI has to wear the mayor's hat. If two partners manage to
play the skz and the XXI to the same trick, it does not count as a XXI-catch and there is no
payment. The payment for an announced XXI-catch is 42 points.
7. Centrum is a commitment to win the first 5 tricks, the 5th trick being won by the XX. If the side
which announces this loses any of the first 4 tricks, or fail to win the 5th trick with the XX the
bonus is lost. Payment: 10 points if announced.
8. Small bird (kismadr) is a commitment to win the first 6 tricks, the 6th trick being won by the
XXI. If you lose any of the first 5 tricks or fail to win the 6th trick with the XXI the bonus is lost.
Payment: 10 points if announced.
9. Large bird (nagymadr) is a commitment to win the first 7 tricks, the 7th trick being won by the
skz. If you lose any of the first 6 tricks or fail to win the 7th trick with the skz the bonus is lost.
Payment: 10 points if announced.
10. Pagtuhu is a commitment to win the 8th (penultimate) trick with the pagt. If you announce
pagtuhu, it fails if your side is unable to play the pagt to the 8th trick, or if the pagt is beaten in
the 8th trick by a higher tarokk (irrespective of whether the trick is won by an opponent or the
partner of the player with the pagt). This announcement is sometimes just called uhu. Payment:
20 points if announced.

11. King ultim (kirlyultim) commits your team to win the last trick with a specific king. The
announcement must include the suit of the king: hearts (kr), diamonds (kr), clubs (treff) or
spades (pikk) - for example "king of clubs ultim" (treffkirly-ultim). The specified king must
itself win the trick for the announcement to succeed. If the king is forced out prematurely or the
last trick is won by another player (even the partner of the player with the king), the king ultim is
lost. Payment: 15 points if announced.
12. King uhu (kirlyuhu) commits your team to win the 8th (penultimate) trick with a specific king -
you could announce for example "king of diamonds uhu" (krkirly-uhu). If the specified king is
not played to the 8th trick or is played but does not win that trick, the king uhu is lost. Payment: 20
points if announced.
Kontra
During the round of announcements, an opponent of the declarer may double the score for the game by
saying "kontra the game" (kontra jtk). In the same way an opponent of a player who announced a
bonus may kontra the announcement, doubling the score for it. All kontras are independent of each other,
so you must specify which things you are saying kontra to. After the game or an announcement has been
kontra'd, either member of the side which originally announced it may rekontra it, which doubles the
score for that item again. The process can continue with further doubles from alternate teams:
"szubkontra", "hirskontra" and "mordkontra".
Declaring tarokks
Any player who holds 8 or 9 tarokks may declare the fact during the round of announcements, and is paid
by each of the other three active players: 1 point for 8 tarokks (nyolc tarokk); 2 points for 9 tarokks
(kilenc tarokk). It is not compulsory to declare tarokks, except when announcing or saying kontra to
pagt or king ultim or pagt or king uhu, in which case you must declare 8 or 9 tarokks if you have
them.
It is illegal to declare eight tarokks if you actually have nine.
If you have 8 or 9 tarokks and do not declare them during the round of announcements, you can still
claim payment for them from your partner at the end of the hand, but not from the opponents. There is a
school of thought that it is unsporting to claim payment from your partner for undeclared tarokks unless
your team has won enough on the hand to cover the payment.
Procedure for the round of announcements

The declarer speaks first and may begin by declaring tarokks. The declarer must call a partner, may then
go on to announce bonuses, and must end by saying "pass" (passz or mehet). The round of
announcements continues in anticlockwise rotation. Each player, at their turn, may declare tarokks,
announce bonuses, or kontra things announced by the other team, always ending by saying "pass". When
three players in succession do nothing except pass, the round of announcements ends.
In general any player can announce any bonus, and all announcements are made on behalf of the
announcer's team. There are some restrictions:

1. You cannot announce both double game and volt at the same turn to speak.
2. You cannot announce double game if your team has previously announced volt.
3. If a player has announced a pagt or king ultim, the announcer's partner (but not the original
announcer) can announce an uhu for the same card; this uhu cancels the ultim announcement -
effectively upgrading the ultim to an uhu. It is also possible for a team to announce an ultim and
an uhu for different cards; in that case the uhu does not supersede the ultim - both announcements
remain valid.
4. If a team has announced a pagt or king uhu, they are not allowed subsequenly to announce an
ultim for the same card ("downgrading" from uhu to ultim is not allowed).
The announcements of centrum, small bird and large bird can be made in any combination, since they
concern different cards played to different tricks. They can also be combined with an uhu and an ultim
announcement.
When a player announces a bonus, it is necessary to know which team they belong to - i.e. whether they
are for or against the declarer. Without this arrangement it would become impossible to kontra these
announcements, as you would not know whether you were playing with or against the announcer.
Therefore any player who announces a bonus when it is not otherwise known which side they are on is
subject to the following conventions:
If no one else has announced any bonus nor said kontra, the new announcer is assumed to be the
declarer's partner.
If any bonuses have been announced or kontra has been said, the new announcer is assumed to be
the partner of the player who most recently announced a bonus or said kontra (or rekontra, etc) to
the game or any bonus.
Note that for this purpose the declaration of tarokks does not count as announcing a bonus. Anyone who
has 8 or 9 tarokks can declare them freely, and you do not necessarily know whether they are for or
against you. It also follows that if A is the declarer, B declares 8 tarokks and C announces some bonus,
such as trull, then C is assumed to be the partner of A, not B.
If you wish to make an announcement when it cannot be proved from the previous bidding and
announcements which side you are on, and you are in fact playing against the most recent player who
announed a bonus or said kontra (or rekontra, etc.), then you must identify yourself by saying kontra (or
rekontra, etc.) to the game or to some bonus.
The play
The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. Any card
may be led to a trick, and the other players in turn must follow suit. A player who has no card of the suit
led must play a tarokk if possible. If a tarokk is led, the other players must play tarokks. A player who
has neither tarokks nor cards in the suit led is free to play any card. The trick is won by the highest tarokk
in it, or, if it contains no tarokk, by the highest card of the suit led.
Until the partnerships are known, players keep their own tricks in separate piles, and the defenders' part
of the discard must also be kept separate.
When all nine tricks have been played, the card points taken by each side are counted and the hand is

scored. The player to the right of the previous dealer then shuffles, has the cards cut, and deals the next
hand.
Rjtszs
Rjtszs is the name for the obligation your team undertakes when making an announcement promising
to play a specific card to a particular trick (i.e. centrum, small or large bird, or an uhu or ulti). These
announcements constrain your play as follows:
1. If your team has announced an uhu or ultim, you are obliged to hold onto the specified card until
the relevant trick (8th or 9th) and play it to that trick, unless you are forced to do otherwise by the
rules of play (following suit, playing a tarokk if void, etc.)
Examples:
You have announced pagtuhu and your last two cards are the pagt and another tarokk. An
opponent leads tarokk II to the eighth trick. You are obliged to throw the I and are not
allowed to win this trick.
You have announced king of spades uhu and your last two cards are the king and ten of
spades. An opponent leads the king of diamonds to the eighth trick. You are obliged to
throw your king of spades.
2. If your team has announced centrum or a small or large bird, then as long as your side has not lost
a trick, you must keep the specified card (XX, XXI or skz) until the relevant trick (5th, 6th or 7th)
and play it to that trick unless you are forced to do otherwise by the rules of play (following suit,
playing a tarokk if void, etc.) If you lose a trick before the relevant trick, then after you have lost
the trick you are released from your obligations and can play the specified card whenever you wish
to, within the normal rules of play.
Example: You hold XXI, XIV, XIII, XII, V, IIII, III and two hearts; your partner (sitting
opposite you) has skz, XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, X, IX, II and the king of diamonds; your team
has announced trull, four kings, centrum, small bird, large bird, double game and volt; the
opponent to your right unfortunately leads a diamond to the first trick, your partner plays the king
and the opponent to your left trumps with the XV. Because of the small bird announcement, you
are not allowed to win with your XXI - you must play another tarokk, thus losing centrum, both
birds, the four kings and the volt. After that you are free to play your XXI when you wish to (and
your partner is freed from the obligation to play the XX and skz to the 5th and 7th tricks).
3. If your team has made more than one announcement involving playing a specific card to a
particular trick, and you are forced by the rules to play one of the specified cards prematurely, you
must first play the card which was due to be played to the earlier trick.
Example: Your team has announced small bird, large bird and pagtuhu. It is the 6th trick; your
partner leads the XXI, but your remaining cards are skz, pagt and two suit cards. You must play
the skz on the XXI, destroying the small and large birds, because the skz must be played before
the pagt as promised. (It is possible that the pagtuhu may yet succeed). If there had been no
pagtuhu announcement you would have been obliged to play the pagt instead of the skz, and
probably both birds would succeed.

The scoring
The scoring system is based on settling up after each hand in cash. If a score is kept on paper, it
represents the amount won (positive) or lost (negative) by each player, and the scores will always add to
zero. For most purposes there are two teams of two players; each player on the losing team pays one of
the players on the winning team the net score for the game and any bonuses which happened on that
hand. When one player plays alone against the other three players together (having called their own XX
or a discarded tarokk), the lone player pays to or receives from each of the other three active players, so
the total amount won or lost by the lone player is three times the usual score. When there are five players
the payments are only between the four active players; the dealer neither wins nor loses.
When all nine tricks have been played, the card points taken by each team are counted. There are 94 card
points altogether. If the declarer's team have taken at least 48 points (more than half) they have won the
game. The opponents win if they have 47 or more. If either team have more than three quarters of the
card points, so that the other side has 23 points or fewer, they have won a double game. A team which
has taken all the tricks has won volt.
The basic payment for the game depends on the bid as follows:
Bid Basic game score
Three 1 point
Two 2 points
One 3 points
Solo 4 points
These basic scores are doubled if double game was made by either side, or multiplied by three if volt
was made. If double game was announced, the basic game score is multiplied by four and if volt was
announced it is multiplied by six. In the absence of announcements or kontras, the scores for game,
double game and volt are alternatives. If double game or volt is announced, or the game is kontra'd, the
situation is more complex. The rules determining the score for game, double game and volt are as
follows:
1. If neither double game nor volt was announced and the game was not kontra'd, then only one of
the game, the double game and the volt is scored, depending on what card points / tricks are
made.
2. If a team announces double game, they cannot score for the ordinary game, but they can score
volt in addition to the announced double game if they win all the tricks. If they lose not only the
announcement but the game as well, the opponents will score for the ordinary game as well as the
failed announced double game (5 times the game in total). If the opponents managed to make their
own double game or even volt, they would score that instead of the ordinary game, in addition to
the failed announced double game.
3. If a team announces both double game and volt, then each of these bonuses is scored separately; it
is possible to win the double game while losing the volt. The ordinary game is not scored unless
the announcing team loses the game, in which case the opponents score for it. In the unlikely case

that the opponents made a silent double game or volt they would score that in place of the
ordinary game.
4. If a team announces volt but not double game, the volt is scored (won or lost). The announcing
team cannot score anything for game or double game, but if the opponents win the game (or
double game or volt) they score for it.
5. If the game is kontra'd it is always scored. If either side makes a silent double game or volt, that is
scored in addition to the kontra'd game (but not both the double game and the volt).
6. If the game is kontra'd (or rekontra'd) and double game and / or volt is announced (by either
team), the game is scored as well as the announcements. A silent volt can be scored in addition to
a kontra'd game and an announced double game.
The following table summarises the amount by which the basic game score is to be multiplied in various
situations, according to the number of card points or tricks taken by the declarer's team. Positive
multipliers indicate that declarer's team wins; negative multipliers indicate that the opponents win.
BASIC GAME SCORE MULTIPLIERS FOR DECLARER'S TEAM
Points / tricks taken by declarer's team
Announcements 23 or 71 or
No trick 24-47 48-70 All tricks
fewer more
Nothing -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3
Double game -7 -6 -5 -4 +4 +7
Volt -9 -8 -7 -6 -6 +6
Double game, volt -13 -12 -11 -10 -2 +10
Kontra the game -5 -4 -2 +2 +4 +5
Kontra the game;
opponents announce -9 -6 +2 +6 +8 +9
double
Double game;
opponents kontra the -11 -10 -9 -8 +8 +11
double
Double game;
opponents kontra the -13 -12 -10 -6 +10 +13
double and the game
The above table does not give an exhaustive list of possible situations, but should be sufficient to
illustrate how the scoring works.
The next table summarises the scores for other bonuses and declarations. These scores are not affected by
the basic game value; they are the same, no matter what type of game was bid:
Item Silent Announced Notes

Trull (tultro) 1 2 A team which wins all the tricks

scores nothing for silent trull or
silent four kings. Announced trull
Four kings (ngykirly) 1 2 or four kings are scored as usual.
The pagt itself must win the last
Pagtultim 5 10
trick for this bonus to succeed.
The player whose XXI was
XXI-catch (XXI-fogs) 21 42
captured has to wear the hat.
Centrum - 10
Small bird (kismadr) - 10
Large bird (nagymadr) - 10
These bonuses only score if they
Pagtuhu - 20 are announced.
King ultim
- 15
(kirlyultim)
King uhu (kirlyuhu) - 20
Payment for declared tarokks is
8 tarokks (nyolc tarokk) 1 1 made by all other active players,
including the partner of the player
who holds the tarokks. If the
tarokks are not declared, payment
can be claimed at the end of the
9 tarokks (kilenc tarokk) 2 2 play from the partner of the holder
only.
All of the above scores for bonuses and declarations are available to either team. It is even possible for a
bonus to be scored twice by one team - for example if one team announces four kings but the other team
wins all four kings in their tricks.
Advice on tactics
Most of the advice on playing Paskievics tarokk also applies to the illustrated game.
When the high honours are held by the declarer's team, they will almost always announce trull. It follows
that whenever there is no trull announcement, there is a significant possibility of a XXI-catch. Often
there are some clues available about who might hold the XXI.
The obvious way to make centrum is for your side to hold the top five tarokks and have the opening lead.
In that case the centrum would be certain, and by using the conventional announcements of trull and four
kings described below, it should be possible to announce it. It is also possible to announce centrum in
less safe conditions: you may need to catch the enemy XVIII or XIX, or you may announce centrum

without the lead, relying on being able to trump the opponents' likely suit lead. It is sometimes possible
to make centrum when the holder of the XX has fewer than five tarokks: there will need to be at least one
suit trick which the partner of the XX will win with a tarokk. Similar considerations apply to announcing
the small and large birds - see example deal 6 for a demonstration of a small bird announcement that
relies on catching enemy tarokks.
When announcing a king ultim, it is useful to have a second card of the same suit to protect the king, so
that the opponents cannot destroy the announcement by leading the suit of the king. It can sometimes be
worth discarding a tarokk to achieve this. It is then possible to give up an early trick if necessary. The
card accompanying the king can be led at a time when you are sure of controlling the remainder of the
play.
For further discussion of tactics in Illustrated Tarokk see the section on conventional announcements
below, and the collection of Example Deals contributed by Gbor Rvsz.
Conventional announcements
The presence of high valued announced bonuses make it worthwhile to use some of the cheaper
announcements, such as trull, four kings, and in some cases even double game, to convey information
which will enable the higher value announcements to be made when it is possible. In the long run, one
would prefer sometimes to lose trull or four kings with kontra, rather than miss the opportunity to
announce and score for centrum and the birds when it is possible. Therefore it is usual to give the lower
announcements fairly specific conventional meanings.
Unlike the bidding conventions, these announcement conventions are not part of the rules. There needs to
be a general agreement among the players about the meanings of the announcements, but individual
players are allowed to depart from the conventions and use the announcements in other ways if they see a
good reason for doing so (see, for example, the four kings announcement in example deal 7). If a player
breaks a convention without good reason and the partnership suffers a loss as a result, there is likely to be
a lively discussion after the game.
Announcing Trull
A trull announcement is used to let your partner know that you believe that your team has both high
honours. Having these cards, you will often be in quite a good position to catch the pagt if the
opponents have it, so fulfilling your trull announcement, but this is not the main purpose of the
announcement. A more important reason for announcing trull when you can is to help confirm the
positions of the high honours, so as to establish the possibility of further announcements such as centrum
and the birds.
You should generally announce trull when you have both high honours, or when you have one high
honour and know from a cue bid or yielded game that your partner has the other. You should normally
also announce trull if you have a high honour and know that your partner has an honour which might be
a high one. This most commonly happens when you have the called tarokk and a high honour: your
partner has bid, so must have an honour of some kind; you hope it is a high one, and announce trull to
convey the good news that you have a high honour too.

There are a few cases where you should not announce trull, even though your side has both high
honours, because you do not want to encourage further announcements from your partner. For example if
your XX has been called and you have only three tarokks such as skz, XX, XI, it is better not to
announce trull; to announce it might mislead your partner into undertaking an impossible centrum.
You should also beware of the case where you have already shown your high honour by cue bidding or
yielding the game. Now if the declarer does not announce trull, you know that the declarer does not hold
a high honour, and you should only announce trull if you have both of them.
Announcing Four Kings

A four kings announcement is used as a general encouragement to your partner to announce something
further. In Illustrated Tarokk it is particularly useful as an encouragement to announce centrum, and for
this purpose "four kings" is given the specific meaning that you hold the highest tarokk other than an
honour whose position is not already known. If the declarer called the XX, a four kings announcement
therefore says that you hold the XIX. If there was no cue bid and the declarer called the XIX, the
declarer is known to have the XX and four kings shows the XVIII. However, if the declarer calls the
XIX as a result of a cue bid, the position of the XX is not known, and a four kings announcement shows
the XX.
Since announcing four kings is an encouragement, it normally also shows at least five tarokks. This is
particularly so when you hold the XX and your side has both high honours - your four kings
announcement may encourage your partner to announce centrum, and this may be hard to make if you
have fewer than five tarokks.
Four kings as an encouragement to centrum is useful when you think that your side has both high
honours, which would be indicated by an announcement of trull. If trull has not been announced,
implying that one or both high honours are with the opponents, four kings can be used to encourage your
partner to announce king ulti, pagtulti or XXI-catch. In these cases four kings shows a strong hand but
does not guarantee holding a specific tarokk. Here are some examples of the use of four kings as an
encouragement.
Example 1
Bidding: A:3 - B:pass - C:pass - D:2 - A:hold - D:pass

Announcements - first version

A: Call the XX, pass
B, C: Pass
D: Trull, pass D shows a high honour
A: Four kings, pass A has the other high honour and the XIX
B, C: Pass
D: Centrum, pass D has the XVIII or the XVII, which is enough to make
centrum since A has the opening lead. For complete safety
D would need at least five tarokks, but centrum can still be
announced with only four or even three tarokks in D's
hand provided that D can lead suits of which A is void.
Announcements - second version

B, C: Pass
A, B, C: Pass A leads a high tarokk to the first trick. This means that A
has the pagt, not a high honour, and wants to catch the
XXI if D has the skz. As there was no kontra of the trull,
it seems that D does have the skz, and the XXI must be
very frightened.
Announcements - third version

B, C: Pass
A: Pagtulti, four kings, pass in this order! - D should understand that A has a very
strong hand with no high honour and is encouraging him
to announce XXI-catch.
Example 2
Bidding: A:pass - B:3 - C:2 - D:pass - B:hold - C:1 - B:hold - C:solo - B:pass

Announcements - first version

C: Call the XX, pass
D: Pass
A: Four kings, pass Showing a strong hand without a high honour and
suggesting that if C has the skz it may be possible to catch
B's XXI. A here promises a hand suitable for driving out
the XXI. A's tarokks should be quite long (at least six)
including some high ones (two or three of the XIX, XVIII,
XVII, XVI), and A should have few suits - preferably only
one. A double game announcement by A would have a
similar meaning.
B: Pass
C: XXI-catch, pass C accepts A's suggestion.
Announcements - second version
C: Call the XX, pass
D: Pass
A: Four kings, pass Showing a strong hand without a high honour and
encouraging XXI-catch as before.
B: Pass
C: Double game, pass C also has a very strong hand, but with the XXI and not
the skz.
D: Pass
A: King of hearts ulti, pass A clearly has seven tarokks and two hearts. The play
should be interesting - the declarer's team probably has 14
tarokks, so the opponents have 8, plus an opportunity to
lead after B wins a trick with the skz. If B is longer in
tarokks than D, B can kontra the double game
announcement and keep the skz until D can throw a
valuable card on it.
Example 3
Bidding: A:3 - B:pass - C:pass - D:2 - A:pass (yielded game)

Announcements - encouraging the pagt

D: Call the XX, pass D has no high honour, so must hold the pagt.
A: Four kings, pass. This shows a strong hand, but not the XIX specifically,
since a high honour is missing (with both high honours A
would have announced trull as well)
B, C: Pass
D: Eight tarokks, pagtulti, Knowing that A is strong allows D to announce pagtulti.
pass D did not declare eight tarokks earlier, so as not to
encourage the opponents to a XXI-catch if A is a weak
XXI.
Announcing Double Game

Some care is needed when using double game as an encouragement. Your hand should be strong enough
to give you a reasonable chance of making it, as losing a kontra'd double game can be expensive,
especially if the bid is one or solo. If the bid is three or two, the double game announcement can be used
somewhat more freely. Announcing double game conventionally indicates that you have at least six
tarokks, including the second highest tarokk, other than an honour, whose position is not already
known. For example if the declarer calls the XX, double game shows the XVIII. If the declarer calls the
XVIII as a result of a cue bid, double game shows the XIX.
Variations
Most of the variations described on the Paskievics Tarokk page can also be applied to the illustrated
game. In particular, many people play the older rule that you can only hold a bid if your first turn to bid
was earlier than that of the player whose bid you are holding. Also, many play that a single jump bid of
solo is an invitation to the XVIII, not the XIX. Both of these variations are in force for the example
deals.
As in Paskievics Tarokk, some treat a declaration of tarokks like announcing a bonus. For example, if
you declare 8 or 9 tarokks when your allegiance is not yet known, you are assumed to be the partner of
the player who most recently announced, declared or kontra'd anything unless you identify yourself by
means of a kontra of your own.
Some play that if the bid is three, the declarer's team announce trull and there are no other
announcements, the hand is thrown in without play, and the declarer's team win 3 points. The reason is
that these hands are somewhat uninteresting - the two high honours seem to be on the same side so there
is going to be no XXI-catch, and nothing of much value has been announced. If anyone wants to play out
the hand they should announce something else (or, in the opponents' case, say kontra).
Some play that if you win the bidding after another player has cue bid, you must announce trull at the
start of the round of announcements if you have a high honour, and if you have no high honour but only
the pagt, you must announce pagtultim. The effect of this rule is to make it more expensive for a
player with a weak hand containing the pagt to hinder the holders of the high honours from playing

together by bidding over a cue bid. This is discussed in example deal 5.
At least one group (Antal Jnoska, Ferenc Horvth and friends) play with an additional bonus
"pagt-catch" (pagtfogs), which occurs when the pagt played by one team is captured in a trick won
by the other team. This bonus is worth 8 points announced and 4 points silent. If announced, it fails if the
announcing team hold the pagt themselves. This group also play different values for some other
bonuses: centrum and large bird are worth only 6 points, small bird is worth 8, and pagtuhu is worth 19
points rather than 20.
In his 1997 book, Jnos Marton proposes three extra bonuses:
Szrs (hairy / unshaven). The 8th trick is won by a specified jack. Scores 25 points, only if
announced.
Csuzima (Named after the strait between Japan and Korea). An opponent announcing Csuzima
doubles the game and all bonuses announced so far by the declarer's side. If the opponents defeat
all that they doubled in Csuzima, they earn 4 additional points for the Csuzima. Csuzima has no
effect on bonuses announced after it. Declarer's side can rekontra each component doubled in
Csuzima and they can also kontra Csuzima if they rekontra at least one component. Kontra'd
Csuzima can be rekontra'd by any opponent of the declarer provided they szubkontra at least one
rekontra'd component.
Self-Kontra of Trull. A declarer who does not have a high honour can kontra her partner's
announcement of trull. Partner can rekontra if he has both high honours.
High Tarokk
In the 1960's, Dr Endre Kovcs invented a further elaboration of tarokk, called High Tarokk (Magas
tarokk), which is described in his Tarokk-kdex (Budapest, 1989). It seems that not many tarokk players
have yet taken up this game. The main difference from Illustrated Tarokk is that 10 further bonuses are
added. These are:
Pagtfcn (pagt pheasant)
Winning the first trick with the pagt. 10 points silent; 50 points announced. If the pagt is
captured by an opponent in the first trick the team which played the pagt pays 10 points.
Sasfcn (eagle pheasant)
Winning the first trick with tarokk II (the eagle). 10 points silent; 50 points announced. If the eagle
is captured by an opponent in the first trick the team which played the eagle pays 10 points.
Prosfcn (brace of pheasants)
Winning the first trick with the XXI; the trick must also contain the pagt (I) or eagle (II). 30
points silent; 60 points announced. To win this bonus silently, the pagt or eagle must be played by
an opponent of the player who wins with the XXI, and the winning team collect 10 for the lost
pagt or eagle as well as 30 for the prosfcn. Prosfcn can only be announced by an opponent
of the player who has the lead to the first trick, but the announcement succeeds no matter who
plays the pagt or eagle to the first trick (normally it would be the partner of the announcer).
Sasultim (eagle ultim)
Winning the last trick with the eagle (II). 5 points silent; 10 points announced.

Szncsald (suit family)

Winning the last three tricks with three cards of a specified suit. Announced only: 100 points.
Hrom kirly (three kings)
Winning the last three tricks with any three kings. Announced only: 100 points.
Zrpros (final pair)
Winning the last two tricks with the eagle (II) and pagt (I). Announced only: 40 points.
Pagtkismadr, Saskismadr, Kirlykismadr (pagt small bird, eagle small bird, king small bird)
Winning the 6th trick with the pagt, the eagle, or a specified king, respectively. It is not necessary
to win the first 5 tricks. Announced only: 40 points.
Pagtnagymadr, Sasnagymadr, Kirlynagymadr (pagt large bird, eagle large bird, king large
bird)
Winning the 7th trick with the pagt, the eagle, or a specified king, respectively. It is not necessary
to win the first 6 tricks. Announced only: 30 points.
Sasuhu (eagle uhu)
Winning the 8th trick with the eagle (II). Announced only: 20 points.
There are some other differences. For example an announcement of Long Double Game (hossz
duplajtk) is the same as a Double Game announcement except that it promises at least seven tarokks;
an ordinary Double Game announcement shows a maximum of six tarokks. A hand can be annulled if
you hold the eagle with no other tarokks, or if your only tarokks are XXI, II or XXI, II, I.
In his 1993 book, Jnos r proposed a variation of High Tarokk with several further bonuses.
Royal Tarokk
Royal Tarokk is an even more complicated variation devised by Zoltn Gerots for competitive and
championship play. There are fixed partnerships (partners sit next to each other), only 40 cards are used
(no red aces) and there is no talon and no card points. All attention is concentrated on the numerous
bonuses that can be announced - the current version of the game includes over 60 of these - and
especially the highest announcements, known as trophies (trofek). There is a club - the Magyar Royal
Tarokk Egyeslet - which meets weekly on Tuesdays from 18:00 at the rpdhz tterem, Semmelweis
utca, Budapest.
Illustrated Tarokk with 54 cards

John McLeod was introduced to this unusual variation in Pomz in August 1982; the players were from
Budapest. All 54 cards are used - the cards in the black suits rank king, queen, rider, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 and
in the red suits king, queen, rider, jack, ace, 2, 3, 4. The extra pip cards count 1 point each. Thus there are
106 points and the declarer's team needs 54 to win. A side that takes fewer than one quarter of the points
(i.e. 26 or fewer) loses a double game.
The deal is 6 cards to the talon, and then in sixes. The four players thus have 12 cards each, and in
addition to the normal declarations it is possible to declare 10 tarokks (3 points), 11 tarokks (4 points) or

12 tarokks (5 points).
The scores for trull, four kings, ultimos and uhus are as usual, except that a team that loses an ultimo or
uhu pays double for it. (This doubling is probably influenced by the equivalent rule in the Hungarian
national game Ulti. The same players also played a version of Paskievics Tarokk with this doubling rule).
A centrum announcement scores 10. To win small bird (kismadr) you have to make centrum and then
win trick 6 with the XXI, and this scores 20 points in addition to the 10 for centrum. Similarly a large
bird (nagymadr) entails making centrum and the small bird and then going on to win trick 7 with the
skz, for an additional 40 points - 70 in all if the whole thing succeeds.
Other Illustrated Tarokk WWW pages

Here is a link to Gyula Faller's Tarokk pages (in Hungarian), which describe a version of Illustrated
Tarokk which includes the announcements "Sasulti" and "Sasuhu" from High Tarokk. The pages give the
rules of the game and advice on tactics.
Go to Basic Hungarian Tarokk page
Go to Illustrated Tarokk Example Deals


Rules of Card Games: Israeli Whist
Israeli Whist
This page is based on information from Amir Mazuver, Yoni Elhanani and Ofer Ballin.
Introduction

Bidding
Play
Scoring
End of the Game
Variations
Introduction
This game is popular in Israel, where it is just called Whist. Unlike classic forms of Whist it has no
partnerships and incorporates a bidding system whereby each player predicts how many tricks they will
take. I have therefore classified it as an Exact Bidding Game.

There are four players and a standard 52 card pack is used, each suit ranking in the usual way from ace
(high) down to two (low). The game is played clockwise.
The first dealer is chosen at random and after each hand the turn to deal passes to the left. The cards are
shuffled and cut, and are all dealt out, one at a time, so that everyone has 13 cards.
The Bidding
The bidding begins with the dealer and continues clockwise. There are two phases.
A bid in the first phase consists of a number of tricks from 5 to 13 and a suit or "no trumps", so that
possible bids would be "six clubs", "eight hearts", "nine no trumps", etc. A bid of more tricks outranks
any bid of fewer tricks. Also, when comparing bids for the same number of tricks, the five denominations
rank in the same order as at Bridge: no trumps is highest, then spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs (lowest).
At your turn you can either pass or bid higher than the previous bidder - either by bidding more tricks, or
by bidding the same number of tricks in a higher denomination. The first phase of bidding continues until
all four players pass in succession (if the other three players pass over your bid, you can increase your
own bid, and the other three players then have another chance to speak).
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If all four players pass on their first turn to speak, the hand is thrown in and redealt, or you can play a
Gulash (see variations).
When a bid is followed by four passes, the last (and highest) bidder becomes the declarer and the trump
suit (if any) for the hand is determined by the declarer's final bid. There is now a second phase of bidding
in which the other three players, starting at declarer's left and going around clockwise, state how many
tricks they will each try to take. Each bid is a number from zero upwards. The player to declarer's right,
who speaks last, is constrained not to bid a number that would cause the bids of all four players to add up
to 13. If the total of the bids is greater then 13, the game is called "over"; if the total is less than 13 the
game "under".
Here is an example of bidding:
South
West North East
(dealer)
First phase: pass 5 hearts 6 clubs pass
pass 6 hearts 7 clubs pass
pass pass pass
Second phase: 2
0 3
West was not allowed to bid 4 at the end. This game is "under".
The Play
Each player's objective is to take the exact number of tricks that they bid, and if possible to hinder the
other players from doing so.
The declarer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can; a player who has no cards of the
suit led can play any card. A trick is won by the highest trump in it, if any. If there are no trumps in the
trick, the highest card of the suit led wins it. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The Scoring
When all 13 tricks have been played, the scores of all four players are all calculated individually by
comparing the number of tricks each player won with the number they bid.
Anyone who bid at least one trick scores as follows:
For taking the exact number of tricks bid, gain 10 points plus the square of the number of tricks.
For example for bidding and making 3 tricks you score 19. For bidding and making 8 tricks you
score 74.
For taking a number of tricks different from the player's bid, lose 10 points for per trick under or
over the bid. For example if you bid 2 tricks and take 4 you score -20 points.
A player who bids zero tricks scores as follows:

For bidding and making zero tricks when the game is "over", score 30 points.
For bidding and making zero tricks when the game is "under", score 50 points.
If the zero bid fails, lose 50 points for the first trick taken, but gain 10 points for each subsequent
trick. For example if you bid zero and take three tricks you lose only 30 points.
A cumulative total score is kept for each player. A player's total score can be negative.
End of the Game

A target score should be agreed before the start of the game. When one or more players reach or exceed
this score the game ends and the player with the highest total score is the winner. In case of a tie, further
hands are played until there is a single player with the highest score.
Variations
Gulash
In this variation, if the bidding starts with four passes the cards are not thrown in. Instead, each player
passes three cards face down to the left. You must select the three cards you will pass before looking at
the three cards you receive from the player to your right. Then the bidding starts again as before.
If everyone passes a second time, three more cards are passed as before and the auction begins again. If
everyone passes yet again at this third attempt, the cards are thrown in and there is no score. The cards
are shuffled and dealt again by the same dealer. (This situation is very rare.)
Scoring
Yoni Elhanani gives a different method of scoring, as follows.
If every player fails to take the number of tricks they bid, there is no score for the hand. Otherwise:
A player who bid at least one trick and took the exact number of tricks they bid scores the square
of that number (for example 25 for 5 tricks)
A player who takes a different number of tricks from their bid loses 5 points for each trick under or
over the bid.
A player who bids and makes zero tricks wins 25 points if the game is "over", or 50 points if the
game is "under".
A player who bids zero and takes at least one trick loses 25 points plus 5 points per trick taken.


Card Games: General rules for Swiss Jass
Swiss Jass
Part of this page was contributed by Nick Wedd
Introduction
The rank and values of the cards

The trick-taking rules
The Weis
The Stck
Software
Introduction
Many of the most popular card games in Switzerland, especially in the German speaking cantons, belong
to the Jass group, and are played with characteristic Swiss cards, which have come to be known as Jass
cards.
So popular has Jass become in Switzerland, that even games which have nothing to do with the Jass
group are sometimes described as kinds of Jass, and the word jassen has come to mean playing any card
game with the Swiss pack. The Swiss Jass games described on this site at present are:
Schieber
Coiffeur-Schieber
Mittlere, Molotov, Plus-Minus
Differenzler
Swiss Jass games have a number of features in common, which will be described on this page, to save
repetition elsewhere. These are:

The Weis
The Stck

A standard Jass pack has 36 cards which . These cards have Swiss suits of bells , shields , acorns
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and flowers , the cards in each suit being ace, king, ober, under, banner, nine, eight, seven, six. In
these packs most of the cards are easy to identify. Note that the aces have two large suit symbols (having
in the distant past actually been deuces). The banners also have two suit symbols, but should be easy to
distinguish from aces because they symbols appear on a flag or banner. Here is the banner of bells:
. Perhaps the only tricky card is the ace of shields, which can be confusing because the
shields are a different shape from the others. The ace of shields looks like this: . The king,
ober and under of each suit are identified by the words KNIG, OBER and UNDER printed on the
card.
In the non-German speaking cantons, a French suited pack (hearts , diamonds , clubs and spades
) is used instead of the Swiss suited one, the cards in each suit being ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7,
6.
Jass games are point-trick games. When there are trumps, the card ranks and values are different in the
trump suit from the other suits. The rank of the cards in each suit, from highest to lowest, and their values
in card points are given in the following table:
Non trump suit Trump suit
Ace 11 Under 20
King 4 Nine 14
Ober 3 Ace 11
Under 2 King 4
Banner 10 Ober 3
Nine 0 Banner 10
Eight 0 Eight 0
Seven 0 Seven 0
Six 0 Six 0
In addition the whoever wins the last trick gets an extra 5 card points. Thus the total number of card
points available is 157.
A player or side that wins all the tricks is said to have made match. For this they nrmally score an extra
100 card points, making 257 altogether.
The Under of trumps is called the Puur (Swiss version of the word Bauer, meaning peasant, which in the
form Bower also appears in Euchre). The nine of trumps is called Nll.

Some Jass games have contracts that are played without trumps. In this case, to make up for the lack of
Puur and Nll the eights are worth 8 points each instead of zero, so that the total points available are still
157.

All Jass games are played counter-clockwise. The cards are played in tricks. As usual each trick is won
by the highest trump in it, or if no trump is played, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each
trick leads to the next. In many games the player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick, but in
some games with bidding the declarer leads first.
Any card may be led to a trick. The rules about which cards the other players may play to the trick are
unique to Swiss Jass. Please read the following carefully! If a non trump suit is led, and you have a card
of the suit led, you must either follow suit (play any card of the suit led) or play a trump, subject to the
undertrumping rule. If trumps are led, you must follow suit with a trump if you can, except when the
only trump in your hand is the Under (Puur), in which case you may play anything. If you have no card
of the suit led you may play anything, subject to the undertrumping rule.
Undertrumping rule
There are two versions of this, depending what kind of Jass you are playing.
If it is a pure positive game, such as Schieber Jass, Handjass or Steiger Jass (where the object is to win
card points) then the stricter undertrumping rule applies:
If a non-trump has been led and another player has already trumped it, you are not allowed to play
a lower trump, unless you have nothing but trumps left in your hand, in which case you may
play any trump.
If it is a negative or mixed game, such as Hindersi, Mittlere or Differenzler in which the object is not to
take as many card points as possible, but maybe to avoid taking points or to get close to a specific value,
then the weaker undertrumping rule applies:
If a non-trump has been led and another player has already trumped it, you are not allowed to play
a lower trump, unless you have no cards of the suit led, in which case you may play any card.
The Weis
The word Weis denotes sets of cards which, held in a player's hand at the start of play, may be announced
for points. There are two ways of counting weis: the large weis and the small weis.
The small weis are:
sequence of three cards in suit 20 points
sequence of four cards in suit 50 points
sequence of five or more cards in suit 100 points
four tens (banners) 100 points

four obers 100 points

four kings 100 points
four aces 100 points
four nines (if played) 150 points
four unders 200 points
With the small weis, the same card may not be used in two different combinations. E.G. a player holding
all four kings and the ober under ten of bells might choose to treat this as four kings and a sequence of
three, or as a sequence of four. A sequence of seven cards scores no more than a sequence of five (though
it beats it). A sequence of eight (or nine) cards may be regarded as a sequence of five and a sequence of
three (or four).
The large weis are:
sequence of three cards in suit 20 points
sequence of four cards in suit 50 points
sequence of five in suit 100 points
four tens (banners) 100 points
four obers 100 points
four kings 100 points
four aces 100 points
four nines (if played) 150 points
sequence of six in suit 150 points
four unders 200 points
sequence of seven in suit 200 points
sequence of eight in suit 250 points
sequence of nine in suit 300 points
With the large weis, the same card may be used in both a set af four and a sequence. E.G. a player
holding all four kings and the ober under ten of bells could treat this as four kings and a sequence of four.
Each weis on a list is better than those above it on the list. A longer sequence is better than a shorter one.
In comparing sequences of the same length, the one with the higher card is better. In comparing identical
sequences in different suits, one in the trump suit is better. If two players have identical sequences in
non-trump suits, the one wins whose turn to play to the first trick is earlier.
For the purposes of Weis, suits are always in the order A K O U B 9 8 7 6.
Announcing Weis
The details vary from game to game, but the general way in which Weis are announced is as follows.
As each player plays a card to the first trick of a hand, she may announce a weis (set of cards, as listed)
that she holds if it is at least as great as any which has so far been announced. She may hold a weis but
choose not to announce it. She might choose to announce a weis that was not her best, though it is hard to
imagine why anyone should do so deliberately.
When the trick is complete, if more than one weis has been announced, a discussion takes place about
which one was best. In this discussion players reveal only sufficient information to establish which Weis
is highest. For example if there are two four card sequences in contention, the players first each say what

is the highest card of their sequence, and if these are equal, whether they are trumps. Once this has been
resolved, the holder of the winning weis scores for it, and for any others which she holds and chooses to
announce. In a partnership game, the partner(s) of the player with the best weis may then also choose to
announce and score for any weis they hold. The opponents score nothing for weis, even though some of
theirs may be better than some of the weis scored by the other side.
Once a weis has been scored for, any player other than the one holding it may ask to see it. Its holder
then displays it for everyone to see. The purpose of doing this is not to check if it is genuine (competent
card players would know in any case by the end of the hand); it is to help the asker, and possibly her
partner, in planning the play of the hand.
Variations
Some players allow four 9s, worth 150, as weis.
Some Jass games contain a contract called undenufe in which the cards rank in reverse order - 6 higheat.
In this case the reverse ranking also applies when comparing sequences of equal length, or equal scoring
fours of a kind.
In undenufe, some people value the 6 rather than the ace as 11 points, and allow a Weis of four sixes
worth 100 points, in place of four aces.
Note
Games involving weis are played in the Swiss-speaking cantons of Switzerland. As there is no "official"
way of spelling Swiss German, various forms are used. Weis is the most usual, but Wis and Wys may also
be seen. It is pronounced "veez".
The Stck
A combination of king and ober of trumps, held by the same player in her hand, generally scores 20
points and is known as stck. This is not a kind of weis and cannot be invalidated by another player's
weis. Stck can be announced and scored when the second of the two cards is been played, or when the
cards are exposed as part of a weis, or at any later time, up until the counting of points won in tricks at
the end of the play of that hand. Stck can be claimed and scored at any earlier time if the player thereby
gets enough points to win the game.
Software
Michael Gasser's shareware Jass!! program plays several Swiss Jass games: Differenzler, Sticheln,
Plusminus, Guggitaler, Total Guggitaler, Schiltenoberjas, Schaufeldamejass, Molotow, Schellenjass,
Handjass, Schieber.


Rules of Card Games: Kaiser
Kaiser
This page was initially put together from information posted to rec.games.playing-cards by Tom
Niwinski; contributions from other players have been added.
Introduction
Pack
Idea of the Game
Deal
Bidding
Play of the Cards
Scoring
Variations
Other Kaiser WWW Sites and Software
Introduction
The origins of this Canadian game are somewhat of a mystery. Mel Prokop, who lives in Saskatchewan
and is of Ukranian descent, tells me that the Ukrainian communities of Saskatchewan and neighboring
provinces are hotbeds of Kaiser playing. The game has been around in this region for at least 40 years
and he believes that it has its origins in the Ukrainian culture, possibly being brought over by immigrants
to Canada. It is typically played when families visit or get together, especially over Christmas. However,
I have not heard of any card game like this being played in Ukraine itself, or indeed anywhere in Europe.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who has further information on the history of this game.
I should also mention that Kaiser has absolutely no connection with the ancient Swiss card game called
Kaiserspiel or Kaiserjass.
Kaiser is played by four people - two against two as partners sitting across from each other. The first
team to get 52 points wins the game.
Pack
This game is played with 32 cards - 7 through ace in each suit, but with the 7 replaced by the 3 and
the 7 replaced by the 5. The cards in each suit rank from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or 5 or
3.
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Idea of the Game

This is a trick taking game, in which each trick is worth one point. In addition the 5 is worth plus 5
points and the 3 is worth minus 3 points to the side which takes them in their tricks. The team which
bids higher chooses the trump suit and tries to take at least as many points as they bid.
Deal
Deal and play are clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random and after each hand the turn to deal
passes to the left. The dealer deals out all the cards to the players, one at a time, so that everyone has
eight.
Bidding
Each player in turn, beginning with the player at the dealer's left has one opportunity to bid. He may pass
or bid a number; the possible bids are from five to twelve, either with a trump suit or in "no trumps". The
trump suit is not specified in the bid, but a player who wants to play no trumps must say so in the bid -
for example "eight no". A bid in no trumps outranks an equal bid in a suit, so the possible bids in
ascending order are: 5, 5 no, 6, 6 no, 7, 7 no, etc. The maximum possible bid is 12 no.
If a player bids, his bid must be higher that the previous bid, except that the dealer has the special
privilege that he only needs to equal the previous bid in order to win the bidding.
Example:
Player A passes (isn't sure how many tricks he can make)
Player B bids 7 no (believes he can make 7 tricks without a trump)
Player C bids 8 (believes he can make 8 with a trump)
Player D bids 8 no (8 tricks without a trump)
Player D wins the bidding. Player D could also bid 8, equal to C's bid, and would then choose a
trump suit.
If all four players pass, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
Play of the cards

The highest bidder names trumps (unless the bid was no trumps) and leads a card to the first trick. Play is
clockwise. Each subsequent player must play a card of the same suit as the led card, if able to; if unable
to, they may play any other card they wish. If any trumps are played, the player of the highest trump wins
the trick; if no trumps are in the trick, it is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of the trick
leads to the next trick. When all the cards have been played, the tricks are counted and scores written
down.

Scoring
The score is depends on the bid, the number of tricks taken, and who took the 5 and the 3 in their
tricks. The first team to reach a cumulative score of 52 or more points wins the game.
Each team counts how many points they have taken as follows:
one point for each trick won
plus five points for winning a trick containing the 5

minus three points for winning a trick containing the 3
The bidding team's score
If the team which chose trumps took at least as many points as they bid, they add to their score the
number of points they took. If they took fewer points than their bid they subtract their bid from
their score.
If the team which won the bidding played with no trumps, and took at least as many points as they
bid, the add double the number of points they took to their score. If they do not make their bid
then they subtract double their bid from their score.
The opponents' score
If the opponents of the team which won the bidding have a cumulative score of less than 45, they
simply score the points they took, irrespective of whether the bid was won or lost. It is possible for
this team to score less than zero (if they took the 3 with fewer than 3 tricks); in this case their
cumulative score will go down.
If the opponents of the bidding team have a cumulative score of 45 or more, they cannot add any
points taken to their score, but they still lose points if they took less than zero in tricks.
Variations
Some play that if you are dealt no aces, no picture cards and no 3 or 5, you can throw in the hand for a
redeal.
Some play that a hand cannot be thrown in. If the first three players pass, the dealer is forced to bid the
minimum.
Some play with a minimum bid of seven or six, rather than five.
Some play that a team which takes the 3 require three tricks to erase the 3 point penalty. If the team
with the 3 take just one or two tricks, their score for the whole hand is minus 3 points. With three
tricks their score would be zero, and additional tricks count one further point each as normal. The 5
can also be counted for plus 5 points provided that the team has at least three tricks.
Some play with a bid of Kaiser 40, by which the bidder undertakes to win all eight tricks alone (partner
does not take part in the play). This scores 40 points if successful and loses 40 otherwise.
Some play that if a team has a cumulative score of minus 52 or worse, they lose the game and the other

team wins.
Some play that the limit for scoring points for tricks without bidding is 47 points rather than 45. In this
case if your score is 47 or more, you cannot score for tricks unless you are the bidding team, or unless
you capture the 5 from the bidders, which wins the game for you.
Brian Berard reports a version in which each player passes one card face down to partner before the
bidding takes place. Brian says that this variation adds to the game, in that a player can get rid of a lone
card in a suit, such as a lone 5 of hearts etc.
Michael Mee describes a variation played with an extra two cards (the missing sevens) in the deck, so
that there are 34 cards. Eight cards are dealt to each player, plus a kitty of two cards face down. The
winning bidder must pick up the kitty and discard any two cards except the 5 & 3.
Other Kaiser WWW sites and software

You can dowload a demo of Kevin Currie's program Kaiser for Windows from the KC Magic Data page.


Rules of Card Games: Kaiserspiel
Kaiserspiel
This game is a direct descendant of Karnffel, one of the oldest card games known. Karnffel was
referred to as early as 1426 and was the subject of a many sermons and satirical writings in the following
centuries. It may appear that most of its dreadfulness lies in the level of anarchy of the play - you can
play any card you like to each trick, and can talk as much as you like about what cards you have and
what you want your partner to do. In the 15th century what was apparently more shocking was the
anarchic card order, taken as symbolising a disruption of the status quo, with the king being beaten by
low cards, the Pope (6) beaten by the Under-knave, and special privileges given to the Devil (7).
The modern game of Kaiserspiel (often known as Kaiserjass, though it is not really has nothing to do
with Jass games) is played in a small area around Stans and in the Engelberg valley, in Canton
Nidwalden, south of Luzern in Switzerland. Of the surviving members of the Karnffel family, this is the
closest to the original game. The cards used are similar to the standard Swiss Jass pack, but the suits
contain 3, 4, and 5 and not 8 or 9 (all the 8's and 9's should be removed from the pack before playing).
(Note: according to text accompanying the Kaiserspiel cards published by Leon Schnyder for the Stiftung
Schweizer Wappen und Fahnen, Kaiserspiel is still played with 48 cards in some places in the cantons
Obwalden, Uri and Luzern)
The Players
The game is played with fixed partnerships; when there are four players you sit opposite your partner as
in Bridge. It is also possible for six to play; the partnerships then consist of teams of three, sitting
alternately.
Each team elects its captain, and the scoring slate is placed on the table between the two captains.

The game is of the trick taking type, with trumps, but trumps had not been invented in their modern form
when this game was developed, so they behave rather oddly. By the time the play of the hand starts, each
player will have five cards, and the object is to win three of the five tricks. The value of the hand depends
on how much betting there has been, and the winners score some number of points. The first side to get
to an agreed number of points (often 101) wins.
The Cards
Four suits, Shields, Flowers, Bells and Acorns, each containing 10 cards: King, Ober, Under, 7,6,5,4,3,2,
Banner. The twos of the pack are the same cards which are used as aces (also known as sows) in other
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Swiss games, but they really are twos.

The four banners normally become part of the trump suit, and are referred to as Kaisers (not to be
confused with Kings). They are promoted from the side suits by announcing "Kaiser" (see below).
The side suits rank: King (highest), Ober, Under, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (lowest)

The trump suit can be divided into five groups. The illustrations shows the trump suit arranged in order
assuming that shields are trumps.
1. The highest trumps are the king-beatersThe banner of bells (Mugg) is the highest, followed by the
5, Under (Joos), 6, 2, and banner of flowers (Blass), in that order. These cards can beat all
non-trump cards (except the 7 of the trump suit) and all lower trumps.
2. Next are the Ober-beaters, which rank 3, Banner of shields. They can beat all non-trump cards
other than kings - i.e. from the Ober downwards - and all lower trumps.
3. Below the Ober-beaters are the Under-beaters, ranking: 4, banner of acorns (Wydli). They can
beat all non-trump cards other than kings and obers - i.e. from the Under downwards - and all
lower trumps.
4. The King ("Fuil") and Ober of the suit chosen as trumps are not themselves trumps, but form a
little suit by themselves.
5. The seven of the suit chosen as trumps is also not a trump, and is best regarded as being a separate
suit on its own. It can only win if it is led to a trick, and if it is led it can only be beaten by the Joos
(The Under of the trump suit, normally the third highest trump). The Joos may then be beaten in
turn by one of the top two trumps.
Example: If shields are trumps, and the ober of flowers is led, this can be beaten by the 3 of shields
(ober-beater), which can in turn be beaten by the king of flowers (because flowers were led), which in

turn could be beaten by the 6 of shields (king-beater). On the other hand if the 3 of shields is led, this
cannot be beaten by the king of flowers, nor even by the king of shields (which is not a trump). When a
trump is led it can only be beaten by a higher trump.
Kaisers
The four banners have fixed positions in the trump suit, irrespective of which suit is selected. However,
they can only be used as trumps if they are declared during or at the end of the deal, before play starts.
The procedure is described in the section on the deal, below. Any banner that is not declared becomes a
worthless card that cannot win a trick. If an undeclared Kaiser were led to a trick, the card played by the
second player would determine the suit of the trick.
Variant: Some play that an undeclared Kaiser reverts to its nominal suit, becoming the lowest card of
that suit, effectively a card below the two. This makes a difference, in that with this variant you can help
your partner to win a trick with a king by leading the Kaiser of the same suit.
The Deal
The game is played anticlockwise.
The first dealer is selected at random, normally by dealing one card to each player; whoever gets the
lowest card deals (in plain suit order, ignoring any banners). The first dealt of two equal cards counts
lower. For later hands the deal passes round to the right.
Dealer shuffles, then the player on her left cuts, showing everyone the bottom card (it's easy for dealer to
sneak a look, so it's fair for everyone to see it). If the bottom card is a banner, the shuffling and cutting is
repeated.
The dealing procedure is a little complicated, because at certain points during the deal betting can take
place, based on the cards the players have so far received. Also the trump suit is determined by the deal.
Dealing the first card and determining trumps

Dealer deals one card face up to the player on her right, and one card face up to her partner, and then
pauses to see if any betting takes place. If either of the cards showing is a banner, it must be converted
into a Kaiser immediately, otherwise the chance to do so is lost.
The dealer then deals a face up card to her left hand opponent and finally to herself, followed by another
short pause for betting and announcing Kaisers.
Now each player has one face-up card. The suit of the lowest of these cards, in plain suit order,
determines trumps. For example if the dealer deals 6 of shields, under of acorns, 5 of bells, king of
shields then bells are trumps.
If two equally low cards are dealt, then the first of the two which was dealt determines trumps. So if the
cards are 2 of acorns, 4 of shields, under of shields, 2 of flowers, then acorns are trumps.
Banners are ignored for the purpose of determining the trump suit. So if the four cards are Banner of

flowers, King of bells, Banner of shields, Banner of acorns, then bells are trumps.
The rest of the deal and the discard

Two more cards each are dealt face down to the first two players, after which there is a pause for betting
and announcing Kaisers. Then two cards are dealt face down to the other two players, followed by a
pause for betting and announcing Kaisers.
It is not necessary at this point to announce Kaisers as they are received; if the player wishes this can be
delayed until after the end of the deal.
Then another four cards each are dealt to each player, in two rounds of two at a time, without pauses for
betting, so that each player has seven cards including their face up one. The face up cards are taken into
their hands by the players, and each player then discards any two of their seven cards face down, leaving
a hand of five. Modifications for six players. The above applies to the four player game. If there are six
players, the deal consists of one card face up to each player (with a pause after every two cards), then two
face down to each (with a pause afetr each pair of players), and the last part of the deal consists of
dealing just more two cards each, so that every player has five cards. There is no discard.
Further Announcement of Kaisers

There is now a round of announcements: each player in turn anticlockwise beginning with the player to
dealer's right can announce any further banners they wish to promote to Kaisers. Since there is an
opportunity for the opponents to resign the hand after each Kaiser it is important to do them one at a
time. When each player has done all of their Kaisers they say "Done mine" and the turn to announce
Kaisers passes round to the right.
Betting
At the start of each hand, the value of that hand is four points. Announcement of a Kaiser has the effect
of increasing in the score for the winners of the hand, if the opponents accept. Each time a Kaiser is
announced, the captain of the team announcing it makes a mark on the slate, indicating whether she
wishes to raise the score for the hand by one point or by three. The opposing captain then either says
"fold" in which case the hand ends and the side which said "Kaiser" scores whatever the hand was worth
before the announcement or says "accepted" in which case the hand continues. When announcing a
Kaiser, the holder does not have to reveal its suit - thus when deciding whether to accept, the opponents
do not necessarily know whether it is a high or a low trump.
Immediately after an offer to raise the stakes by one point for a Kaiser has been accepted, the captain
may increase the offer to three, and the opponents have another opportunity to accept or give up. As soon
as anything else has happened the opportunity to increase the bet from one to three is lost.
In addition, a team captain may at any time say Spieldrei ("play three"), adding a further three points to
the value of the hand. The opponents can choose to fold if they do not wish to continue that hand. Once
one side has said Spieldrei during a hand and it has been accepted, it is then the prerogative of the other
side to say Spieldrei proposing to increase the value by a further three. If this is accepted the side which

bet originally can Spieldrei again, and so on. However a side may never Spieldrei twice in succession
without an intervening Spieldrei from the other side (this is analogous to the doubling cube rule in
Backgammon).
The Play
The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick. The rule of play is simple - you can play any card you
like to each trick. Cards are usually played face up in front of the player, rather than to the centre of the
table. The highest card of the suit led wins unless trumps are involved. The winner of each trick leads to
the next.
If a non-trump is led, and a trump is played which is of sufficient power to beat the highest card of the
suit led, then the highest such trump wins the trick. The same applies if the Fuil or Hirat (King or Ober
of the suit designated as trumps) is led, as these cards are not themselves trumps.
If a trump is led (a king-beater, an ober-beater or an unter-beater), the trick is won by the highest trump
played. It cannot be won by a non-trump.
If the seven of the trump suit is led it wins unless someone plays the Joos. If someone does play the Joos
then it wins unless it is subsequently beaten by a higher trump.
Quite often, a player will put an irrelevant or worthless card on a trick, either because his partner is
already winning it or because he doesn't want to win it (or can't). In this case it is normal to play one's
card face down. When playing a banner face down you are obliged to say "Kaiser", but not to say which
of the banners you are discarding.
The Slate
At the beginning of the session, the slate should be blank apart from a line across near each end. Each
side's captain registers the score in ones, fives, nines or tens as shown.

When the first Kaiser is announced a long stroke across the middle of the slate is made, with a little hook
at the end. If the first bet is a Spieldrei the long stroke doesn't have a hook.
Any further 3 point Kaisers or Spieldrei's are registered as a crossing line across the long stroke. One
point Kaisers are registered as a short line, coming up to the long stroke on one side but not crossing it.
In the illustration, the value of the game in progress is: 4 points for the slate, plus 3 for the first Kaiser
(hook), plus 3 for the second Kaiser (line crossing the hook), plus 3 for a Spieldrei (another line crossing
the hook), plus 1 for the third Kaiser (announced as a "small one") (line not crossing the hook), for a total
of 14.
The Signals
There is a system of communication to enable partners to plan their play and decide when it is
appropriate to bet. Most of the important cards have signals associated with them, and players are
allowed to use these signals to try to tell their partner which cards they hold when the opponents are not
looking. Normally the captain will only signal kings (so that her partner knows which suits to keep when
discarding two cards), while the other player will attempt to signal all of his good cards, so that the
captain can direct the play.
It is legal to signal cards you do not hold in order to confuse the opposition, but you are not allowed to
depart from the code of recognised signals. It would be illegal to have secret arrangements with your
partner about other unofficial signals or about which of your signals are going to be lies.

The allowed signals are:
Mugg (banner of bells) puff up one cheek
Five of trumps wink
Joos (under of trumps) put out your tongue
Other king-beater shrug your shoulder
Low trump (ober-beater make sign with finger

or under-beater) as though writing
Seven of the trump suit Silently mouth the word "seven"
King of flowers wrinkle your nose
King of shields look to the side
King of acorns look up
King of bells look down
The above account of Kaiserspiel is based on some games played in Stans in 1978 in which John
McLeod took part and on the papers Der Nidwaldner Kaiserjass und seine Geschichte by Rudolf von
Leyden and Der Kaiserjass, wie er heute in Nidwalden gespielt wird by Hansjakob Achermann, both
published by the Historische Verein Nidwalden in Beitrge zur Geschichte Nidwaldens, volume 37,
Stans, 1978.
The English description given above was written by Matthew Macfadyen and Kirsty Healey, and revised
by John McLeod.


Rules of Card Games: Kalter Schlag
Kalter Schlag
I learned this game from Reinhard Spode, Sylvia Kalisch and Lutz Franke.
Introduction
The cards
Deal and play
Scoring
Introduction
Kalter Schlag is a four-player game from Hamburg. It is related to Ramsch, which in turn is a variation
played in informal games of Skat. Literally "Kalter Schlag" means "cold hit", but it implies an element of
surprise, so a more idiomatic translation would be "bolt from the blue". This name appropriately
describes the way that a game can easily be lost suddenly and unexpectedly through an error of
judgement or an unfortunate distribution of cards.
Kalter Schlag is played by four people, each playing for themselves. It is a trick-taking game in which
the aim is to avoid winning tricks containing high-scoring cards. In each deal, the player who takes most
card points in tricks loses those points, and the first player who loses a cumulative total of 2000 or more
points over a number of deals is the overall loser.
The Cards
A 32 card French suited Skat pack is used. The following table shows the ranking (from high to low) and
the point values of the cards.
The four non-trump suits
The jacks (permanent trumps)
(clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds)
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Rank Point value

ace 11
Rank Point value
ten 10
club jack 2
king 4
spade jack 2
queen 3
heart jack 2
nine 0
diamond jack 2
eight 0
seven 0
On the cards used in Germany, the jacks are marked with a B (Bube) and the queens with a D (Dame).
The total number of card points in the pack is 120.
Deal and play

The deal and play are clockwise. At the start of a session, the first dealer is chosen at random. The turn to
deal passes clockwise until someone loses by accumulating 2000 or more points. If playing another
game, the loser of the preceding game chooses who should deal first in the next game. The dealer deals 8
cards to each player - first a packet of 3 cards to each, then 2 to each and finally 3 more to each.
The player to dealer's left leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible; if not they may play
any card. For this purpose the four jacks count as a separate suit.
If a jack was led, you must follow with a jack if you have one. If you have no jacks you may play
any card of any suit.
If a card other than a jack was led, you must if possible play a card of the same suit (but not the
jack). If you have no cards of the suit led (except possibly the jack), you may play any card of any
suit or any jack.
If any jacks were played the trick is won by the highest jack in it. Otherwise it is won by the highest card
of the suit led. The winner of the trick leads to the next.
Each of the four players, as they play their card to the first trick, has the opportunity to double the score
for the hand. The first player who wishes to double says "kontra", the next says "re", if a third player
wants to double they say "bock", and if all four players wish to double the fourth says "hirsch".
Scoring
At the end of the play, if one player has taken all eight tricks, that player wins and does not score, but
each of the other players has a penalty added to their score. Winning all the tricks is called a
Durchmarsch. Note that it is not sufficient to take all the points - even a trick with no points taken by
another player stops a Durchmarsch.

In the normal case where two or more players have taken tricks, each player adds up the values of the
cards in the tricks they have taken. Whoever has the most points loses, and some penalty points
(calculated as explained below) are added to the loser's total on the score sheet. The other players do not
score. If there is a tie for most card points, then both of the players with most points lose the full penalty.
If two or more people take tricks, the number of penalty points given to the loser(s) is calculated as
follows:
1. Start with the number of card points in the loser's tricks.
2. If kontra was said, double it.
3. If re was said, double it again.
4. If bock was said, double it again.
5. If hirsch was said, double it again.
6. If someone took no tricks, double it.
7. If two players took no tricks, double it again.
8. Round the result to the nearest 10 points (numbers ending in 5 are rounded upwards).
A player who takes no tricks is called a Jungfrau (virgin). If there are three virgins, then the fourth
player has made Durchmarsch. If this happens, the three virgins are penalised 120 points each, doubled
for each player who said kontra, re, bock or hirsch, but with no further doubles for the fact that three
players are Jungfrau.
Note that comparison of card points is done before rounding - for example, if the points are divided
49-48-16-7, the player with 49 points loses alone even though 49 and 48 may give the same penalty point
score after rounding.
Examples of scoring
1. The loser has 55 points, everyone has a trick and no one said kontra. The penalty for the loser is 60
points.
2. The loser has tricks containing 66 card points. One player said kontra and one player took no
tricks. The penalty for the loser is 260 points (66*2*2=264 rounded to 260).
3. The loser has tricks containing 63 card points. Kontra, re and bock were said, and two players took
no tricks. The penalty is 2020 points (63*8*4=2016), so the loser has lost the whole game in one
deal.
4. One player wins all the tricks. Kontra and re were said. The other three players each score a
penalty of 480 points (120*4).
End of the game - payments

When a player's score reaches 2000 points or more, the game ends and that player has lost. This overall
loser pays a stake to each of the other players who have penalty points, and a double stake to any players
who scored no penalty points during the game.
A tie or a Durchmarsch can result in two or possibly even three players going over 2000 on the same

deal. In that case, the player with most penalty points is the loser and has to pay each of the other players.
If two or more players are tied for most penalty points, both having 2000 or more, further hands are
played until there is a single loser (who might be neither of the previously tied players).
Exception. If a player manages to score penalty points in five hands, but still has less than 2000 points,
the game ends and the player with five scores is the winner, collecting a double stake from each of the
other players.
If playing another game, everyone starts again from zero penalty points, and the loser of the game just
completed decides who will deal first in the new game. In the exceptional case where a player won by
scoring five times in a game and remaining under 2000, the winner deals first in the new game.

Rules of Card Games: Kap Tai Shap
Kap Tai Shap

The name of this game means "Collecting Tens". It is a Rummy-like game played with a number of sets
of 32 Chinese dominoes.
Each of the sets consists of all pairs of numbers from 1-1 to 6-6, with the following eleven tiles
duplicated: 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-1, 5-5, 5-1, 4-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 1-1. The duplicated tiles are called the civil
series, and the single ones form the military series.
Here is a link to the rules of Kap Tai Shap, compiled by Joe Celko.

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Rules of Card Games: Shithead
Shithead
Introduction
Players and Cards
The Deal
The Play
The Endgame
Special Cards and Plays
Variations
Introduction
This game is also sometimes known by other names, such as Palace and Karma. The first version of the
page was based on a contribution from Michael Labranche, and Jim Curtis, Ciaran Gultnieks, Sean Daly,
William Putt and Jane Guarducci have added variations.
I am not sure of the origin of the game. It seems to be known in many parts of the world, and it is quite
closely related to the Finnish game Paskahousu. Ciaran Gultnieks says that it is popular among
"travelling types" of all nationalities, which perhaps explains how it has spread so widely.
Shithead is a beating game in which the players try to avoid being the last to get rid of all their cards. The
loser typically suffers some forfeit such as having to make the tea, or at least has the job of shuffling and
dealing the next hand.
Players and Cards

From two to six may play. The game is best is with at least three.
The game requires one regular 52-card deck (plus 2 Jokers, when six play). The cards rank highest to
lowest 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, . . . , 2 (twos are high and low - see below).
Deal
The dealer is randomly selected for the first hand. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
1. The dealer deals a row of three face-down cards to each player, one at a time.
2. The dealer deals three cards face-up to each player, one at a time, covering the face-down cards.
3. The dealer deals a three card hand face-down to each player, one at a time.
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Any cards remaining undealt are placed face down to form a draw pile. The players pick up their three
card hands and look at them.
Before play each player may exchange any number of cards from the hand with her face-up cards. A
player may never look at the face-down cards until they are played. (Players usually take lower ranking
face-up cards into their hands.)
Play of the Cards

The first player is the person who receives the first 3 dealt face-up. If no 3 is face-up, the first person to
call a three in a hand is the first player. If there is no 3 dealt to a hand, then the same procedure is
followed for the first 4, and so on, if need be.
The first player begins a discard pile on the table, playing face-up from her hand any number of cards of
the same rank, and taking cards from the draw pile to replenish her hand to three cards. Taking turns
clockwise, each player must either play a card or a set of equal cards face up on top of the discard pile, or
pick up the pile. The card or cards played must be of equal to or of higher rank than previous play. This
continues, possibly several times around the table, until eventually someone is unable or unwilling to
equal or beat the previous play. If after playing you have fewer than three cards in your hand, you must
immediately replenish your hand by drawing from the stock so that you have three cards again. If there
are too few cards in the stock, you draw as many as there are. When there are no cards left in the stock at
all, play continues as before, but without replenishment.
If at your turn you cannot or do not wish to play a card, you must pick up all the cards in the discard pile
and add them to your hand. If you pick up you do not play any cards on that turn, but your left hand
neighbour, who is next in turn to play, starts a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards
she wishes. Play then continues as before.
As long as you begin your turn with cards in your hand, you are not allowed in that turn to play from the
cards you have on the table; you can only play from the cards in your hand on that turn.
The Endgame
If you begin your turn with no cards in your hand (because you played them all last time and the draw
pile was empty), you may now play from her face-up cards. When you are playing your face-up cards
and cannot (or do not wish to) play a card of equal or higher rank than the card(s) played by previous
player, you add one of your face-up cards to the pile before taking the whole pile into your hand. It is
then the next player's turn to begin a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards. Having
picked up the pile, you will have to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more
got rid of all your hand cards and can begin playing from your table cards again.
When you have played all your face-up table cards, and have no cards in your hand, you plays your
face-down cards blindly, flipping one card onto the pile when your turn comes. If the flipped card is
playable, it is played, and it is the next player's turn to equal or beat it. If your flipped card is not playable
(because it is lower than the previous play), you take the whole pile into your hand including the flipped
card. It is then the next player's turn to start a new discard pile. Having picked up the pile, you will have

to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more got rid of all your hand cards and
can flip your next table card.
When you completely get rid of all of your hand and table cards, you have successfully avoided being the
loser and can drop out of the game. When you flip your last table card, you can only drop out at that
point if it beats the previous play (or if you are flipping it to an empty discard pile). If you flip your last
card and it is not playable, you must pick it up along with the pile. As people drop out of the game, the
remaining players continue playing. The last player left holding cards is the loser (also known as the
shithead). This player must deal the next hand, and must also make tea (or perform any other duty the
group require for general comfort and wellbeing).
Special Cards and Plays

Twos may always be played on any card, and any card may be played on a two.
When a ten is played to the pile, the discard pile is removed from play and the same player who played
the ten takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards to start a new discard pile.
If someone completes a set of four cards of the same rank on top of the discard pile (either by playing
all four cards at once or by equalling the previous play), the whole pile is removed from play, and the
same player who completed the four of a kind takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards
to start a new discard pile.
When Jokers are used (and they must be for the six-player game), they may be played at any time, singly
or in a group, and serve only to reverse the direction of play (from clockwise to counter-clockwise or
vice versa). Therefore, if the next player after you plays a joker, the turn comes back to you and you must
now beat your own previous play, or take the pile. Jokers are not wild and cannot be played in
combination with other cards.
Variations
A different method of dealing is commonly used: first deal a row of three cards face down to each player;
then deal a hand of six cards face down to each player. The players look at their hands and select any
three of their six cards to place face up on top of their three face down cards. This has the same result as
the method of dealing given in the main description above, except that in this version the players will not
have seen any of the cards which end up in their opponents' three card hands.
The game is occasionally played to find a winner rather than a loser. In that case, the winner is the first
player who manages to get rid of all their hand and table cards.
Some people play that a ten can be played at any time, clearing the discard pile. (In the main description
a ten cannot be played on a jack, queen, king or ace). Ciaran Gultnieks gives the following extra rules for
special cards:
When a seven is played, the next play must be lower than or equal to seven, or an eight (see
below), or a ten (tens can be played at any time).
When an eight is played, the direction of play is reversed (so its fuction is similar to that of the

joker in the main description). In this variation an eight can be played on any card. Eights are
transparent - when playing on an eight, you must beat the first card under it that is not an eight. If
an eight is played to the empty table, it reverses the direction of play as usual, and any card can
beat it. If an eight is played on a seven, it will be the person who played the seven who has play a
lower or equal card (or another eight or a ten).
Sean Daly, describes a version of the game Karma, from Radford, Virginia, USA. The differences are as
follows:
When placing cards face up on top of your three face down cards at the start of the game, if you
have two or more cards of the same rank, you can put them face up on top of the same card. You
still place face up cards on each of your three face down cards, so if you have placed two or more
equal cards on top of the same card, you will have fewer than three cards in your hand. You now
replenish your hand to three cards by drawing from the stock. If you draw further cards equal in
rank to your face up cards, you can put these face up too if you wish, on top of the matching cards,
and replenish again to three cards; this process can be repeated as long as you continue putting out
matching cards. At the end of the process you should have three cards in your hand. In the
endgame, sets of equal face up cards in the same pile are played together as a group.
Example: Your six visible cards are A, K, K, J, J, 9. You place the ace one of your face down
cards, the two kings on another and the two jacks on the third. You now just have one card in hand
(the nine) and must draw two cards from the stock - say a jack and a six. You put the jack on your
jacks and draw again, getting another jack. You put this on your jacks too and draw again, getting
a six. At this point you must stop. Your hand is 9, 6, 6. Your four jacks will be useful for clearing
the table in the endgame.
When a player picks up instead of beating the previous play, the next play is made by the previous
player - i.e. the person who played the last card before the pickup - not by the next player in
rotation.
William J Putt describes a version (locally known as Smeghead) with the following differences:
1. They use several decks of cards shuffled together.
2. At the start each player has four cards face down, four face up and a hand of four (rather than
three, three and three).
3. The first person to play a 10 or complete a four of a kind, clearing away the pile, is known as the
"flush" person, and has to clear away the pile each time this happens in future.
4. As players run out of cards they continue playing until only one player has cards left. This player
is known as the "smeg head".
Jane Guarducci has contributed the following variation(s):
1. A seven can be played on anything and is "glass", meaning that the next player must play a card
which could legally have been played on the card before the seven. For example, if a 7 is played
on an Ace, the next player must beat an Ace. If a 7 is played to the empty table (nothing under it) it
has the value of 7.
2. When an eight is played the next card must be lower than 8, or another 8, or a joker.
3. A ten can be played on anything except an eight and causes the pile to be cleared as usual. The
player of the 10 plays again to the empty table.

4. A joker can be played on anything and next player misses a turn. If there are just two players in
the game this means that the player of the joker immediately plays another card of any value. In
games of more than two players the joker is treated in one of three ways: as glass (like a 7) or with
a value of 7, or with a value of 2. To avoid arguments decide before starting which of these
variations is being played.
5. At your turn you can play an ascending sequence of consecutive cards in a single suit, provided
that the first card beats the previous play. All the subsequent plays must also be legal, so the
sequence would be terminated by an eight, since after an eight the next card is required to be lower
or equal. If the sequence reached 10 the pile would be thrown away and the same player would
start a new pile with any play.
6. An optional rule for games with more than two players: when the pile is picked up, play reverts to
the previous player, rather than passing on to the next player.
Super Hyper/Twisted Knot is an elaborate variation in which nearly all the cards have special effects. It
was created by Galbraith/Lewis/Constance/Mabely (1993); the description is by Paul JaYmes (1997).
Reverse Shithead is a variation contributed by Andrew Duthie, which includes a reverse phase where
beating the previous player's card is compulsory but disadvantageous.


Rules of Card Games: Karnffel
Karnffel
This is one of the earliest European card games whose rules can be reconstructed with some confidence.
It dates from the early 15th century and is one of the first trick-taking card games in which there is a
"chosen" suit some of whose cards have the power to beat cards of other suits.
A reconstruction of Karnffel can be found on Glen Overby's Karnffel page.

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Rules of Card Games: Kemps
Kemps
This description was contributed by Elena Anaya
Players and Cards

There are usually four players, but it is possible for a larger even number of people to play. The players
are divided into teams with two players in each team; the partners sit across from each other.
One standard deck of 52 cards is used (if there are more than eight players, two decks may be used).
Object of the Game

Hand Goal:
To obtain four of a kind (i.e. four cards of the same rank) and for your partner to say "KEMPS",
or to say "KEMPS" yourself when your partner has four of a kind. Alternatively you can win the
hand by saying "STOP KEMPS" when a player from another team has four of a kind, before their
partner says "KEMPS".
Game Goal:
In each hand the losing team gets a letter of the word KEMPS as a penalty. The first team to spell
the whole word K-E-M-P-S loses the game.
Preparation - agreeing signals

First decide who is playing with whom. Then each two player team goes away and privately agrees a
signal that they can secretly use to tell each other when they have four of a kind. The signal can be a
body movement, a gesture or a hand signal, but words are not allowed (for example saying "elephants"
cannot be used as a signal).
You can have several signals and can use more than one in a game. You can also use meaningless signals
to confuse the opponents, but you are not allowed to have any signals with a meaning other than "I have
four of a kind". Cheating by using signals with other meanings is known as "table talk" and is penalised
by loss of the game if discovered.
After any hand any team is allowed to agree new signals; they may want to do this if they suspect that the
opponents might have guessed some of their existing signals. The more subtle the signal the better.
The Deal
Choose a dealer. This can be done at random or someone may volunteer. The dealer deals four cards to
every player. After everyone has looked at their cards, the dealer deals four more cards, one at a time, in
a row face up in the middle.
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The Play
When the last card has been turned up, any player can pick up one (or more) of the face up cards from
the middle, add it (them) to their hand, and immediately discard a different card(s) face up in its place.
Players do not take turns. A player who picks up more than one card must discard an equal number of
different cards, to reduce their hand back to four cards. If two players want the same face up card, the
first player to touch it gets it.
Players continue replacing cards, as often as they want to, until no one wants any of the four face up
cards. The dealer then sweeps these four cards away, and deals out four new cards on the table. Play then
continues as before. This is repeated until the deck is gone or someone yells "KEMPS" or "STOP
KEMPS".
KEMPS
As soon as this is said the hand is over. The partner of the person who said "KEMPS" must reveal their
cards. If they have four of a kind the opposing team receives a letter starting out with "K". With more
than 4 players, all of the opposing teams get a letter. If the partner does not have four of a kind, then the
team that incorrectly called "KEMPS" receives a letter. The dealer then deals for the next hand.
STOP KEMPS
As soon as this is said the hand is over. "STOP KEMPS" is said when a player suspects the opposing
team of having "KEMPS". If one of the opposing players does in fact have four of a kind, then the team
who was 'stopped' receives a letter. However, if "STOP KEMPS" is said and the opposing team does not
have "KEMPS" then the team who said it receives the letter. The dealer then deals for the next hand.
Example: Team A thinks Team B has four of a kind. Team A says "STOP KEMPS". When the hands are
checked neither player of Team B has "KEMPS", so Team A gets a new letter.
Real Deal
If a point is reached when no one wants any of the face up cards, and the dealer has no more fresh cards
to deal, the hand ends and no one gets a letter. This is called a real deal. The dealer then deals for the
next hand.
End of the Game

The first team to lose five hands, thus getting five letters spelling the wholw word K-E-M-P-S loses the
game.

Variations
Some people play that at the end of the deal, the play starts when the dealer says "GO"
Some people only allow one card to be picked up at a time. The player must discard a card before
picking up another.
Hints
Use simple signals.
Make an agreement with your partner to look for the signal after each time that the cards are swept
away.
Don't be obvious as to which cards you are going for.
Observe the other team carefully.
Confuse the other team by occasionally picking up cards you don't need.
If you figure out what cards your partner is going for, discard cards that will help your partner.
Use fake signals to make the other team yell "STOP KEMPS", without confusing your partner.
Return to General Index of main Card Games site


Rules of Card Games: King
King
This game, a relative of Barbu, is played in various parts of the world. It is known in France, Belgium
and Italy and is particularly popular in Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Colombia and Brazil. In all these places
it is known by the English name King as well as by a variety of local names. This leads people to believe
that the game comes from England, but it never appears in English language card game books and I
know of no evidence that it has ever been played in any English speaking countries. It is quite mysterious
why this game should bear an English name, as well as how it has come to be popular in such widely
separated parts of the world.
Rules of various versions of King will be given on this page eventually. Meanwhile here is a link to the
rules in French on Jean-Franois Bustarret's page Le Jeu du Roi.
Also, the Ingame web site has rules of King in Italian.

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Rules of Card Games: Kings in the Corners
Kings in the Corners

This page is mainly based on a contribution from Sam Oppenheim.
Players and Cards
Deal
Play
Scoring
Variations
Players and Cards

There can be two or more players. The game is said to be good for four players. A standard 52 card pack
is used. The cards rank K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-A (ace low).
Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes clockwise after each hand. Deal seven
cards to each player. Put the rest of the cards face down in the centre of table to form the stock. Flip four
cards face-up from the stock, and place them North, East, South, and West from the stock pile, to start
four foundation piles.
Play
Players take turns clockwise, starting with the player to dealer's left. At your turn, you may make any
number of the following types of move:
1. Play a card from your hand on one of the foundation piles. The card you play must be the next
lower in rank and opposite in colour - for example you can play a red ten on a black jack. The
cards on the foundation piles are overlapped slightly so that all can be seen. Since aces are the
lowest cards, nothing can be played on a foundation pile that has an ace on top.
2. Place a king from your hand to start a new foundation pile in an empty space in one of the four
diagonal corners of the tableau (NE, SE, NW, SW).
3. Move an entire foundation pile onto another foundation pile if the bottom card of the moving pile
is one rank lower and opposite in colour to the top card of the pile you are moving it onto.
Example: a pile consisting of red 4 - black 3 may be moved on top of a pile consisting of black 7 -
red 6 - black 5.
4. Play any card from your hand to any of the original (N, E, S, W) foundation piles that has become
empty (because the card(s) that were originally in it have been moved to another pile).
If you manage to play all the cards in your hand, you have won, and play ceases. Otherwise, after you
have played any cards you can or wish to, you must draw one card from the stock. This ends your turn. If
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you are unable to or do not wish to play any cards, you simply draw one card.
If in the original layout, a king is dealt any of the original foundation piles (N, E, S, W), it can be moved
to a corner position. The player to the left of dealer will have the benefit of making this move and
playing a card from hand to replace the moved king.
It may also happen that one of the dealt foundation cards will immediately fit on another, being one rank
lower and of opposite colour. In this case the player to the left of dealer will be able to move this card
and replace it with a card from hand.
If the centre stock runs out, play continues without drawing.
The play ends when someone manages to get rid of all the cards from their hand, or when an impasse is
reached where the stock has run out and everyone is unable or unwilling to play any further cards.
Scoring
Each player receives penalty points for the cards left in their hand at the end of play. A king costs 10
points and the other cards cost 1 point each.
These points are accumulated from deal to deal until some player reaches or exceeds a target score
agreed in advance (say 25 or 50). The winner is the player who has the lowest number of penalty points
at this time.
Variations
There are several alternative methods of scoring:
With chips and a pot
Everyone begins by putting a chip into the pot. Anyone who does not play any cards on their turn,
but just draws one from the stock, pays another chip to the pot. The first player who runs out of
cards wins the pot, plus a chip from each other player for each card they have left in their hand (10
chips for a king).
Cards score pip value
Some people play that aces in your hand count 25 points against you at the end, pictures count 10,
and pip cards count face value. In that case the target score needs to be higher - say 100 or 250.
Alternatively you can play a fixed number of hands after which the player with the lowest score
will be the winner.
Cards score 50, 10, 5
Ed Stofka of Fort Myers, Florida describes a similar version in which aces score 50, picture cards
and tens score 10 and pip cards from 2 to 9 score 5 each.
Some people play that it is compulsory to play kings at your first opportunity. There is a penalty of three
points (or three chips paid to the pot) for holding a king and not playing it when you could. A problem
with this rule is that it seems to be unenforceable. If you have a king in your hand you might claim that
you had just picked it up, and no one could contradict you unless they had been peeking at your cards,

which is also illegal. It seems better to have a 10 point penalty for kings left in hand at the end of the
play, as in the main description; this should be enough to encourage players to get rid of kings as soon as
they can.
Some people play that a card must be drawn from the stock at the start of each turn rather than at the
end. Some play that two cards must be drawn from the stock on each turn, rather than just one.


Rules of Card Games: Stortok
STORTOK
This game previously appeared here under the Norwegian name Kjempetosk, because Anthony Smith
found it under that name in a Norwegian book: Cappelens Kortspillbok. However this turned out to be a
literal translation of a Swedish description by Ulf Schenkmanis, which appears for example in his book
Kortspel & Patiencer. It therefore seems more appropriate to call it by its Swedish name Stortok.
The name of this game means "Great Fool". The rules as supplied were unclear in a couple of places and
have been completed by analogy with related Russian games.
Players and Cards

The game is for 2 to 5 players using 36 card pack ranking A(high) K Q J T 9 8 7 6(low) (from a standard
52 card pack remove the cards below 6). [The game is played clockwise.]
Object of the game

To get rid of all one's cards. The last player who is left with cards is the loser and is called the "Great
Fool".
Deal and Trumps

Each player is dealt 5 cards, and the remaining cards are placed face down on the table to form a stock.
The top card of the stock is turned and placed face up to the left of the stock. This face up card forms the
start of the discard pile and determines trumps. There are two trump suits, High Trumps and Low
Trumps. The suit of the turned up card is the High trump suit, and the other suit of the same colour is the
Low trump suit. For example if you turn the 8 of spades, spades are High Trumps and clubs are Low
Trumps.
The Play
Forehand [the player to the left of the dealer] begins by beating the card in the discard heap, the next
player beats this card, and so on until everyone has played one card. Any card can be beaten by a higher
card of the suit led. A card of a non-trump suit can be beaten by a Low Trump or a High Trump. A Low
Trump can be beaten by a High Trump.
If each player beats the previous card, then when everyone has played one card, the "trick" is complete.
The winner of the trick (i.e. the player who played the last card), plays any card to the discard pile to start
a new trick.
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Rules of Card Games: Stortok
A player who is unable or unwilling to beat the previous card must pick up that card (in particular
Forehand may pick up the first card of the discard heap). The next player may then play any card to start
a new trick.
Each time a card is played on the discard pile, the player must immediately replace it in his hand by
drawing a card from the top of the stock, if there is one. When the stock is exhausted, the players
continue to play with the cards in their hands. As players run out of cards they drop out of the game. The
last player left with cards is the "Great Fool".

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Rules of Card Games: Klabberjass
Klabberjass
This page is based on a contribution from Gnther Senst.
Introduction
Rules for three-player tournament Klabberjass

Players and cards
The deal
Ranking and point values of cards
The auction
Robbing and melding
The play of the tricks
The scoring
Additional tournament rules
Three player Klabberjass - the money game
Klabberjass for four
Partnerships
Deal and play
Kontra, Re and Schenken
Scoring
Klabberjass for two
Introduction
There are many related but slightly different games that go by names similar to Klabberjass. For example
there is the international two-handed game Clobiosh, also known as Klob, Bela or (in some books)
Kalabriasz, there is the Dutch national game Klaverjas, and there is Clabber, a game played in Indiana,
USA. There are also closely related games with other names - some of these are listed on the Jass group
page.
This page describes the version of Klabberjass played in a specific region of northern Germany. "Das
Alte Land" is a stretch of marshland 25km long and 8km wide on the southern bank of the lower Elbe
river, between Hamburg and Stade. "Das Alte Land" literally translated means "The Old Country", but in
this context the word "old" means that the land was considered worthless. Only after Dutch settlers
drained it and protected it with dykes could it develop into the largest and most productive fruit growing
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region of northern Germany. In this region and on the edges of the neighbouring higher lying heathland,
the people play Klabberjass. The game is so well-known there that tournaments are held.
In spring 1990, Gnther Senst took part in a tournament organised by Messrs S Koschinski and Karl-H
Brckner. Each tournament is advertised in a local paper, and if enough people register interest it takes
place. On that occasion the entry fee was DM 20. This money was used to buy various large hams and
sausages for prizes for the winners. There was also a small sausage as a consolation prize for the loser.
All the players who Gnther Senst consulted considered that tournament Klabberjass, with three active
players, was the most interesting version of the game; but after the tournament was over most people
played Klaberjass for four or two players or played Skat. We know of no other written version of the
tournament rules for Klabberjass, but among the players at the tournaments that Gnther Senst has
visited there was no doubt or disagreement about the rules; all were unanimous.
Rules for three-player tournament Klabberjass

Players and cards
The game is played with a 32 card French suited Skat pack - the suits are clubs, spades hearts and
diamonds and the cards in each suit are ace, ten, king, queen, jack, nine, eight, seven. Where possible
three players sit at each table. If the number of players is not divisible by three, the last one or two tables
can have four players. At a four player table the dealer of each hand sits out while the other three play.
The deal
The deal and play are clockwise. After the dealer has shuffled, the player to the dealer's right must cut.
For the first game of a session the cards are dealt singly until everyone has 9 cards. In subsequent games
the players still receive 9 cards but they are dealt in batches of three.
The 5 cards remaining after the deal are stacked face-up on the table. The top card of the stack is turned
crosswise so that the second card is also visible. The bottom three cards of the stack stay concealed and
unknown to the players.
Ranking and point values of cards

Klabberjass is a point-trick game with trumps. The ranking and values of the cards are different in the
trump suit from the other three suits, and there is yet another ranking that applies when the cards are
melded in sequences. The rankings from high to low and the point calues are shown in the following
table.
in trumps in non-trump suits in melds

jass 20 ace 11 ace

mi 14 10 10 king
ace 11 king 4 queen
10 10 queen 3 jack
king 4 jack 2 10
queen 3 9 0 9
8 0 8 0 8
7 0 7 0 7
The jass is the jack of trumps and the mi is the nine of trumps.
Winning the last trick is worth an extra 10 points, so that there are a total of 162 points in the game if no
combinations are melded.
The auction
There are one or two rounds of bidding.
The first round of bidding
The top card of the stack determines the trump suit for the first round of bidding. Beginning with
forehand (the player to the left of the dealer) and going around the table clockwise, each player can
say whether he would like to play with this trump suit or whether he passes. If any player accepts
this trump with the words "Ich spiele" (I play), the bidding ends. This player plays alone against
the other two players, and there is no second round of bidding. If all three players pass, the second
round of bidding begins.
The second round of bidding
Each player - again beginning with forehand - can say whether he wants to play "Ein Kleines" (a
small game). This means that he will play alone with a trump suit other than the suit of the top card
of the stack. If a player says "Ein Kleines", the right to play alone can only be taken from him by a
subsequent player saying "Besser" (better), so undertaking to play alone with the prioriy suit clubs
as trumps. It follows that if the top card of the stack was a club, then the second round of bidding
ends as soon as someone says "Ein Kleines", because clubs is no longer available as a trump suit.
If all players pass in both rounds, the same dealer deals again, as often as necessary until someone
undertakes a game.
Robbing and melding

If the suit of the top card of the stack becomes trump, the player who holds the seven of this suit is
allowed to exchange it for the top card of the stack. This exchange must be made (if at all) before the
holder of the seven announces meld or plays to the first trick.
Announcements of the combinations "Terz" (or "Terze") and "Halbe" must also take place before the
holder plays to the first trick. A Terz is a sequence of three consecutive cards; it is worth 20 points. A
Halber (meaning half a hundred) is a sequence of four or more cards, and is worth 50 points.

The player with the best sequence scores this and all the other sequences that he has in his hand; no other
player can score for sequences. If more than one player has a sequence they are compared according to
the following rules:
1. Any Halbe beats any Terz.
2. A Terz with a higher top card beats one with a lower top card (for example 9-10-jack beats
8-9-10).
3. Between equally high Terzen in diferent suits, a Terz in the trump suit is better.
4. Between equally high Terzen, neither of which is in trumps, the winning Terz is the one held by
the player whose first to turn to play is earlier (i.e. forehand has highest priority and dealer lowest).
5. The ranking order of Halben is determined in the same way as that of Terzen.
If you wish to announce a sequence, you just say that you have some meld, without specifying what,
before playing your card to the first trick. When all three cards of the trick are on the table, players who
have announced mels give sufficient information about their sequences to determine who has the best
one. The holder of the best sequence then shows this and any other sequences he has, and the cards of the
first trick are then collected by the winner of the trick.
"Belle" - the king and queen of trumps - is also a meld worth 20 points. It is always scored, even if a
different player has scored for the best Terz or Halbe. Unlike the other melds it is not announced until
you play one of the cards to a trick. You then say "Von der Belle" to claim your 20 points. If you forget
to announce it you cannot claim any points for it.
If you hold the king, queen and jack of trumps, then you have a Terz that is potentially worth 20, another
20 for the Belle, and another 20 for the jass, which is bound to win a trick as it is the highest trump. For
this reason this combination is called a 60-Terz.
All late announcments are invalid.
The play of the tricks

Forehand (the player to the dealer's left) leads to the first trick. It is compulsory to follow suit, to trump,
to overtrump and to undertrump. This means that:
1. You must play a card of the suit led if you have one; if trumps are led you must play a trump.
2. If you cannot follow suit you must play a trump.
3. If trumps are led, or if a side suit which you do not have has been led and trumped, you must if
possible beat the highest trump so far played to the trick - even if this highest trump was played by
your partner.
4. In the above situation, if you cannot beat the highest trump played, you must still play a trump
even though your trump will not win the trick.
5. Only when you are unable to follow suit and you have no trumps are you allowed to play any card
you wish from another suit.
The trick is won by the highest trump played, or if contains no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led.
The winner of a trick leads to the next. Each player collects their own tricks.

The scoring
Each player counts the total points in the tricks they have won, plus any meld they have scored. When
counting points remember that the jass is worth 20 points, not 2 like the jacks of the other suits, and the
mi is 14.
In order to win, the lone player must have more points than either opponent individually. If either
opponent has at least as many points as the declarer, the opponents win. Note that opponents wins ties.
The value of the game (the amount scored for winning or losing) depends on the trump suit. The values
are as follows:
Original clubs +8 points Small clubs +4 points
Original spades +7 points Small spades +3 points
Original hearts +6 points Small hearts +2 points
Original diamonds +5 points Small diamonds +1 point
"Original" means that the game is played in the suit of the card on top of the stack, "small" means
another suit chosen in the second round of bidding.
If the lone player wins, the value of the game is added to his score. If the opponents win, the lone player
loses twice the value of the game and each opponent wins two extra points.
At a three-player table, two series of 24 deals are played; at a four-player table two series of 32 deals.
Each player's cumulative score is recorded in a column, and to the right is an extra column in which the
value of the current game is noted. Here is an example for the first round of a three-player game. The
players are A, B and C:
A B C Spiel
1. -16 +2 +2 -16 (A loses an Orgi - i.e. Original - in Clubs)
2. - +9 - + 7 (B wins an Orgi in Spades)
3. - - +3 + 1 (C wins a small game in diamonds)
Additional tournament rules

. There is no Kontra or Re, and no giving up (in contrast to the informal games described below).
b. Every hand must be played out to the end.
c. Shortened game: in order to save time the declarer - but not an opponent - may place his hand face
up on the table and play the remaining tricks with exposed cards. This does not oblige him to win
all the remaining tricks.
d. If anyone breaks the rules of play by failing to follow suit, trump or overtrump when required to,
the opposing team immediately wins the game.
e. Any hint as to the distribution of the cards (such as an offer to give up), is punished by immediate
loss of the game.
f. Illegible or incorrect score-sheets are disallowed when awarding prizes. (Normally player No 1. at
each table keeps score, but all players at the table are responsible for ensuring that the score is kept

correctly.)
g. The tournament director's decision is final. If necessary the tournament organiser can - after
issuing a warning - disqualify a player from the tournament.
Three player Klabberjass - the money game

This is the informal version of the game, played between three individuals for money, rather than as an
organised tournament.
The game is played with kontra, re and the possibility of giving up (schenken), as in the four player
game. Apart from this and the scoring, the rules are the same as in the tournament game described above.
Any Orgi costs DM 1,-- irrespective of the trump suit; any small game costs DM 0,50.
Examples:
Orgi lost with Kontra and Re: the declarer loses DM 16, that is Orgi costs DM 1, lost DM 2,
Kontra DM 4, Re DM 8 - and he has to pay DM 8 to each opponent.
A small game won: the declarer collects DM 0,50 from each opponent.
Klabberjass for four

The partnerships
To determine the partnerships, at the start one player deals out the cards face up in front of the players
until an ace appears, and then continues dealing, omitting the player who received the first ace, until a
second ace is found. The two players to whom the aces were dealt are partners against the other two. The
players change seats if necessary so that partners are sitting opposite each other.
The deal and play

Each player receives eight cards, dealt in batches of three, two and three cards. The dealer exposes the
second to last card - that is the middle card of the last batch of three - and places it face up on the table.
The suit of this card is trump for the first round of bidding. After the first round of bidding, the dealer
adds this exposed card to his hand.
The play of the cards follows the same rules as in three-player Klabberjass. Sequences are announced
immediately before each player plays to the first trick, and the team which has the best sequence scores
all the sequences held by both partners, the other team scoring nothing for sequences.
Kontra, Re and Schenken

The game is always played with Kontra and Re. If an opponent of the team that selects the trump suit
thinks that the trump makers will lose, that player can double the score for the game by saying Kontra
before playing a card to the first trick. Before play continues, either the trump maker or his partner can, if
confident of winning, announce Re, which doubles the score again.

The players must agree before the session whether "Schenken" is allowed. Schenken is an offer to give
up the game, and can be made only by an opponenet of the trump maker, immediately after the auction.
If a player offers to give up, he thereby indicates that he has a weak hand. His partner can agree to give
up or refuse. In any case he will know his partner's cards are weak and will be cautious about giving a
Kontra.
Scoring
Partners keep their tricks in a single heap and at the end each team counts the number of points they have
won. The trump makers win if they have more points (in cards plus melds plus the last trick) than the
opposing team - so in the absence of melds they need at least 82 points. If there is a tie for points, or the
opponents of the trump makers have more, then the trump makers lose.
If the side that makes trump wins the game, they win one game point if there was no kontra. A kontra
doubles the score to 2 game points and a rekontra doubles it again, making 4 game points. If the trump
makers' opponents win, they score twice what the trump makers would have won - that is 2 points for a
game without kontra, 4 points for a kontra'd game, and in 8 points for a rekontra'd game. It makes no
difference to the score what suit is trumps or whether the trumps is made in the first or second round of
the bidding.
There are two methods of keeping score.
First method
The first team to accumulate six or more game points over as many deals as it takes wins the game
and is paid a fixed stake.
The score is kept using two dice. Each team has a die in front of them, and the uppermost face
indicates their current score. A 6 uppermost represents zero or six, so each team starts with their
die showing 6. After each hand the winners turn their die to show their new score.
Second method
Each hand is paid for separately in cash, according to the number of game points won or lost.
Klabberjass for two

To begin with each player is dealt six cards, in two batches of three. The 13th card is turned face-up, and
placed crosswise under the talon of undealt cards to determine the trump suit for the first round of
bidding. When the bidding is over and the trump suit has been chosen, each player is dealt another batch
of three cards, so that they have nine each.
The play and scoring is the same as in the four-player game.
Last updated 2nd June 2000

Rules of Card Games: Klaverjas
Klaverjas
This page is partly based on a contribution from Clive Whitear
Introduction
The Pack
Object of the Game
The Deal
Choosing Trumps
The Play
Bonus Points
The Scoring
Signalling
Other variations
Kraken / Wilde Boom
Dutch Terminology
Other Klaverjas WWW pages
Introduction
Klaverjassen is one of the most popular card games in the Netherlands, traditionally played in cafes and social
clubs, as well as at home. The game is for 4 players who play in pairs, sitting opposite each other. The game
has a number of variants, named after the cities where they originated: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.
This description is of the Amsterdam version, with some notes describing the variations. Another variation of
Klaverjas is known as Kraken or Wilde Boom; this is described near the end of this page.
The Pack
A 32 card pack is used, consisting of the cards A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each of the usual four suits - spades,
clubs, hearts and diamonds. Note that on Dutch cards the corner indices are usually A (Aas) for the ace, H
(Heer) for the king, V (Vrouw) for the queen and B (Boer) for the jack.
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The object of the game is to score as many points as possible in 16 hands. In competition games the players on
one table will rotate so as to have had each of the other three as a partner, so playing 3 sets of 16 hands.
In each hand the object of the game is for the player (and partner) who chooses trumps to collect more than
half of the available points. If they fail to do this then they score nothing at all and the opposing pair receives
all of the points.
Points are collected by taking tricks containing valuable cards, and also as bonus points during the play.
The Deal
The cards are shuffled and dealt, not as single cards, but in 3 groups, first three cards to each player, then two
cards, then three cards. Sometimes the cards are dealt in two groups of four cards. The player to the left of the
dealer chooses trumps.
The Ranking and Values of the Cards

In each hand one suit will be trumps. The ranking of the cards and their values are different in the suit chosen
as trumps from the other suits. The ranking, from high to low, and the card values are as follows:
high . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low
Trump suit rank: jack nine ace ten king queen eight seven
card values: 20 14 11 10 4 3 0 0
Other suits rank: ace ten king queen jack nine eight seven
card values: 11 10 4 3 2 0 0 0
This gives 152 points in the pack in total.
Choosing Trumps
There are a number of ways of deciding trumps. The players must agree before beginning to play which
system will be used:
Free choice.
The player to dealer's left, having looked at his hand, can choose any suit as trumps or pass. If he
passes, the next player has the same options, and so on clockwise around the table. If all four players
pass, the player to dealer's left must choose trumps.
Variation. Some play that the dealer has first chance to play, followed by the other players in
clockwise order. If all pass the dealer must play.
Utrecht (compulsory play)
The player to the left of the dealer must play. He chooses a trump suit after seeing his hand.
Random trump.

A second pack of cards is shuffled and the top card turned over to determine trumps. The player to the
left of the dealer has the choice of playing with the given trump or passing. If he passes then the player
to his left is given the same choice. If all four players pass then another trump is chosen according to
one of the following methods (to be agreed in advance):
1. Another card from the second pack is turned over; the player to the left of the dealer must play
using this trump.
2. The player to the left of the dealer elects trump. This must not be the same suit as has already
been passed by everyone.
The Play
Irrespective of who chose trumps, the player to the left of the dealer leads to the first trick. The other three
players must follow suit if possible. If no trumps are played, the highest card of the suit led, according to the
ranking order listed above, takes the trick. If the trick contains trumps, the highest trump wins. The player
taking the trick leads the next trick and so on.
There are two versions of the rules governing the playing of trumps:
Amsterdam Rules
1. If you cannot follow suit and the card which is winning the trick so far has been played by the
opposing team then you must beat this card with a trump if you can. If they are winning with a trump,
you must play a higher trump if you can. If you have no higher trump you must throw away a card of
another (non-trump) suit. You are not allowed to undertrump (play a lower trump) unless your hand
consists entirely of lower trumps;
2. If you cannot follow suit and the card which is winning the trick so far is your partner's, then you may
play any card of any suit, except that if your partner's winning card is a trump, you are not allowed to
undertrump unless your hand consists entirely of lower trumps;
3. If trumps are led then subsequent players must beat the highest trump so far played to the trick if they
can, even if this highest trump was played by their partner. If they cannot beat the highest trump so far
played, they must play a lower trump. If they have no trumps at all, they can play any card.
Rotterdam Rules
1. If you cannot follow suit, you must always play a trump if you can;
2. When playing a trump, you must beat any trumps already played to the trick if you can (this applies
when trumps are led, and also when a non-trump card was led which another player has already
trumped);
3. If you have no card of the suit led and no trumps you may play any card.
Bonus Points
The bonus points for taking a combination of cards in a trick are called roem. The commonest type of roem is
a run, or unbroken sequence of cards in a suit. For sequences, the order of cards in each suit is ace, king,
queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven. Note that this applies equally to trumps and to other suits, and is different
from the ranking order of the cards for trick taking purposes. The possible roem are as follows:
Run of three cards of the same suit - 20 bonus points
Run of four cards of the same suit - 50 bonus points

Run of three cards of the same suit, including the king and queen of trumps - 40 bonus points
Run of four cards of the same suit, including the king and queen of trumps - 70 bonus points
Four kings, queens aces or tens - 100 bonus points
Four jacks - 200 bonus points
King and queen of trumps (stuk) - 20 bonus points
There is also a bonus of 10 points for the team who took the last trick and an additional 100 bonus points if
one team takes all the tricks.
Bonus points are noted on the score sheet as follows:
I - 20 points
II - 40 points
V - 50 points
VI - 70 points
O - 100 points
OO - 200 points
Players use their skill to collect bonus points in the tricks that they or their partners take, and avoid giving
bonus points to the opposing pair. When bonus points are made they must be claimed by the pair who win the
trick in order for them to be counted. It is sometimes correct deliberately not to claim bonus points; this
happens if your team chose trumps, but you expect to lose the hand (in which case the bonus would go to the
opposing team).
Scoring
At the end of each hand the points in the tricks of both teams are counted. Each team then adds the bonus
points collected. If the team of the player who made trumps has more points than their opponents, then each
team is credited with the points they obtained. If the team of the player who made trumps fail to take more
points than their opponents, then the team which made trumps score no points at all, and all the points for the
hand, including bonus points collected by both sides, are credited to the opposing team.
If no extra bonus points are obtained then the points in one hand add up to 162 (152 for the cards and 10 for
the last trick). The team which chooses trumps must therefore obtain at least 82 points in order to score.
Signalling
Signalling to your partner is an accepted part of the game, and is necessary to skilful play. The most important
signals are discards to indicate to partner which is your own strong suit, and leads to indicate the strength of
your trumps. There are many ways of doing this, the most common being:
Same suit signals.
Here you discard a low card (7, 8 or 9) of a particular suit to indicate that you have the ace (the highest
card) of the same suit. Discarding a picture card of a suit warns your partner not to lead that suit.

Opposite suit signals.

Here you play any card of a red or black suit to indicate that you are strong in the other suit of the same
colour. For example, playing the queen of hearts indicates to your partner that you have a strong
diamonds. This method of signalling allows you to preserve a long suit and discard unwanted single
cards.
Lead signal.
The player who chooses trumps and leads the first card can indicate that he has a weak trump hand. If
he has the jack of trumps (the highest trump) but little else, he leads a low card of another suit. If he
does not have the jack, then he should lead the ace of another suit. His partner then knows if it is safe to
lead trumps or not.
The signalling systems to be used between partners should be discussed (and announced to the opponents)
before commencing play, to avoid confusion.
Three Player Variation

If there are only three players then each player receives 10 cards, in batches of 4, 3 and 3. After the first batch
of 3 cards to each player, two cards are placed face down in the middle of the table.
The player to the left of the dealer can elect to play with a trump suit of his choice or pass. If he passes then
the player to his left can play or pass. If he passes too then the dealer can play or pass. If all 3 players pass
then the dealer shuffles and deals again. Once a player has elected to play he adds the two spare cards to his
hand without showing them, and then discards two cards face down to one side. Normal play now takes place,
except that there are 10 tricks. The player who takes the last trick also takes the two spare cards.
Each player plays for his own points, but tries also to prevent the player who made trumps from obtaining
more than half the points. If the trump maker succeeds in taking more than half the points, each of the three
players scores the points he has taken. If the trump maker takes half the points or less, he scores nothing, and
both of his opponents score the total points in the hand, including any bonus points.
Other Variations
Rather than playing 16 deals, some play up to an agreed target score, for example 1500.
Kraken
This version is also known as Wilde Boom (wild tree). After the trump maker has chosen trumps, each of his
opponents in turn (first the player to his left and then the player to his right) has the opportunity to challenge
this, saying "ik kraak" or "contra". An opponent will challenge if he thinks that the player choosing trumps
will not get more than half the points. This challenge automatically doubles the final scores. If there is a
challenge, the trump maker or his partner can challenge back (herkraken or r), again doubling the points (so
they are multiplied by 4 altogether). The opponents can then challenge again (superkraken) so that the points
are multiplied by eight.
As well as scoring for card combinations in tricks, the players can claim before the first lead for any scoring
combinations they have in their hands, and the scores for these are noted. As in normal Klaverjas, four aces,
kings, queens or tens are worth 100, a run of three is worth 20, and a run of four is worth 50. In addition, a run

of five or more cards of a suit in hand scores 100 points. If a player has the king and queen of trumps (stuk) in
his hand at the start of play, he does not need to claim this straight away, but can wait and claim the 20 points
for stuk during the play when playing either card.
The play follows the rules of normal Klaverjassen. If there has been one or more kraak, the side which
announced the last kraak needs more points than their opponents to win, and whichever team wins scores all
the points in the game, the other team scoring nothing. These points are doubled, redoubled etc according to
the kraaks before the beginning of play.
If spades are trumps then an extra double is automatically applied to the final scores.
Dutch Terminology
Nel - the nine of trumps
Roem - bonus points
Stuk - the king and queen of trumps
Nat or beet - not getting more that half of the points
Pit or mars - when one team wins all the tricks
Boom (tree) - the set of 16 deals which make up a game (or however many deals it takes before the winning
team reaches 1500, if you play that way)
Kleur seinen - same suit signalling
Tegenkleur seinen - opposite suit signalling
Other Klaverjas WWW pages

Here is a Klaverjas site (in Dutch) containing rules and information and software; also club and tournament
information from the Nederlandse Klaverjas Unie.
The Games Square site has an on-line Klaverjas game and rules in Dutch and English.
There are rules in French on Jean-Franois Bustarret's Klaverjas page


Rules of Card Games: Polignac & Knaves
Polignac & Knaves

These are games in which there is a penalty for each knave taken in tricks.
For rules, see Dave Barker's Knaves page.
Also, there are rules in French on Jean-Franois Bustarret's page Polignac (ou jeu des Valets).

http://www.pagat.com/reverse/knaves.html [04/05/2001 9:52:41]

Rules of Card Games: Knock-Out Whist
Knock-Out Whist
This page is mainly based on a description contributed by Nick Wedd
This is a simple plain-trick game, suitable for children. It seems to be played mostly in Britain, and is
often called by the alternative name Trumps. Any number from two to seven may play. A session
consists of seven hands, of diminishing size.
A 52-card pack is used, with four suits ranking from high to low A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. A player is
selected to deal, and deals seven cards each, clockwise. The uppermost of the undealt cards is turned face
upwards to indicate the trump suit.
The player on dealer's left leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can, otherwise they may
play any card. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it; otherwise by the highest card of the suit led.
The winner of a trick leads to the next trick.
After the first hand, a second hand is dealt, by the next player in order around the table, with only six
cards each. The game continues like this, with one fewer card per player on each hand, until the final
hand consists of one card each.
The winner of most tricks on a hand chooses the trump suit on the next hand. If there is a tie for who took
most tricks, the players involved in the tie cut cards for the right to choose trumps.
A player who takes no tricks at all in a hand is knocked out, is dealt no more cards, and takes no further
part in the game.
There is one exception to the rule about being knocked out: the first player during the game who takes no
tricks on a hand is not knocked out immediately but is awarded the "dog's life". On the following hand,
she is dealt just one card, and may decide on which trick to play it. In the course of the play, a player "on
a dog's life" may, when it is her turn to play, either play her card or knock on the table to indicate that she
wishes to keep it for a later trick. If she is the player on the dealer's left, she is not compelled to lead her
card to the first trick; she may either do so, or knock, allowing the next player to lead.
If two or more players take no tricks on the same deal, no one having previously used the dog's life, these
players get one dog's life each. Apart from this case, there is only one dog's life available during the
game. Players who take no tricks in later deals are eliminated immediately.
If a player on a dog's life manages to take a trick with her card, the player on her left leads to the next
trick, and the dog's life player is dealt a normal hand on the next deal, and treated like the other surviving
players. If the dog's life player doesn't manage to win a trick, she is knocked out of the game, like anyone
else who takes no trick.
The game is won by the winner of the one trick on the final hand. Or if all but one of the players are
knocked out before this, the surviving player is the winner.
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Rules of Card Games: Knock-Out Whist
Advice on Skillful Play

In choosing trumps, always choose the longest suit. From
Clubs 6
Spades K Q
Hearts 6 5 4
make hearts trumps.
In choosing between suits of the same length, do not choose a suit with very high cards in it, as these
may well win tricks even if they are not trumps. From
Clubs A Q
Spades 8 6
Hearts 4
make spades trumps.

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Rules of card games: Knigsrufen
Knigrufen
The following description was written by Matthew Macfadyen and Kirsty Healey and revised by John McLeod.
Introduction
Cards
The Contracts, a summary
Bonuses
Playing Procedure: Deal, Bidding, Calling a King, Exchanging with the Talon, Announcements, Play, Scoring
Detailed description of contracts and bonuses: Positive contracts, Farbensolo, Negative contracts, Bonuses
Other Knigrufen WWW pages
Introduction
A fast and friendly game for four or five players, which can be a lot of fun even when played quite badly. It is one of
the most popular games in eastern Austria. There is a lot of variation in the rules - in fact it would probably be hard
to find two groups of players who play exactly the same way. In the following description we have therefore tried to
include a typical choice of features. In future we may add further pages giving other variations. For Matthew
Macfadyen's advice on how to play Knigrufen, see Knigrufen - remarks on skilful play.
Technically Knigrufen is a point trick game with bidding. The cards have values; players bid to decide who will be
declarer; then tricks are played and the declarer's side wins if they take more than half the card points. In some
contracts declarer can choose a partner by specifying a king - hence the name of the game which means "Call the
King".
That is the basic game, but a lot of extra variety has been added. There are other possible contracts with different
objectives, and players can earn bonuses for feats achieved during the game, such as winning the last trick with the
lowest trump. Such feats can be announced in advance for extra points.
Cards
Five suits; 8 each of Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds; and 22 trumps (tarocks), of which the highest, the Sks,
looks rather like a Joker. The second highest trump (XXI) is called the Mond and the lowest trump (I) is called the
Pagat. The black suits rank from highest to lowest: King, Queen, Knight, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7. The red suits rank from
highest to lowest: King, Queen, Knight, Jack 1, 2, 3, 4.
Identification: the king has a crown, the knight has a horse, the queen is female and the jack is the other one.
Cards are worth points as follows:
Kings 5 each
Sks, XXI (Mond), and I (Pagat) 5 each
Queens 4 each
Knights 3 each
Jacks 2 each
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All other cards 1 each

The process for adding up the cards is slightly odd: for each set of three cards you add up the values of the cards and
subtract 2. If at the end of your counting you have one or two odd cards left over they are worth one point less than
their total value. (So 2 or 3 one-point cards are worth 1 point, but a single one-point card is worth nothing). The total
value of the pack comes to 70 card points. See the counting points in Tarot games page for further explanation of
this.
In a positive contract, the declarer's side wins if they make at least 36 of the 70 points.

These are listed in ascending order, with their scores. Further details of the contracts are given later.
The first three are only available to Forehand (the player to dealer's right), in the case that "Mein Spiel" is passed
out:
Name score description

Rufer 1 call a king; 3 cards from talon; take 36+ points
Trischaken 1 avoid taking cards points
Sechserdreier +2, -4 play alone; 6 cards from talon; take 36+ points
The following contracts are available to all players:
Piccolo 2 play alone; win one trick exactly

Zwiccolo 2 play alone; win two tricks exactly
Solo 2 call a king; 0 cards from talon; take 36+ points
Bettel 3 play alone; lose every trick
Besser-rufer 2+bonus like rufer but must announce a bird
Dreier 4 play alone; 3 cards from talon; take 36+ points
Piccolo Ouvert 5 play alone; win one trick; all cards exposed
Farbensolo 5 play alone; 0 cards from talon; tarocks don't win
Bettel Ouvert 6 play alone; lose every trick; all cards exposed
Besser Dreier 4+bonus like dreier but must announce a bird
Solo Dreier 8 play alone; 0 cards from talon; take 36+ points
The scores above are in game points - the amount of money you win if your contract is successful. These are not to
be confused with the cards points in your tricks which you count to find out whether you have made your (positive)
contract.
Bonuses
These are additional ways of winning game points in positive contracts. Further details of bonuses are given later.
Bonus unannounced announced description

Trull 1 2 take S, XXI and I in tricks
4 kings 1 2 take all 4 kings in tricks
Called king captured 1 ...by declarer's opponents
Mondfang 1 capture opponent's XXI
Sksfang 2 capture opponent's Sks

Pagat Ultimo* 1 2 win last trick with the I

Uhu* 2 4 win 2nd last trick with II
Kakadu* 3 6 win 3rd last trick with III
Marabu* 4 8 win 4th last trick with IIII
King ultimo 1 2 win called king in last trick
Valat 4 x game score 8 x game score win every trick
Notice that most bonuses can be announced in advance, and are then worth twice as much. All bonuses score double
the amounts given above if the contract is Solo or Solodreier.
*The trumps I, II, III and IIII, and the bonuses for winning particular tricks with them are called birds.
Scores for the game and bonuses are independent of each other, so that a player may have conflicting objectives
during a hand. It is quite possible to win the game and yet lose money because the bonuses were worth more than
the game.
Playing Procedure
The game is played anticlockwise. The first dealer is selected randomly, and the turn to deal rotates anticlockwise
after each hand. There are only four active players in each deal. If there are five players at the table, the dealer deals
no cards to herself and takes no part in the hand.
The sequence of events on each deal is as follows:
Deal
Dealer shuffles, gives the cards to the player on her left to cut, then deals in packets of six cards, starting on her
right, one packet to each player, then one into the middle of the table (the 'talon') then finally another packet of six
cards to each player. If there are five players, the dealer deals to the other four players only.
Instead of cutting, the player to dealer's left is allowed to "knock", or tap the pack of cards. They must then be dealt
as follows: the first six cards to the talon, then four packets of 12 cards. Each player in anticlockwise rotation,
starting with the player to dealer's right, chooses whether they will have the first, second, third or fourth packet.
Bidding
The auction then starts. The player to dealer's right ("forehand") may reserve her bid by saying "Mein Spiel". Each
player in turn after that must either bid by naming a contract or pass. Once having passed a player may not re-enter
the auction. The auction continues until three players have passed consecutively, and the last player to have bid
becomes declarer. If the only bid was "Mein Spiel" the first player now names any contract - this is the only case in
which the top three contracts in the list can be played.
During the bidding there is an order of priority, starting with forehand (highest) and continuing anticlockwise round
the table to dealer (lowest). When bidding a contract, if you have lower priority than the previous bidder you must
bid a higher contract or pass, but if you have higher priority than the previous bidder it is sufficient to bid an equal
or higher contract.
Example: (the players in anticlockwise order are A (forehand), B, C and D) A says "mein Spiel"; B bids "Solo", C
passes. Now if D wants to bid, the minimum bid is "Bettel", because B has priority over D. If D passes then A is
allowed to bid "Solo", which overcalls B's Solo, because A has priority over B.

Calling a King
If the contract is one in which declarer gets a partner, declarer now names a suit, the holder of the king of that suit
becomes declarer's partner but does not tell anyone who they are. The partnerships are sometimes not discovered
until quite late in the hand.
It is legal to call your own king. In this case you play on your own against the other 3 players in partnership, but
they will not realise at first that they are all on the same side. You also play alone if the called king happens to be in
the talon.
If a declarer entitled to call a king for a partner holds three kings in her hand, she may call "The fourth king" without
naming its suit. This is normally a good idea.
If as declarer you have all four kings and find yourself playing a contract in which you are allowed to call a king,
you have no option but to call yourself. Incidentally, you are not allowed to try to confuse matters by calling "the
fourth king" in this case.
Exchanging cards with the talon

When declarer is entitled to exchange three cards with the talon, the talon is now exposed in two sets of three cards.
Declarer chooses one of the sets, and gives the other to her opponents (actually they are put in a separate pile from
the opponents' tricks, since some of the players do not yet know who is on which side). After taking the chosen three
cards into her hand, declarer then discards three cards face down into her trick pile. Kings and Trull cards (Sks,
XXI, I) may never be discarded; other trumps may only be discarded if there is no choice, and they should be
discarded face up.
Announcements
There is now a round of announcements. Beginning with the declarer, each player can pass or make one or more
announcements on behalf of her side. An announcement is a statement that you are going for some bonus, or a
kontra of something said by the other side. The round of announcements continues until three players have passed
consecutively.
Kontra
During the round of announcements, a member of the defending side may double the score for the game or for any
announced bonuses (independently of each other) by saying for example "kontra the game" or "kontra the king
ultimo". After this either member of the side which originally made the announcement may say "rekontra" to that
bonus, in which case the opponents can double again with "subkontra". Some players allow the doubling to continue
further with "hirschkontra" and "mordkontra", by which time the original score for that feature has been multiplied
by 64 (announcement and five doubles).
A player may only make a bonus announcement if they are declarer's partner or if it is already known which side
they are on. (e.g. declarer's partner holding the Skuss and the XXI may announce trull and this demonstrates that he
is her partner; alternatively a defender holding both Sks and XXI may be pretty sure of making the trull, but may
only announce it if she also makes some kontra, for example "kontra the pagat ultimo; trull" might be appropriate).
The Play
In positive contracts the player to dealer's right (Forehand) leads to the first trick no matter who is declarer. In
negative contracts and Farbensolo, Declarer leads to the first trick.

You must follow suit if you can. If you cannot follow suit you must play a trump. The trick is won by the highest
card played of the suit led, unless it contains a trump in which case the highest trump wins (exception: Farbensolo).
Additional rule for negative contracts (Trischaken, Piccolo, Zwiccolo, Bettel, Piccolo Ouvert, Bettel Ouvert): You
must beat the highest card on the table if possible.
Further additional rule for Trischaken only: you are not allowed to play the Pagat until it is your only trump.
Optional rule for all contracts - The Emperor trick: If the three trull cards, the Sks, the XXI (Mond) and the I
(Pagat) are all played to the same trick, then that trick is won by the Pagat. The bonus for capturing the Sks only
applies if the Sks is captured by an opponent.
The Scoring
The hand is counted and scored. The scoring system is designed for people who score by pushing money across the
table at the end of each hand. In contracts with two players on each side, each player on the losing team pays one of
the players on the winning team the game score. When one player plays against the other three, she is paid by (or
pays) the score to each of them, so the value to declarer of such contracts is three times as much.
Solidarity of partnerships applies throughout. If a player wins (or loses) a game or bonus, all players of that
partnership win (or lose) equally.
Detailed Descriptions of the Contracts and Bonuses

The Positive Contracts
In all these contracts, declarer's side has to take at least 36 card points in their tricks plus their part of the talon to
win the game.
Rufer:
Declarer chooses a partner by calling a king, and gets to change three cards with the the talon.
Sechserdreier
Declarer plays alone but gets to draw all six cards from the talon, without showing them to the other players,
and declarer's six discards all go into her tricks. Declarer scores two points if successful, but loses four if she
fails to make the game.
Solo:
Declarer chooses a partner by calling a king, but does not change cards with the talon. The 6 cards of the talon
are put aside unseen and added to the defenders' tricks at the end of the hand, unless it turns out that the called
king is in the talon. If the king is in the talon the declarer is playing alone against all three players but in
compensation the talon is added to the declarer's tricks. All bonuses count double in a Solo.
Besser Rufer:
Declarer chooses a partner by calling a king, and changes three cards with the talon. At the start of the round
of announcements, declarer is obliged to announce at least one of Pagat ultimo, Uhu, Kakadu or Marabu ("the
birds"). If the declarer in a Besser Rufer finds the called king in the talon, she may choose to play on alone or
to give up the hand for 4 points (equivalent losing the game and the pagat without kontras or extra bonuses).
Dreier:
Declarer plays alone against the other three players, and gets to change three cards with the talon.
Besser Dreier:
The same as a Dreier, but in addition declarer must announce at least one "bird" at the start of the round of

announcements.
Solo Dreier:
Declarer plays alone and the talon goes unsees to the opponents' tricks. All bonuses count double in a
Solodreier.
Farbensolo
Declarer plays alone against the other three players with the object of winning at least 36 points in tricks, but the
trumps function as an ordinary suit. The declarer leads to the first trick. A player unable to follow suit is still obliged
to play a trump, but the trumps do not win - the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. It is illegal to lead
trumps until you hold nothing else. When a trump is led, players must follow with trumps if possible and the highest
trump wins.
In Farbensolo, all six cards of the talon go unseen to the opponents' tricks. The only bonus available is for making
valat.
The Negative Contracts

Piccolo:
The declarer plays alone and must take exactly one trick to win.
Zwiccolo:
The declarer plays alone and must take exactly two tricks to win (this contract is considered degenerate and
not allowed by some circles of players).
Bettel:
Declarer playing alone must lose every trick to win the game.
Bettel Ouvert:
A contract to make no tricks, but with all four hands exposed as soon as a card has been led to the second
trick.
Piccolo Ouvert:
Exactly one trick, with all hands exposed as soon as a card has been led to the second trick.
Trischaken
The four players play as individuals. The object is to take as few points as possible. The talon is not used. In
Trischaken, the two players who take most card points in tricks pay one point to the two who take least. If any
player takes no tricks they are paid 2 by all three others in addition to this, and if any player takes 36 or more
points they pay 2 to all three in addition (Trischaken is meant to be a sort of punishment for not bidding meted
out to the player with the best hand - the word "trischaken" is Viennese dialect for beating up or mugging).
In all of the negative contracts Declarer leads to the first trick, rather than the player on dealer's right. The rules of
play are different in negative contracts: when it is your turn to play, you are forced to beat the cards already played if
you can. In addition, in Trischaken it is illegal to play the Pagat unless it is your last trump.
Bonuses
These are only available in positive contracts.
Trull
Taking all three of the Sks, XXI and I in your side's tricks plus your part of the talon.
4 Kings

Taking all 4 kings in your side's tricks + talon cards.

Mond Fang
Capturing an opponents' XXI with the Sks
Sks Fang
Capturing the opponents' Sks (by means of the 'Emperor trick', if allowed )
Capture Called King
The opponents capture the king which the declarer called to determine the partnerships
Pagat Ultimo
Winning the last trick with the I
Uhu
Winning the penultimate trick with the II
Kakadu *
Winning the 3rd last trick with the III
Marabu *
Winning the 4th last trick with the IIII
King Ultimo
Playing the called king to the last trick, and having your side win the trick.
Valat
Winning all the tricks. Any cards from the talon are surrendered to the winning side if valat is made - so trull
and four kings are made even if one of those cards was in the rejected half of the talon.
Bonuses except that for valat are not available in Farbensolo.
Most of these bonuses are worth double if you announce the intention to achieve them during the announcements
phase (see summary table of bonuses), but in this case failure to achieve the bonus scores minus. They are all scored
independently of each other and of the game.
These bonus scores are doubled in Solo and Solodreier, on top of any doubles for being announced beforehand and
for kontras.
* many players do not allow Kakadu and Marabu, as they are thought to introduce to great a random element into
the game.
Notes on bonuses involving winning a particular trick with a particular card (Pagat Ultimo, Uhu,
Kakadu, Marabu, King Ultimo)
For king ultimo it is good enough for either partner to win the last trick with the called king in it. For Pagat,
Uhu, Kakadu and Marabu the card named actually has to win the trick - if not the bonus is lost, even if the
trick is won by the partner of the person playing the card.
If the bonus is not announced, but you play one of these cards to the relevant trick, you are deemed to be
attempting to get the bonus, and you score minus the appropriate bonus if the card fails to win the trick (or if
your side fails to in the case of King Ultimo).
An announced bonus of this type can be lost in four ways:
you play the card to the correct trick, but it fails to win (or in the case of the king, your partner also fails
to win);
the card is forced out prematurely;

(for II, III and IIII) you keep the card until the correct trick but the player on lead leads a suit to which
you have to follow, so you don't manage to play it;
your side does not possess the card at all (stranger things have happened!).
If the bonus is announced, the side making the announcement is obliged to keep the card until the relevant
trick and play it then if possible. e.g. having announced Uhu the player must hold onto the II until the
penultimate trick (if possible) and must play it to that trick if it is legal, even though it may have become clear
that the II will not win the trick.
Other Knigrufen WWW pages

Harald und Elke's Tarock-Seite has rules of Knigrufen in German.
See also Knigrufen - remarks on skilful play
A Knigsrufen computer program is available from KEC Austria (Triangle productions).


Rules of Card Games: Krypkille
Krypkille
This Swedish game, best for about 4 to 6 players, is played with Swedish Kille cards. These come as a 42
card deck, without suits, but with two of each of the 21 ranks, which from high to low are Harlekin
(joker), Kuku (cuckoo), Husar (hussar), Husu (pig), Kavall (horse), Vrdshus (inn), 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Kransen (wreath), Blompottan (flowerpot), Blaren (face).
Each player is dealt 5 cards and tricks are played. Any card can be led, and subsequent players must
either equal or beat the highest card so far played to the trick or play the lowest card in their hand. The
object is to have the lowest card after four tricks have been played.
Rules for a version of Krypkille can be found on Joachim Parrow's Kille page.

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Rules of Card Games: Last One
Last One
Based on information from Mark Alexander
Mark Alexander reports that this variation of Crazy Eights (for 2 to 6 players) has been traced back to
Walla Walla prison in Washington State, USA in the 1980's. Another correspondent tells me that she
remembers playing it in the state of Maine, USA in the 1970's.
A standard deck of 52 cards plus two jokers is used. The dealer deals an equal number of cards to each
player, from 4 to 8 cards each at the dealer's choice. If all agree, nine cards each can be dealt. The next
card is placed face up to start the discard pile and the undealt cards are placed face down beside it, to
form the stock. Play is initially clockwise, and the turned up card is considered to have been played by
the dealer, so the player to dealer's left will play next, unless the initial turned up card has a special
effect.
Normally each player in turn must either play a card to the discard pile, matching the previous top card in
number or suit, or draw the top card from the stock. The object is to have no cards left in your hand.
Certain cards have special effects as follows:
Two The next player must draw to cards from the stock, and is not allowed to play a card.
If you play a three you may in the same turn play any card on top of it. This is called
Three
"stacking".
Playing a four causes a "melee"; the player of the four is the "aggressor" (attacker)
and the next player in turn is the "aggressee" (defender). If the defender or any other
player has the five of the same suit they may play it; the player of the five then
becomes the aggressor and the previous aggressor becomes the aggressee. After the
Four five, anyone may play the six of the same suit and so on up. If no one plays the next
card, the current aggressee must draw from the stock a number of cards equal to the
pip value of the card played by the current aggressor.
Example: A plays the 4; B plays the 5; no one plays the 6; A must draw five
cards and the next player in turn after A can then play.
Five, Six, Seven No special effect except as part of a melee begun by a four.
Can be played on any card. The player announces a suit and the next play should be in
Eight
the announced suit.
Jack The next player skips a turn
Ace The direction of play is reversed
A joker can represent any card of the pack, at the choice of the person who plays it to the discard pile.
A player who has only one card left must say "last card". When a player gets rid of all their cards the play
ends.
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Rules of Card Games: Last One
The punishment for any misplay or failure to call "last card" is to draw one card from the stock.
At the end of the play, anyone who has more than one card scores penalty points for the cards in their
hand: face cards and tens are 10, aces are 15, eights are 25, jokers are 40 and other cards are face value.
Any player whose penalty points reach or exceed an previously agreed target is eliminated from the game
(this is called "going busto"). The last player left in is the winner.

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Rules of Card Games: Laugh and Lie Down
Laugh and Lie Down

A rather unusual fishing game for five players, played in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
A reconstruction can be found on the Laugh and Lie Down page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games
site.

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Rules of Card Games: Laus
Laus
This page is based on a contribution from Barry Rigal.
Introduction
Players and Cards

Deal and Play
Scoring
Introduction
This four-player game from Germany is loosely related to Ramsch. Barry Rigal learnt it watching the
under 25 German Bridge team at Cardiff in 1996. It provides some scope for interesting card play,
including squeezes.
Players and Cards

A 32 card pack is used, consisting of A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each of the four suits, but when playing the
game the four jacks are regarded as forming a separate trump suit. So there are effectively five suits:
jacks (trumps), clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds.
The ranking of the trumps from high to low is J, J, J, J.

In the four non-trump suits the cards rank from high to low A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7.
Certain cards carry penalty points, and the object of the game is to avoid taking tricks containing those
cards. The cards with penalty values or other special effects are as follows:
Jacks ... 25 points each
Aces ... 10 points each
Tens ... 5 points each
Q ... 300 points
Q ... 200 points
Q ... 100 points
Q ... zero points for the hand
So the diamond queen is a good card to win in a trick - it annuls all the other penalty points you may
have collected or be about to collect on that deal.
Kings, nines, eights and sevens are neutral - the carry no penalty and have no special effect.
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Rules of Card Games: Laus
Deal and play

Deal and play are clockwise, and turn to deal passes to the left after each hand in the usual way. All the
cards are dealt out, so that each player has a hand of eight cards. The player to dealer's left leads. Players
must follow suit if they can. A player who has no card of the suit led can play any card.
Jacks count as belonging to the trump suit, not as members of the suits printed on them. This means that
if a jack is led the other players must follow with a jack if they can. Also, if (for example) the heart seven
is led, you are not allowed to play the heart jack on it unless you have no other hearts. If the heart seven
is led and you have no hearts except the jack you do not have to trump with the heart jack - you have no
(real) hearts, so you can play any card.
A trick is won by the highest jack in it - or if no jacks are played, it is won by the highest card of the suit
led. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
Obviously your main aim in the play is to avoid winning tricks with penalty cards, but at the same time if
you see one player taking a lot of penalty cards you want to avoid giving them the Q.
Scoring
At the end of the play, the players score according to the cards they have in the tricks they won. The
player with the queen of diamonds scores nothing, and the others score the total of the penalty cards they
have taken.
Further hands are played, keeping a cumulative score for each player. The first player to reach or exceed
1500 is the loser, and has to buy the drinks.
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Rules of Card Games: Let It Ride
Let It Ride
In this casino banking game three cards are dealt to each player and two face down to the dealer. The
player is paid according to how good a poker hand is made by the player's three cards plus the dealer's
two cards.
Tpo play this game you must place three equal stakes before the deal. After the cards are dealt you may
look at your three cards and withdraw one of your stakes if you wish. The players must not see each
other's cards. One of the dealer's cards is then faced and you have another opportunity to withdraw one of
your stakes. So you will have one, two or three of your stakes still in front of you when the dealer's
second card is exposed.
After exposing the second card, the dealer collects the remaining stakes of any players whose three cards
together with the dealer's two cards to not form a pair of tens or better. The other players are paid
according to their remaining stakes at the following fixed odds:
Pair (10s or better) .... evens
Two pairs .... 2 to 1
Three of a kind .... 3 to 1
Straight .... 5 to 1
Flush .... 8 to 1
Full house .... 11 to 1
Four of a kind .... 50 to 1
Straight flush .... 200 to 1
Royal flush .... 1000 to 1
Clearly the only skill is in deciding when to withdraw a bet. The optimal strategy is given in the Let It
Ride FAQ of the newsgroup rec.gambling.misc.
Another set of rules for Let It Ride can be found at the winneronline.com site.

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Rules of Card Games: Luk Fu
Luk Fu
The following description is taken from an article by Anthony Smith and Gnther Senst.
The Name
The Players
The Cards
The Deal
The Objective
The Decision to Play
Payments
Old Cards
Leading to a Trick or Multitrick
Following to a Trick or Multitrick
References Cited
Other Luk Fu WWW pages
The Name
C T Dobree (1955) spelled the name Luk Fu and used the characters for "Six Tigers", whereas J W
Young (1866) said he could not learn the characters for what he spelled Lioek Foe. "Liuk" can certainly
mean Six and, as the players' objective in the game is to use at least 6 of their own cards to win tricks or
multitricks, Dobree's interpretation of his "Luk" is very probable. But we are sceptical of his Tigers,
because Young also uses the word "Foe" for a unit of scoring in the rummy-like game Phien Kim ("ph"
as in English "shepherd") - various combinations scored various multiples of "Foe" - but his informants
could not tell him how to write "Foe". Since "Liuk" means "Six" and the objective is to take 6
cards-worth of multitricks, we imagine that "Fu" should be translated as "points", like the Mandarin word
"Hu" in K Himly (1901) and L M Iakovlev (1946). But we shall see "tigers" in the terminology of the
game, and this looks like a pun. Our guess is that the non-literary word meaning "points" is pronounced
the same as the word for "tiger", at least in the Hakka dialect.
We have pleasure in thanking Mrs Chan-Edmead, Miss Tsoi and Mr Pang of Gloucester, a cathedral city
lying about 175 km. west of London, for their information on the rules of this game. In January 1993 Mrs
Chan-Edmead of the Gloucestershire Chinese Community Group introduced Anthony Smith to an
English-speaking user of these cards, Kim Tsoi, an undergraduate student at Westminster University
whose family live in Gloucester. Miss Tsoi played cards with her grandmother and explained to him the
rules of a three-player trick-taking game called Liuk Fu (Six Points). In November 1993 he met, through
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the Open University (a British correspondence college for which he is a tutor), another English-speaking
Liuk Fu player from Gloucester, Tim Pang.
The Players
Liuk Fu is a game for three active players, though as in some European games a fourth player may deal.
Such a dealer takes part in the payments even though taking no part in the play. Both tricks in the
ordinary sense and multitricks, where each player contributes the same number, greater than one, of cards
can be played. Let us use "trick" to cover both possibilities, in the sense that a 3-card multitrick is worth
3 "tricks".
The Cards
When there is no fourth player only 36 cards of the 38 are used, and these are not quite the 36 reported in
W H Wilkinson (1895) to be used in the unnamed three-hander which he knew. If a fourth is present 37
cards are used and the dealer retains one card. Under no circumstance is the 38th card used, and the
informants knew of no use for it. Packs are so easily obtainable that it is not even used to replace a
damaged or lost card. A European equivalent of this state of affairs may be the Tarocco Bolognese or
Ottocento pack which is sold with Jokers, although we know of no game for this pack using the Jokers.
The 36 cards used are arranged in the illustration ranking l (low) - 9 (high) from left to right. The suits
are:
"Sup" or "Tens" (ranking high)
"Gong" or "Myriads"
"Sok" or "Knots"

"Tyen" or "Coins" (ranking low)
The extra card ranks as an Extra Ace, but is not attached to any suit.
The five aces:
It will be observed that the cards used as Ace of Tens and as Ace of Coins are not so inscribed. The
characters on the card used as Ace of Tens say "Hundred Sons" while those on the card functioning as
Ace of Coins are too stylised to be read unambiguously. Miss Tsoi's grandmother called it "Mao Ta" but
Mr Pang's mother called it "Ma Tyen". Young (1886) called it "Mo Kwoeng", Prince of Mao. The Extra
Ace was called "Li Tyen" by Miss Tsoi's grandmother but "Yo Tyen" by Mr Pang's mother. Young (1886)
has "Joen Tshin". Although it bears the character for "Coins" it is not accounted a member of the Coins
suit.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen by lot. Subsequently deal rotates anticlockwise, except that when the Master (ie
Forehand) wins then the same dealer will deal again, sitting out again if there are four players.
The dealer can allow a consistent loser to cut the cards.
The dealer may deal the cards singly or in packets of two or more.
If only three are playing the dealer deals to himself first and then anticlockwise until everyone has 12
cards. The dealer will be Master (or Forehand, the person who plays the first card).
If four play then the deal is still anticlockwise, but starts with the player opposite the dealer, who will be
Master. The dealer gives himself a single card at any stage , but usually first or last.

The Objective
The objective is to win "tricks" with at least six cards. The amount won depends on how many "tricks"
the victor takes. The player who first takes six can stop the game and claim immediate victory, but if he
plays on, hoping for further "tricks", but another player takes the other six then that other player is the
sole victor. If no one takes 6 "tricks" then the hand is drawn and there are no payments. Mr Pang said
deal does not rotate in a drawn hand when the Master had not passed; Miss Tsoi said deal rotates in all
drawn hands.
The Decision to Play

When the deal is completed the Master either makes a lawful lead or passes. If he passed then the next
player anticlockwise either passes or says "Play". If he also passes then the third player has the same
choice. If all three pass the cards are redealt by the next dealer. If anyone said "Play" then the Master
leads.
Any player who said "Play" is Vulnerable, and if he does not win will have to pay the other loser's losses
as well as his own. Notice that the Master does not have to say "Play" when he wishes to play, and can
never be Vulnerable.
Payments
In Miss Tsoi's tariff of payments a unit stake and a value for extra "tricks" must both be agreed. She
suggested 10p for both. The winner would then get 10p for six "tricks" and 10p for each further "trick",
giving a maximum of 70p for twelve "tricks". This is collected from each opponent - or twice from a
Vulnerable opponent.
Mr Pang's tariff involved a single unit, for which he also suggested 10p, and winners with 6, 7, 8 or 9
were paid 10, 20, 30 or 40p just as in Miss Tsoi's system, but winners with 10 or 11 were paid double,
thus getting 1 or 1.20 and a winner with 12 was paid triple, for 2.10.
If a fourth player had been sitting out he turns up his single card at the end of the play. If its rank matches
that of one or more of the victor's winning cards then he collects at 10p per match from each loser (or
twice from a Vulnerable loser).
If the dealer's card is the Extra Ace it matches any other Aces among the victor's winners, and similarly if
the victor has the Extra Ace among his winners then it matches any Ace which the dealer holds.
Variant: Miss Tsoi said that it can be agreed beforehand that the winner also gets an extra 10p for each
card with a red overprint among his winners. These cards are the Nines and the Old Aces and also the
Eight of Tens.

Old Cards
The four Nines, the Aces of Tens and Coins and (if it is in play) the Extra Ace are called Old Cards. The
Nines are initially the highest cards in the suits and any card which is known to become, during the
course of the play, the highest in its suit has become Old. If a consecutive sequence in the same suit,
headed by an Old card, is held by some player then the whole sequence are Old Cards. The point about
being known to be highest is that there can be doubt - discards are made unseen and in the 4-player
version one card is out of play. The dealer may look at his card at once but is not obliged to reveal it until
play is over. If it is a Nine or Eight, or sometimes even a Seven, he leaves it concealed so that the active
players do not know what card has become highest in that suit.
The Aces of Tens and Coins are lowest in their suits and the Extra Ace is not in a suit at all. These cards
cannot beat any single card played in front of them, but if any of them is led as a single card it wins the
trick.
Leading to a Trick or Multitrick

The Master leads first and the winner of each trick or multitrick leads to the next.
The player on lead may play
1. a single card
2. a set of three cards of equal rank
3. a set of four cards of equal rank
4. a sequence of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
The Extra Ace does not count as an Ace when making sets of three or four Aces, nor can it enter a
sequence. It can however be used to make a set of Five Aces and the lucky owner can claim an
immediate victory whoever has the lead. Miss Tsoi called this "Ng Fu" ie "5 Fu" and valued it at six
"tricks"; Mr Pang valued it at 8 "tricks" and called it "Ng Fu Ha San", "Five Tigers Emerge From the
Mountain" in both the Hakka and Cantonese dialects, which we believe to be a play on the two meanings
of "Fu". Presumably a player fortunate enough to hold other winners as well as Five Aces can claim
further "tricks", but Anthony Smith failed to enquire about this point.
There are two constraints upon beginning tricks with single cards:
Firstly an Old Card can be led on its own only in three circumstances:
1. any player whose turn it is to lead may lay down any one or more Old Cards, regardless of their
suits, if this brings immediate victory or gains further tricks over and above those needed for
victory. Play then ends,
2. a Vulnerable player may play one or more Old Cards whenever he has the lead,
3. naturally, a player holding nothing but Old Cards playable only as single cards may lead one.
Secondly, a player who is starting a trick with a single card but may not lawfully play an Old Card must
use a card from the highest suit in which he holds a (non-Old) card.

For example, suppose I am not Vulnerable.

1. If I have the lead and need one "trick" for victory and hold an Old Card in Coins and only non-Old
cards in higher suits, then I may play the Old Card.
2. If I have the same holding but one "trick" will not suffice, then if I play a single card it must be
from my highest suit.
3. If on the other hand I hold only an Old Card in Tens and only non-Old cards in other suits then if I
play a single card then it must be from my next highest suit unless a single "trick" will bring me
victory
The only constraint upon the lead to multitricks is that if the Master passed he is constrained never to
lead a set of four or a sequence of four or more.
Following to a Trick or Multitrick

Play follows anticlockwise. Each player must head the trick or multitrick if possible, or else discard the
appropriate number of cards face down.
A single card can be beaten only by a higher card in the same suit. A discard can be of any suit.
A set of three or four cards of the same rank can be beaten only by a set of the same number of cards of a
higher rank. Exceptionally, if a set of three or four Aces is led to a multitrick then they can be beaten
only by the same number of Nines.
A sequence can be beaten either by a higher sequence of the same length in the same suit or by any
sequence of the same length in a higher suit.
If a player who passed plays a set of 4 or a sequence of 4 or more he can expect to be challenged as to
why he passed. If he held too good a hand to justify passing, the Pass will be considered unfair. If a
player who said "Play" after such an unfair Pass loses then he will "not have to pay his share" of the
losses. We do not fully understand the arithmetic of this, but the principle corresponds to that of
"skinning a Solo" in the game of Cego, p496 of M Dummett (1980).
Completed Tricks and Multitricks

When all three active players have played, the trick or multitrick is complete, and counts for as many
"tricks" as the number of cards each person contributed. The winner of the trick or multitrick places his
winning card or cards face-up in front of himself and the other cards are pushed aside. The losing cards
remain face-up or face-down as they were played but may be buried when later tricks or multitricks are
pushed aside. It is considered impolite to excavate in the pile for another sight of a card which is face-up
but buried.

References Cited
C T Dobree (1955): Gambling Games of Malaya, 1955
M Dummett (1980): The Game of Tarot, 1980
K Himly (1901): Part VII of Die Abteilung der Spiele im Spiegel der Mandschu-Sprache, pp1-23 of
T'oung Pao, 1901, 2nd series, vol. II
L M Iakovlev (1946): Igra v Karty u Kitaitsev, pp24-26 of Zapiski Kharbinskogo Obshchestva
Estestvoispytatelei i Etnagrofov, 1946, vol 1
W H Wilkinson (1895): Chinese Origin of Playing Cards, The American Anthropologist, 1895
J W Young (1886): Bijdrage tot de kennis der Chineesche hazard- en kaartspelen, pp269-302, Tijdschrift
voor indische taal-, land- en volkenkunde, XXXI, 1886
Other Luk Fu WWW pages

The Hak Ga Pai page by Dylan W.H.S also has rules and information about Luk Fu.

Last updated 3rd January 2000

Rules of Card Games: Loba
Loba
This page is based on a contribution by Eduardo Valcarcel
Loba is a version of Rummy played in Latin America. In fact the name Loba seems to be used for more
than one Rummy variation. This page describes the game Loba as played in Argentina. In Central
America, Loba is a different game, a kind of Contract Rummy, similar to the game known in Argentina
as Carioca.
Players and Cards

Loba can be played by from 2 to 5 players, using two ordinary 52 card decks plus 4 jokers, making 108
cards in all.
The Deal
The deal and play are clockwise, as in bridge. Each player is dealt nine cards.
Object of the Game

The players' aim is to get rid of all the cards from their hands, by forming them into combinations which
can be put face up on the table. The allowable combinations are:
Piernas
A pierna consists of three cards of the same rank from different suits - for example 4, 4, 4.
A pierna can contain additional cards of the same rank in the same three suits, but not of the fourth
suit. So for example 4- 4- 4- 4- 4 is a valid pierna, but a 4 cannot be added to it.
Escaleras
An escalera consists of four or more cards of the same suit in sequence - such as 4- 5- 6-
7. The ace can be counted high or low, at the player's choice - so 10- J- Q- K- A and
A- 2- 3- 4 are both valid escaleras. Ace cannot be both high and low at once, so K-
A- 2- 3 is not valid.
A player's turn consists of three parts:
1. Drawing a card: a player must draw either the top card on the discard pile or the top card on the
draw pile;
2. Putting down cards: this is optional, and is described below;
3. Discarding one card from his hand to the discard pile.
It is only possible to draw a card from the discard pile if that card is used as part of a new pierna or
escalera which the player puts down in that turn; you cannot take the discard and keep it in your hand,
nor can you take the discard to add it to an existing pierna or escalera.
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Rules of Card Games: Loba
Jokers
Jokers may only be put down in escaleras, not in piernas. Not more than two Jokers can be included in
one escalera.
Jokers cannot normally be discarded. The only exception is when you have put down all your other cards
in combinations. When it is time to discard and the only card left in your hand is a joker, you are allowed
to discard it, thus ending the game. Thus, drawing a Joker from the stock, especially towards the end of
the round, may be a serious inconvenience if no escaleras have been put down or if they already contain
two Jokers.
When adding to an escalera, you are allowed to move a Joker from one end of the escalera to the other
end. For example, if an escalera is made up of the 8-9-10-Joker, you may add the J to one end and move
the Joker to represent a 7 or a Q. When the Joker is in the middle of an escalera (as in 8-Joker-10-J) its
position may not be changed, so if 8-Joker-10-J is on the table, you are not allowed to add a 9 to it.
Scoring
The play ends when one player gets rid of all their cards. This player normally scores nothing, and each
of the other players scores penalty points for the cards remaining in their hands.
Each numeral card is worth its face value in points. The Jokers, Kings, Queens, Jacks and Aces are
valued at 10 points. Each player adds up the point values of the cards they have left, and then adds this
total value to their previous cumulative score.
If you win a round by putting down all of your cards at the same time (forming your own piernas or
escaleras or adding to those of other players), without having previously put down any cards in that
round, your cumulative score is reduced by 10 points.
When the score of an individual player reaches 101 points or more, that player is out of the game, but he
can be reincorporated ("reengancharse") with the score of the player with the highest number of points at
that moment. For each "reenganche" he must pay a predetermined amount. Each player is allowed a
maximum of two "reenganches". After that, if the player goes over 100 again, they are eliminated and the
game continues with the other players.
The game ends when all players except one have been eliminated from the game. The last remaining
player is the winner.
The game also ends if at the end of a round, all players except one have a cumulative score of more than
100. In that circumstance the player who has 100 or less is the winner; the other players have no
opportunity for "reenganche" in this case.

Last updated 27th February, 1997
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Rules of Card Games: Loo
Loo
This is a game of the Rams group which was popular in England from the 17th to the 19th century. It is
played by 3 to 8 players, using a 52 card pack. There are versions in which three or five cards are dealt.
In either case players have the opportunity to stay in or drop out. Anyone who stays in takes a
proportionate share of the pot for each trick they take, but has to pay in an amount equal to the whole pot
if they fail to take any tricks. In some versions players who decide to play have the chance to discard
some of their cards and have their hand replenished from the undealt stock.
Rules for a somewhat non-standard version of Three Card Loo can be found on Stephen Osborne's Loo
page.

http://www.pagat.com/rams/loo.html [04/05/2001 9:53:05]

Rules of Card Games: Zhao Pengyou
Zhao Pengyou
Looking for Friends

This description is based on information from Jin Li.
Introduction

The Deal, the Scores and Making Trumps
Discarding and Choosing Partners
The Play
Single Card Lead
Leading a Set of Identical Cards
Leading a Sequence of Sets
Leading a Group of Top Cards
The Scoring
Introduction
Looking for Friends is a Chinese trick taking game for 6 to 12 or more players. It is an expanded
version of the well known four player game of Hundred (Da Bai Fen). Looking for Friends is played with
multiple packs and has several extra features: at any time there are two teams but the partnerships are
variable and unknown at the start of the play (hence the name of the game), and there are extra
opportunities to play several cards at once to a trick.
You might expect that such a large game would be slow and unwieldy, but in fact this is not so. It is one
of the most successful games for 6 or more people, and is almost the only trick-taking game of this size
that works well.
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Looking for Friends is played with two or more identical standard packs shuffled together. 6 or 7 players
use two packs, from 8 to 11 players use 3 packs, and 12 or more players use 4 packs. Sufficient red and
black jokers are included so that all the cards can be distributed equally to the players, with a kitty of six
cards left over.
The specific requirements are as follows:
Players 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Packs 2 2 3 3 3 3 4
Red jokers 2 0 2 3 0 2 2
Black jokers 2 0 0 0 0 2 0
Cards per player 17 14 19 17 15 14 17
Total cards 108 104 158 159 156 160 210
In each hand, all the cards of a particular suit and a particular rank are trumps (for example all hearts and
all twos); the jokers, if in use, are trumps as well. The highest trumps are the red jokers (if any), then the
black jokers (if any), then the cards which belong to both the trump rank and the trump suit, then the
other cards of the trump rank (all ranking equally), and finally the other cards of the trump suit, ranking
in the normal order: ace, king, queen, jack, ten, ... down to two.
The cards of the other suits rank in the normal way from ace high down to two (low), leaving out the
cards of the trump rank.
When different players play equal ranking cards to the same trick, the general rule is that the first played
wins. This rule applies to identical cards, and also among the equal cards of the trump rank (i.e. those
which do not belong to the trump suit as well).
Example: suppose that eights and diamonds are trumps. Then the ranking of the trump suit
from high to low is: red joker, black joker, 8, [ 8, 8, 8 - all equal], A, K,
Q, J, 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The rank of the other three suits, from
high to low, is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Looking for Friends is a point trick game - the aim is for the players on your team to win tricks
containing valuable cards. As is usual in Chinese games, the values of the cards are:
Each king: 10 points
Each ten: 10 points
Each five: 5 points
All other cards: No value

Thus the total number of card points is 200, 300 or 400 depending on the number of packs used.
The Deal, the Scores and Making Trumps

The deal and play of Looking for Friends are anticlockwise, and the dealing is done in the usual Chinese
way. There is no dealer. The pack is placed face down in the centre of the table and each player in turn
takes one card from the top of the pack and adds it to their hand without showing it to the other players.
The taking of cards continues around the table until everyone has their full number of cards (as specified
in the table above), and there are six face-down cards remaining in the centre of the table.
Trumps are made during the deal, but before explaining how this is done, it is necessary to say a little
about the scoring. At any time, each player has a score which is the rank of a card from two (low) up to
ace (high). In addition, each player is either active or passive. At the start of a new game, everyone's
score begins as active two.
Only active players can make trumps. This is done by an active player placing face-up on the table a
card from their hand whose rank is equal to their own current score. This can be done at any time during
the deal by an active player who has a card matching their score, but can only be done once. As soon as a
player exposes a card, its rank and suit become trumps and no other cards can be exposed in that deal.
Note that you are not obliged to expose a card just because you can. You might occasionally wish to
avoid exposing a card if you were very weak in that suit and did not want to make it trumps.
Although there is no actual dealer, someone has to begin by taking the first card, and there is a slight
advantage in this, as the starter has the best chance of choosing trumps.
At the beginning of a new game, the starter for the first deal is chosen at random: before the deal
each player draws a card, and whoever gets the highest card will take the first card in the deal
(after the drawn cards have been shuffled back into the pack).
For subsequent deals, the starter is the player who exposed a trump in the previous deal, provided
that that player is still active. If that player has become passive, the deal is started by the next
player in anticlockwise order who is active.
Before the deal, the starter shuffles the cards and the player to the starter's left cuts the pack.
It is rare, but it can happen that no one exposes a card during the deal. If the last six cards are reached
without anyone having made trumps, all the cards are shuffled together and there is a new deal, started by
the same player as before. For the new deal all the players become active, but their scores remain on the
same ranks (so for example a player who was passive seven becomes active seven).
Discarding and Choosing Partners

Six face down cards remain at the end of the deal. The player who made trumps picks up these cards
without showing them to the other players and discards any six cards face down. These discarded cards
are kept face down in front of the trump maker until the end of the play. Any valuable cards among them
will then be given to the team that wins the last trick and will count double.

The trump maker now names cards which will eventually determine who plays for which team. The
potential size of the teams and the number of cards called are as follows:
Players 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Maximum size of trump maker's team 3 3 4 4 5 5 6
Minimum size of defending team 3 4 4 5 5 6 6
Number of cards called by trump maker 2 2 3 3 4 4 5
The trump maker must call the number of cards indicated in the last row of the above table. The holders
of the called cards will join the trump maker's team, and the other players will form the opposing team.
The called cards must not be trumps; apart from this the trump maker is free to call any cards.
As there is more than one of each card in play, the trump maker must also specify which copy of the
relevant card is being called. This is done by saying "first" or "second" or "third" etc., up to the number
of packs being used. The partner will be whoever plays the first, second, third, etc. copy of that card
which appears during the play of the hand.
Example: There are eight players and fives and spades are trumps. The trump maker might
call the first ace of clubs, the first king of clubs and the third ace of diamonds. In that case
the first player to play an ace of clubs, the first to play a king of clubs, and the third player to
play an ace of diamonds will belong to the trump maker's team.
The holders of the called cards must not reveal in any way who they are, except through the play of the
cards. At the beginning of the play no one knows who is in which partnership. Not even the holders of
the called cards themselves can be sure of this, as they do not necessarily know whether they will
manage to play their called card before or after the other copies of the same card.
Although the trump maker must always call the specified number of cards, it can happen that two of the
called cards are played by the same person, or that one of the called cards is played by the trump maker.
In this case the trump maker's team will be smaller than usual and the defenders' team will be larger.
Examples:
In a seven player game, the trump maker calls the first and second aces of hearts. If
one player turns out to hold both heart aces the trump maker only will have only this
one partner.
In a six player game, the trump maker calls the first ace of spades and the first ace of
clubs. The trump maker leads a spade which player A wins with the ace, becoming
the first partner. The two aces of clubs are held by players A and B. Player B, having
a lot of clubs, deliberately keeps back the ace and plays small ones, driving out A's
ace first. Player A is now the trump maker's only partner.

The Play
Play is anticlockwise. The trump maker leads to the first trick, and thereafter the winner of each trick
leads to the next. When the called cards are played, they are left face up in front of the people who
played them, so that it is easy to see which players are on the trump maker's team (the trump maker is
identified by having the six face-down discards).
When a player who is or may be a member of the opposing team takes a trick, any valuable cards which
are in it (kings, tens and fives) are kept face up in front of the winner of the trick. In this way it is easy to
keep count of whether the defenders have enough points to defeat the trump making side, and also to see
which players you would prefer to have as friends.
All the remaining cards - that is, all the cards in the tricks won by the trump maker's team and all the
worthless cards won by the other team - are thrown into a single face-down pile (well away from the
trump maker's six discards). When a person who has previously won valuable cards plays one of the
called cards and becomes a partner of the trump maker, the valuable cards are added to the face down
heap, and the called card is placed in front of that person instead.
The actual rules of following suit and winning tricks are similar to the normal rules of trick taking, but
with some extensions involving multiple tricks in which each player plays a group of cards rather than
just one.
The player whose turn it is to lead can choose between four types of lead (subject to having the requisite
cards), as follows:
1. Any single card can be led.
2. Any set of two or more identical cards can be led together.
3. A sequence of equal sized, consecutive sets of identical cards can be led.
4. A collection of top cards in a suit can, in certain circumstances, be led.
Each of the other players in turn contributes the same number of cards to the trick. The rules as to which
cards can be played and who wins the trick are given below for each type of lead.
Single Card Lead

Any single card can be led. The other players in turn must each play a single card, if possible of the suit
which was led. A player who has no card of the suit led may play any card. For this purpose all the cards
of the trump number and suit and the jokers count as belonging to a single suit.
Example: If queens and diamonds are trumps, and a trump is led (for example the Q),
each of the other players must play a diamond, a queen or a joker; only if they have no
trumps at all can they discard some other card - a spade, club or heart other than the queen.
If the 7 is led the other players must if possible play a spade, but not the queen as she is
not a spade but a trump; if they have no spades (except possibly the queen) they can trump
with any trump or discard any other card.
If any trumps are played to the trick, it is won by the highest trump played. If no one plays a trump it is

won by the highest card played of the suit led. Between equal cards, the first played beats the others.
Example: Queens and diamonds are trumps and the seven cards played to the trick are in
order: 8, Q, 10, Q, Q, K, A. The trick is won by the Q, which beats the
two queens of clubs as it was played earlier. A queen of diamonds from any player would
have won the trick, as it belongs to both the rank and suit of trumps and thus beats the other
queens.
Leading a Set of Identical Cards

A player can lead two or more identical cards as a set. Note that it is not sufficient for the cards just to be
equal in rank: if nines and clubs are trumps you can lead 9- 9 but not 9- 9.
The other players must each contribute the same number of cards to the trick, and as far as possible they
must play cards of the suit led, again counting all the trumps as belonging to one suit. Moreover, if a pair
of identical cards was led, the other players must if possible play a pair of identical cards of the same
suit. Similarly when three or four identical cards are led, any other player who has a set (respectively) of
three or four identical cards of that suit must play it.
A player who cannot follow with identical cards of the suit led must still play cards of the suit led as far
as possible. A player who does not have enough of these must play any that they do have, and make up
the number of cards required with any other cards they choose.
When identical cards are led the trick can only by won by a set of identical cards. The winner will be
whoever plays the highest such set of the suit that was led, unless someone has no cards at all of the suit
led and trumps with a set of identical trumps, in which case the trick is won by the highest set of identical
trumps played.
If equal sets of identical cards are played by different players (such as two nines of spades and two nines
of diamonds when nines and clubs are trumps), then the earliest played beats the others.
Example: nines and clubs are trump and a pair of jacks of hearts is led.
If you hold A, K, 10, 6 you may play any two hearts, but you will not win
the trick as you do not have a pair.
If you hold A, 10, 10, 6 you must play your two tens. As the tens are worth
points you might wish you could throw the ace and six, but this is not allowed.
If you hold K, K, 10, 10 you can beat the lead with your kings or play
under it with your tens if you prefer.
If you hold 8, 8, 8, 6, 5 you must play two of your eights, even though
you might wish you could keep the set of three intact to lead as a triple later.
If your only cards are A, Q, Q, 7, 7 you can play any two cards you
choose, as you have no hearts. You are not forced to play a pair in this situation. If
you choose to, you can beat the lead by trumping with your two sevens of clubs.
If your only cards are 10, K, 7, 7 you cannot trump with your sevens as
you are obliged to follow suit with the king of hearts. As your second card you must
throw away the spade or one of your trumps, but either way you cannot win the trick.

If your only cards are 9, 9, 9, K you may play any two cards - you have no
hearts as the 9 is a trump. Whatever you throw you cannot win the trick (two of
your nines are equal in rank but not identical).
Leading a Sequence of Sets

If you are fortunate enough to hold two or more sets of identical cards of adjacent rank in the same suit,
you can lead them together as a sequence of sets. The sets in the sequence must be equal in size. Jokers
and cards of the trump rank cannot be included in a sequence of sets.
Examples: Fives and hearts are trumps.
The following leads are valid:
8- 8- 7- 7
K- K- K- Q- Q- Q
Q- Q- J- J- 10- 10
6- 6- 4- 4 (six and four are adjacent because fives are trump)
The following leads are not valid:
8- 8- 7- 7 - sets must be the same suit
9- 9- 7- 7 - sets must be adjacent in rank
9- 9- 9- 8- 8 - sets must be the same size
6- 6- 5- 5 - not adjacent, as fives are trump, and in any case cards of the
trump rank cannot be used
5- 5- A- A - cards of the trump rank cannot be used in sequences
When a sequence of sets is led, the other players must play the same number of cards, and must play
cards of the suit led as far as possible. Moreover, as far as possible they must follow suit with sets of the
same size as the sets in the sequence that was led. Players are not obliged to follow with sequences of
sets, even if they have them; any sets of the right size will do. However, the lead can only be beaten by a
higher sequence of sets of the same size and length in the same suit or a sequence of sets of the same size
and length in trumps.
A player who does not have sufficient sets of cards of the suit led can play any cards of the suit led. A
player who runs out of cards of the suit led is free to play any cards - there is no obligation to play sets in
this case.
The trick is won by the highest sequence of sets in trumps which is the same shape as the lead, or if no
one plays such a sequence, by the highest sequence of sets in the suit led which is the same shape as the
lead. Most often no one will be able to beat the lead and the led cards will win the trick.
Examples: Fives and hearts are trumps, and the lead is Q- Q- J- J
If your spades are A, Q, 10, 10, 7, 6 you must play the two tens and any other two
spades (probably you will want to play the seven and six). You must play your pair of
tens because pairs were led.

If your spades are A, A, 10, 10, 9, 9 you can play any two of your pairs - for example
if you are an enemy of the leader you probably want to play the aces and nines. There
is no obligation to play your sequence.
If your spades are A, A, A, A, 6, 4 (in a twelve player game) you must play all your
spade aces (as two pairs), but they do not beat the lead as they are not in sequence.
If your spades are K, K, Q, Q, 8, 7, 7 (in a twelve player game) you may play any
two of your three pairs, and if you play K-K-Q-Q this will beat the lead.
If you hold A, A, 5, K, K you must play your two aces and any two of
your three trumps; you cannot win the trick as you are not playing a sequence.
If you hold 2, 6, 6, 4, 4 you must follow suit with your spade and play
any three trumps; this will not win the trick.
If you hold 6, 6, 4, 4 and no spades you can trump with your sixes and
fours, beating the lead because these are a sequence (five is the trump rank).
If the lead was Q-Q-J-J-10-10 of spades and your spades were A, A, A, K, K, K, 4, 4 you
must play two aces, two kings and two fours, which does not beat the lead. You cannot play
your two triples, as when pairs are led you must follow with pairs. If your only spades were
A, A, A, K, K, K you would have to play them, and they still would not beat the lead, as
they would count as a pair of aces, a pair of kings and two odd cards.
Leading a Group of Top Cards

If you possess a collection of cards which are the highest outstanding cards of their suit, all the equal or
higher cards having already been played, you can lead them all together, provided that your lead contains
the same number of cards of each rank.
Examples: Threes and spades are trumps.
A- Q is a valid lead if all the other aces, kings and queens of clubs have been
played.
K- K- Q- Q- 10- 10 is a valid lead if all the other diamonds from 10
upwards have already been played.
A- K- K is not a valid lead in any circumstances. You can never lead a
mixture of single cards and pairs (nor any mixture of sets of different sizes).
When top cards are led, the other players must follow with cards of the same suit as far as possible.
Moreover, if the top cards are in sets (pairs, triples, etc.) the other players must follow suit with sets of
the same size as far as possible. A player who does not have sufficient cards of the suit led can play any
cards.
The leader will win the trick unless some other player, having no cards at all of the suit led, plays an
equal number of trumps. If the lead is of single cards, any collection of an equal number of trumps will
beat it, and if several players trump in this way, the one of them who played the highest single trump
wins (or the first to play if there is a tie for highest trump).
If the lead is of top pairs, it can only be beaten by trumping it with an equal number of identical pairs of

trumps, and if several players manage this, the one of them who plays the highest trump pair will win.
Similarly a lead of triples can only be successfully trumped by triples, and so on.
If a lead of top cards happens also to be a sequence of sets, it counts as such, and can only be trumped by
a sequence of sets of trumps.
Examples: Threes and spades are trumps.
Player A leads A- K- Q as top cards; player B, having no diamonds, trumps
with K- Q- J, and player C, also having no diamonds, plays 3- 4- 4.
Player C wins because the 3 beats the K. The fact that B's cards are in sequence
has no meaning, as there is no such thing a s a sequence of single cards, only
sequences of sets. C's fours just count as two separate fours since single cards were
led - the ban on mixed plays applies only to the lead.
Player A leads A- A- K- K- J- J in a six player game, both queens of
diamonds having gone. Player B, having no diamonds, trumps with 9- 9- 8-
8- 7- 7 and player C, also having no diamonds, trumps with 10- 10- 6-
6- 4- 4. Player C wins the trick, because the tens beat the nines. The fact that
B's pairs of trumps are in sequence has no effect here, because the led cards were not
in sequence.
The Scoring
At the end of the play, the defending team count the card points they have won in tricks, which is easy
because the relevant cards are lying face up in front of them. In addition, if they won the last trick, the six
cards discarded by the trump maker are exposed and the value of any discarded kings tens or fives is
doubled and added to the total of defenders' points.
The defenders win if their card point total is at least 40 times the number of packs of cards being used;
otherwise the trump makers win. Normally just one game point is won, but it is possible to win more
than one point in the following ways:
1. If the defenders' card point total is at least 80 times the number of packs in play, they get two game
points.
2. If the defenders' card point total is at least 100 times the number of packs in play, they win three
game points (although the basic value of the cards in each pack is only 100 points, it is sometimes
possible to take more than 100 per pack because the points in the trump maker's discard are
doubled).
3. If the trump makers win with fewer than the maximum number of players in their team, they get an
extra game point for each player below the maximum.
4. If the defenders take no card points at all, the trump makers score two game points, and if they do
not have the maximum sized team they score an additional two game points for each team member
short of the maximum.
The possibilities are set out in full in the tables below.
Players on the winning side who are already active remain active and their score increases by the

number of points won.

Players on the winning side who were passive become active. The first point won simply turns
them from passive to active without changing their score; any further points are added to their
score.
All players on the losing side become passive, and their scores do not change.
Example of scoring:
A B C D E F
Start of game: active 2 active 2 active 2 active 2 active 2 active 2
B, D and E win 1 point: passive 2 active 3 passive 2 active 3 active 3 passive 2
A, B and C win 1 point: active 2 active 4 active 2 passive 3 passive 3 passive 2
C, D and F win 2 points: passive 2 passive 4 active 4 active 4 passive 3 active 3
... and so on.
The possible scores are the same as the ranks of the cards. After 10 comes jack, queen, king, ace: for
example if a player on "active 10" wins a point, their score becomes "active jack". Ace is the highest
possible score and when a player reaches or passes this score the game ends.
It can take quite a long time to arrive at ace, so for a shorter game you might agree in advance to play to
a lower target, such as seven.
The following tables set out all the possible results of a hand:
6 or 7 players: 2 packs
Defenders' card
zero 5 to 75 80 to 155 160 to 195 200 or more
points:
trump trump
Trump maker
makers win makers win
has two friends:
2 1
trump trump
Trump maker defenders win 1 defenders win 2 defenders win 3
has one friend:
4 2
trump trump
Trump maker
maker wins maker wins
plays alone:
6 3
Defenders' card
points:

trump trump
Trump maker
has three friends:
2 1
trump trump
Trump maker
has two friends:
4 2
defenders win 1 defenders win 2 defenders win 3
trump trump
Trump maker
has one friend:
6 3
trump trump
Trump maker
plays alone:
8 4
Defenders' card
points:
trump trump
Trump maker
has four friends:
2 1
trump trump
Trump maker
has three friends:
4 2
trump trump
Trump maker defenders win 1 defenders win 2 defenders win 3
has two friends:
6 3
trump trump
Trump maker
has one friend:
8 4
trump trump
Trump maker
plays alone:
10 5
12 players: 4 packs
Defenders' card
points:

trump trump
Trump maker
has five friends:
2 1
trump trump
Trump maker
has four friends:
4 2
trump trump
Trump maker
has three friends:
6 3
defenders win 1 defenders win 2 defenders win 3
trump trump
Trump maker
has two friends:
8 4
trump trump
Trump maker
has one friend:
10 5
trump trump
Trump maker
plays alone:
12 6


Rules of Card Games: Madrasso
Madrasso
This page is based on a description by Paolo Valentini, made for the 1997 convention of the International Playing-Card
Society, translated and revised by John McLeod.
Introduction
Players and cards
The deal
The play
Scoring and winning the game
Tactics
Example deals
Introduction
Madrasso, also known as Mandrasso or Magrasso, is perhaps the most popular and widespread card game in Venice and the
surrounding region, where it has over the last 50 years practically replaced the older game Scarabocion. In the ranking and
values of cards and the presence of a trump suit it is related to Briscola, but because the necessity to follow suit (as in
Tressette) Madrasso offers greater scope for sophisticated card play technique.
Players and Cards

There are four players, two against two in fixed partnerships, partners facing each other. A 40 card Italian pack is used - for
authenticity it should be the Venetian pattern, also known as Trevigiane, which looks like this:
asso tre re cavallo fante
7 6 5 4 2
(ace) (3) (king) (horse) (jack)
11 points 10 points 4 points 3 points 2 points - - - - - - - - - - - 0 points - - - - - - - - - - -
ori
denari
(coins)
spade
(swords)
http://www.pagat.com/aceten/madrasso.html (1 de 5) [04/05/2001 9:53:19]

bastoni
(batons)
coppe
(cups)
Card illustrations by permission of Modiano
To identify the cards while playing, it may help to notice that on the numeral cards, the swords are mostly curved whereas the
batons are all straight. The kings all have crowns, distinguishing them from the jacks. The aces of swords and batons can be
confusing at first - one way to tell them apart is to notice that the ace of swords has two chickens on it, while the ace of batons
has only one.
The object of the game is to win tricks containing valuable cards, and to win the last trick. The ranking of the cards in tricks
corresponds to their scoring value. As in Briscola, the highest ranking card is the Ace (worth 11 points), followed by the Three
(10 points), King (Re) (4 points), Horse (Cavallo) (3 points), Jack (Fante) (2 points), and continuing with the 7, 6, 5, 4 and 2
(all worth 0 points). There is a total of 30 points in each suit and 120 points in the pack. The aces and threes are called carichi,
the picture cards are called punti and the valueless pip cards are called scartine or lisci.
The Deal
The dealer is chosen at random for the first hand; in subsequent hands the turn to deal passes to the right. The deal is
anticlockwise; 10 cards are dealt to each player in the following way. First a packet of three cards is dealt face down to each
player, then a packet of 2 cards each. The next card (the 21st) is placed face up in front of the dealer, and it determines the
trump suit (called trionfi in Venice). Then another batch of three cards is dealt face down to the other players and two cards
face down to the dealer, and finally another two cards are dealt face down to each player. All the players now have 10 cards, all
face down except for the dealer's trump card, which is face up. The players pick up their concealed cards, but the dealer's face
up card remains on the table until it is played to a trick.
The holder of the 7 of trumps is allowed to subsitute it for the face up card (naturally this is only done if the face up card is
higher than a seven). This can only be done during the first trick, immediately before the holder of the trump seven plays to the
trick.
The Play
The player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no
trumps by the highest card of the suit that was led. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
Suit must be followed - in each trick the other players must play cards of the same suit as the card led to the trick if they can.
There is no compulsion to beat the previous cards played to the trick. A player who has no card of the suit led is free to play
any card - either a trump or a card of another suit.
The winners of the last trick earn a bonus of 10 points.

In contrast to Briscola and Tressette, no physical signals or conversation of any kind are permitted.
If a player who breaks the rules by failing to follow suit when holding a card of the suit led is said to "fa cassone". The play
ceases and the opposing side score 130 points. (See note)
Scoring and winning the game

A game of Madrasso consists of at least 10 deals - the individual deals are called in Venice "battute". At the end of the play of
each deal, each team counts up the points in the tricks they have won, and the winners of the last trick add 10. The points won
by the two teams always add up to 130, so it is only necessary for one team to write down what they have scored. Normally no
running total is kept - one team simply writes their scores for each deal in a column.
If after 10 deals one team has a scored a total of 777 points or more, that team wins. The score of the team that has not been
keeping score is calculated by subtracting the scoring team's total from 1300. Since the total points available in 10 deals is
1300 it is impossible for both to have as many as 777. If at the end of 10 deals neither team has reached 777, further deals are
played until one team reaches 777 or until someone "si chiama fuori" (declares that they are out).
A declaration of having reached 777 can only be made by a player who has just won a trick. Play immediately ceases and the
points won in tricks so far taken by the team are counted. If the team which declared has 777 or more points they win; if they
do not, the other team wins. If at the end of a deal it turns out that both teams have more than 777 although no one has
declared, the team with the higher total wins.
It is also possible to win by taking all 10 tricks in one deal (this is called cappotto). A team which manages this wins the entire
game immediately. It is not sufficient to win all 130 points - even if the other team just win one trick containing four worthless
cards, that is enough to prevent the cappotto. It is because of the possibility of cappotto that you are not allowed to declare
until 10 hands have been played. Even if after 8 or 9 deals you already have over 777 points, it would be possible for the other
side to win by making cappotto on one of the remaining deals.
Tactics
The technique of playing Madrasso is quite complex and somewhat reminiscent of Bridge. It is essential to remember the
course of the game and which cards have already been played in order to be able to reconstruct the likely distribution of the
remaining cards. Luck plays a relatively small part in this game.
If the carichi and trumps are equally distributed, the strategy centres around trying to win the last trick, with its 10 point bonus.
Another strategic focus of every hand is the play of the trumps: it is necessary to judge correctly when it is right to draw
trumps, and when it is better to save them for trumping other suits.
In contrast to Bridge, where the players have information from the bidding and the cards visible in the dummy, the Madrasso
player's tactics must be based solely on his own cards and the development of the play.
Card Play Technique and Choice of Leads

There are three ways of winning tricks:
1. by playing high cards or by finessing (the Venetian word for finesse is passera);
2. by establishing long suits;
3. by trumping suits in which one is void.
In the examples the following abbreviations are used:
suits ranks
C = coppe (cups) A = asso (ace)
O = ori or denari (coins) 3 = tre (three)
B = bastoni (batons) R = re (king)
S = spade (swords) C = cavallo (horse)
F = fante (jack)

x = any scartina
Here are some examples of the choice of lead by the first player. In these examples batons (B) are trumps.
1. O: Axx S: Rx B: CFx C: xx Lead OA, and then Ox.
2. O: xxx S: F B: RFx C: Cxx Lead SF (a so-called furlana)
3. O: 3x S: AFx B: ARxx C: x Lead BA, and then BR
4. O: A3x S: 3Cx B: Rx C: Cx Lead OA, and then O3
5. O: Rx S: Axxx B: xx C: Fx Lead SA, and then Sx
6. O: xx S: CFx B: xx C: 3Rx Lead CR; if it wins follow with SF or SC
7. O: C S: Fx B: xxxx C: 3Cx Lead OC
Lead BA, then B3, then BC, watching for partner's scarto di rifiuto
8. O: Rxx S: 3x B: A3Cx C: ARC
(discouraging discard)
Here are some general principles applying to the lead and subsequent play:
If an ace is led to the first trick the leader probably has Axxx or Axx. Partner with 3xx should in principle play the 3 as
the second round of the suit will probably be trumped. With 3x partner can play low in the hope of winning the second
trick with the 3.
If the first player begins by drawing trumps and then leads an ace, partner with 3Cx or 3x should never drop the 3 on the
ace, but play the low card encouraging partner to continue the suit so that the second round can be won with the 3.
Scarto di Chiamata (encouraging discard) - discarding pip cards of a suit in ascending order 2-4-5-6-7 encourages
partner to lead the suit discarded.
Scarto di Rifiuta (discouraging discard) - discarding beginning with a picture (C or F) or a 7 and continuing downwards
6-5-4-2 warns partner that this is a weak suit.
If you don't have a strong hand (few carichi and pictures) and your distribution is 3-3-3-1 or 4-3-2-1, you should lead
your singleton, even if it is a picture, making a chicane (void) and preparing to trump the next lead of that suit with a
small trump. A singleton lead like this is called "alla furlana".
With a strong hand (carichi, pictures and trumps) draw trumps at once, starting with the ace if you have it. Otherwise,
holding for example 3Cxx you should start with the cavallo hoping partner has the ace. Partner leads back trumps and
you play the 3, hoping for an even trump distribution, in which case your two low trumps will be established. If this
works you can continue with a low trump, so that your partner can show a weak suit by means of a scarto di rifiuta
(normally throwing a C, F or 7). If you have two or three losers, you continue with your last trump and your partner can
either make a scarto di rifiuta in another suit showing that the unplayed suit is strongest, or continue the first scarto di
rifiuta, throwing a 6, 5, 4 or 2 to show two strong suits. Now you continue by playing your remaining winning cards, to
establish tricks in your partner's hand. Finally you lead partner's indicated strong suit, hoping that partner can win the
remaining tricks and make cappotto. If partner indicated only one strong suit you must begin with your highest card of
that suit, for example leading the 3 from 3x, so that the suit will not be blocked.
With an average hand containing a chicane (void), an ace, and some low trumps, lead the ace followed by a low card of
the same suit. This way you lose the lead and hope to trump with one of your small trumps when your void suit is led.
From a combination like 3Rx or 3Cx lead the R or C.
When playing second or third to a trick holding A3 or at most A3x, play the 3 to indicate to your partner that you also
have the ace. From A3xx play the ace, as the second round of the suit will probably be trumped.
If a low card of a suit is led and you are third or fourth to play holding AC or Ax, finesse against the 3, playing your
picture or small card, unless you are close to 777 and playing the ace gives you enough to declare.
If a suit is led of which you hold 3x, second in hand you should play low. If you play third to the trick, you can play the
3, hoping that the second player and not the fourth has the ace.
If a suit is led in which you hold 3R, you should always play the R, unless winning with the king would give you enough
to declare.

Example deals
In these examples, coins are trumps.
1. O: R
S: Cxx
B: Fxx
C: xxx
O: A3Cx O: xx
N
S: 3x W E S: RFx
B: R S B: A3x
C: ARC C: Fx
O: Fxx
S: Ax
B: Cxx
C: 3x
West leads the OA and continues with the O3 and OC. On the third trick East discards the CF to show weakness in cups. West
now leads the BR to east's BA hoping that east, after cashing the B3, will lead a cup allowing West to finesse against the 3. In
fact the finesse does not work, as the C3 is held by South. The aim of this strategy is to make a cappotto if it is possible;
however with these E-W cards, even if North has the C3, a trick will eventually be lost to the SA.
2. O: CF
S: Rxxx
B: CF
C: 3x
O: A3x O: xx
N
S: 3x W E S: Ax
B: 3x S B: Axxx
C: ARC C: Fx
O: Rxx
S: CF
B: Rx
C: xxx
West again begins with the A and 3 of trumps. It is clear that cappotto is impossible because South has three trumps to the
king. It would be unwise for West to lead from either of his 3x suits (not knowing that partner has the aces), and West hopes to
take a finesse in cups later. Therefore West exits by leading his small trump and East makes a discouraging discard of the fante
of cups. South wins with the OR and whatever South returns, East-West win all the remaining tricks.
Note
Dossena, Izzo and Fantini-Santelia report a different penalty for not following suit: that 130 points are subtracted from
the offending team's score. This does not correspond to Venetian tradition by which, even in tournaments, 130 points are
added to the score of the non-offending side. The Venetian method has the advantage that the total points won by the
two sides after 10 deals always add up to 1300.


Rules of Card Games: Mao
Mao
Card games belonging to the Eights group have been popular with college students for the last 25 years
or more. Part of their attraction is the ease with which increasingly elaborate rules can be added; success
in these games depends largely on the ability to remember the rules and act on them correctly within a
limited time.
Mao is a recent addition to the group, which is especially popular in the USA. The main feature of Mao
which distinguishes it from many of its predecessors is that there is a rule against explaining or asking
about the rules. New players are expected to join a game and deduce the rules of play by observation,
trial and error.
This ban on explaining the rules makes it rather awkward to produce a useful web page about Mao
without violating its key principle, but that has not stopped several people from trying.
Ka Wai Tam's Mao page uses an interesting approach. You are given a description of a sample
game, and from this you have to deduce the rules for yourself - as in real life.
Glen Overby's page Mao: A Sample Game adopts a similar method to demonstrate the "Motor
City Variant".
Here are some other Mao pages which may help to give you a flavour of the game:
The Mao Home Page (Lou Bajuk's page)
Cambridge Mao (Luke Pebody's page)

Ultimate Mao (Nicholas Cheung's page)
Game TV offers an on-line Mao game.
From the name, it seems likely that the direct ancestor of Mao is the German game Mau-Mau, which
works on somewhat similar principles. Another theory links it to the following passage from Arthur
Machen's short story The White People, in which a young girl recording her bizarre experiences with
witchcraft:
"I must not write down the real names of the days and months which I found out a year ago,
nor the way to make the Aklo letters, or the Chian language, or the great beautiful Circles,
nor the Mao Games, nor the chief songs."
This story was apparently written in 1899, which must be several decades before the card game Mao was
invented. However it is conceivable that whoever named the card game had read and was influenced by
the story.

http://www.pagat.com/eights/mao.html [04/05/2001 9:53:20]

Rules of Card Games: Mah Jong
Mah Jong
Mah Jong is a game of Chinese origin, which is usually played with tiles, though it can also be played
with cards of equivalent design.
Sets traditionally consist of 144 cards or tiles as follows:
Three suits with tiles numbered 1 to 9. The usual English names for the suits are circles, bamboos
and characters. There are four identical copies of each suit tile - 108 suit tiles in all.
The four directions or "winds" (east, north, west, south) - four copies of each (16 tiles)
Three colours or "dragons" (red, green, white) - again four copies of each, so 12 tiles.
Bonus tiles: four different "flower" tiles and four different "season" tiles - so 8 bonus tiles in all,
though some sets may have more.
In the traditional game, 13 tiles are dealt to each player, and the object is, by a draw and discard
mechanism, to form a winning hand of 14 tiles. This normally consists of four sets of three and a pair. A
set of three can be three identical tiles or three tiles of the same suit in numerical sequence. Depending on
the variation played, the game can also be won with various special hands containing other combinations
of tiles. There are numerous extra bonuses for feats such as winning with a single suit, or all winds and
dragons.
There are several versions of the rules. Mah Jong is played differently in China, Taiwan and Japan, and
when the game was brought to the USA yet more variations were inveneted there. As a starting point for
exploration, here are a few links.
Tom Slopers's Mah Jong FAQ is the FAQ of the newsgroup rec.games.mahjong.
Alan Kwan's Mah Jong Page

Steve Willoghby's page on Taiwan 16-tile Mahjong

http://www.pagat.com/rummy/mahjong.html [04/05/2001 9:53:22]

Rules of Card Games: Marias
Mari
This page is mostly based on information from Tom Nmec and Tom Svoboda.
Technical note - this page uses ISO 8859-2 (Latin 2) encoding to display Czech accented letters. Here is a test page, which you can use to check
whether these characters are displayed correctly by your browser.
Introduction
Outline
Mari for three players
The cards
The deal
Selecting trumps
Selecting the contract
Bonuses
Flek
The play
The scoring
The unplayed game
Variations
Four-player Mari
Variations
Two-player Mari
Variations
Auction Mari
Other Mari WWW Pages
Introduction
Mari is the most popular card game in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. It is closely related to the Hungarian game Ulti.
Outline of the Game

Mari is a point trick game of the marriage group played with the Czech 32-card German suited pack. The basic and most popular version of is for
three players, but it can also be played by four or (as a last resort) by two. In the three-player game, in each hand one player plays alone against the
other two in partnership. Normally the lone player's objective is to win more card points than the other two players together; card points are obtained
for winning aces and tens in tricks, for winning the last trick, and for holding the king and the over-knave of a suit together in your hand. There are
bonuses for winning the last trick with the trump seven and for taking 100 or more card points, and the value of these bonues can be increased by
announcing in advance in advance that you are playing for them. As an alternative to playing to win card points, it is possible for a player to undertake
a contract whose objective is to win all the tricks or to lose all the tricks.
Mari for Three Players

The Cards
The 32 card pack consists of four suits: hearts or red (erven), bells or balls (kule), acorns (aludy) and leaves or green (zelen), each with eight
cards: ace (eso), king (krl), over-knave (svrek or filek), under-knave (spodek), 10 (deset), 9 (devt), 8 (osm), 7 (sedm). Two designs of these cards are
in use. The cards generally used in Bohemia have seated kings and are single headed. In Moravia and Slovakia Mari is often played using double
headed cards of the William Tell pattern, pattern similar to that used in Austria and Hungary, with mounted kings. In either case, the cards have no
indices. The over-knaves and under-knaves are distinguished by the position of the suit mark, which are at the top of the over, and lower down on the
under of each suit.
Bohemian cards
http://www.pagat.com/marriage/marias.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:53:34]

heart ace bell king leaf over acorn under heart ten bell nine leaf eight acorn seven
William Tell cards
When there is a trump suit, the cards of every suit rank from high to low: ace, ten, king, over, under, nine, eight, seven. The aces and tens are called
sharp cards and are worth 10 points each. A further 10 points are awarded for winning the last trick, making 90 points in all. The king and over of
trumps held together in one hand are worth an extra 40 points if declared when playing the first of the cards to a trick, and the king and over of a
non-trump suit are worth 20. A king-over combination is called a mari or hlka.
In contracts that have no trumps (Betl and Durch), the cards of each suit rank from high to low: ace, king, over, under, ten, nine, eight, seven.
The deal
The game is played clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random and after each hand the turn to deal passes to the left. The cards are not normally
shuffled between hands - they are just gathered together, cut and dealt. This enables experienced players to judge the likely positions of the cards from
the order in which they were played in the previous hand. Traditionally, the cards are shuffled at the start of the game, at midnight, and every two
hours after that.
The player to the dealer's left is known as forehand (forhont). Forehand receives extra cards in the deal, chooses the trump suit, and is the lone player
in the event that a trump contract is played.
Before the deal, the player to the dealer's right must cut the cards. The dealer then gives a packet of seven cards face-down to forehand, and continues
dealing clockwise in packets of five, so that after two rounds of dealing forehand has 12 cards and the other two players each have 10. At this stage
forehand is only allowed to pick up and look at the first seven cards dealt; forehand's other five cards are left face down on the table until trumps have
been chosen. The other players may look at all 10 of their cards.
Selecting trumps
Forehand selects a trump suit on the basis of the first seven cards dealt, by placing a card of that suit face down on the table. If unwilling to choose a
suit from the first seven cards, forehand can "choose from the people" instead, which is done by selecting an unseen card from the five cards that at this
stage are still lying face down in front of forehand. Either way, after selecting trumps, forehand picks up his or her remaining cards, for a total of 11
cards in hand and one face down on the table. If the trump card was chosen from the people forehand is allowed to look at it, without yet showing it to
the other players.
Selecting the contract

In basic Mari, there are five different contracts that can be played. Whoever is willing to undertake the highest contract will play alone against the
other two players. In ascending order, the possible contracts are:
1. Suit
This is an ordinary game with trumps, and can only be played by forehand, using the trump suit selected during the deal. The aim is to take the
majority of the points, by winning tricks containing aces and tens, winning the last trick, and when possible declaring one or more Mari
combinations. To win the game, forehand has to take more points than the other two players together. In addition to the basic game, it is possible
to win various bonuses, explained below.
2. Betl
There are no trumps, and the lone player has to lose every trick in order to win the game. The opponents win if they force the lone player to win

a trick.
3. Durch
There are no trumps, and the lone player has to win every trick to win the game. If the opponents win any tricks at all, the lone player loses.
4. Open Betl
This is like Betl, but after the first trick, the lone player's cards are placed face up on the table. At this point all of the lone player's remaining 9
cards must be the lowest outstanding cards in their suits. If either opponent has any card that could be beaten by one of the lone player's cards,
the lone player has lost.
5. Open Durch
This is like Durch, but after the first trick, the lone player's cards are placed face up on the table. At this point all of the lone player's remaining 9
cards must be the highest outstanding cards in their suits. If either opponent has any card that could beat any one of the lone player's cards, the
lone player has lost. Example: if your cards are
Hearts: A-K
Bells: A-K-O-9-8
Leaves: -
Acorns: A-K-O
you would be sure to win all the tricks in an ordinary Durch, but if you play an Open Durch you will lose because after you have led your ace of
bells, one opponent will still have the under or ten, which beats your nine and eight.
The procedure for selecting the contract to be played is as follows. First forehand chooses and announces one of the five contracts. Forehand is not
allowed to "pass", but must always play alone if no one else is willing to. If wishing not to play "suit", but one of the higher contracts without trumps,
forehand takes the selected trump card back into hand. Whatever the contract, forehand must now throw away two cards face down to form the talon.
Any two cards can be thrown, but if forehand's chosen contract is "suit" and either of the talon cards is a trump or a "sharp card" (ace or ten), forehand
must announce this. If a sharp card is placed in the talon in a suit contract its point value counts for the opponents.
Forehand now asks each of the other players in turn - first the player to dealer's right and then the dealer - whether they would like to play a higher
contract. The answer is either
"good", which means that the player is content to allow the announced contract to proceed, or
"bad", which means that the player wants to take over the right to play alone, and commits to play a higher contract.
If both players answer "good", the contract announced by forehand goes ahead. If it was a suit contract, forehand now turns the trump card face up and
may announce bonuses (see below).
A player who answers "bad" immediately picks up the two talon cards discarded by forehand, discards two cards face down (which could be the same
cards or others), and announces a higher contract. This player then asks the other two players in turn whether this new contract is "good" or "bad". If
both say "good" the new contract goes ahead; if not, the player who answers "bad" takes the talon, discards and names a higher contract still. This
process continues until a proposed contract is called "good" by both opponents.
Bonuses
If the contract is "suit" - an ordinary game with a trump suit - there are several bonuses and penalties that can apply. There are bonuses for winning the
last trick with the trump seven and for taking 100 or more card points, and a penalty for having your trump seven captured in the last trick.
It is possible to announce in advance that you are trying for a bonus, thereby increasing the score for it. If both opponents say "good" to forehand's suit
contract, forehand has the opportunity to announce "seven" or "100", or "100 and seven" if playing for both. After forehand has finished, each of the
other players in turn has an opportunity to announce bonuses for the opponents' team ("7 against", "100 against") or to double the score for the game or
any bonus announced by forehand by saying "flek" (see below).
The details of the possible bonuses and penalties are as follows:
Seven (sedma)
This bonus is for winning the last trick with the lowest trump - the seven. It is possible to announce in advance that you will play for this bonus,
but if you announce seven and then fail to win the bonus - because your trump seven is forced out early or another player has a higher trump at
the end - you suffer a penalty equal to what you would have won.
Killed seven
If the trump seven is played to the last trick - whether the seven was announced or not - and is beaten by a higher trump, the team that played the
seven has to pay an extra penalty for "killen seven".
Seven against
This is just the same as "seven", but if it is one of the opponents of the lone player who wins the last trick with the trump seven, it is called
"seven against". "Seven against" can be announced or killed in the same way as a seven by the lone player. Note that if one opponent plays the
trump seven to the last trick and the other opponent also has a trump, the seven is killed, and the opponents have to pay the penalty to the lone
player.
100 (sto)
This is a bonus for winning 100 or more points including one Mari. Since the sharp cards and last trick total only 90 card points, you cannot

reach 100 points without a Mari. If you have declared more than one Mari, you are only allowed to include one of them when qualifying for
the 100 bonus. Therefore you will need at least 60 points in tricks if it is a 40-Mari and at least 80 if it is a 20-Mari. Having taken sufficient
card points in tricks to qualify for the bonus, you can increase the size of the bonus by adding in the points for other Mari combinations you
have delared. The 100 bonus can be increased by announcing it in advance, but if you announce it and then fail to make it, you have to pay a
penalty.
100 against
This is exactly like 100, but won by the opponents rather than by the lone player. It can also be announced in advance, which increases its value
but risks a penalty if it fails.
Flek
An opponent who does not think that the lone player will win the contract can double the payment for it by saying "flek". After "flek" has been said, a
confident lone player can double the payment again by saying "re". An opponent can then double again by saying "tutti", and in theory the lone player
and opponents can continue doubling without limit. In some circles the next few doubles are announced by saying "shoes" (boty), "pants" (kalhoty),
"kaiser" and after that further doubles are expressed simple by saying "higher" or "one more time".
If a no-trump contract was announced, the saying of flek is combined with the selection of the contract. So if a player announces a Betl or Durch and
asks the others if it is good there are three possible answers: "good" means the game can be played; "bad" means that the game cannot be played,
because the player saying "bad" will player a higher contract; "flek" means that the contract can be played but the payment for it is doubled.
In a suit contract, the payment for the game and for any announced bonuses are independent and can all be separately doubled. Therefore, if forehand
proposes top play a suit contract, the opponents simply answer "good" or "bad". If both say "good", forehand turns over the trump and may announce
bonuses. Forehand then asks the opponents in turn again, and this time they have the opportunity to say "flek" to the game or any bonus announced by
forehand and to announce bonuses of their own. An opponent who does not want to flek or announce anything just says "good". After both opponents
have spoken, forehand has the chance to say "re" to any "flek" and to say "flek" to any bonus announced by the opponents, and if forehand does this
the opponents can speak again, and so on until one team expresses their satisfaction by saying "good".
The Play
The lone player leads to the first trick. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led. Any
card can be led to a trick, but the other players are forced to follow suit, to trump if unable to follow, and to head the trick whenever possible subject to
those rules. In more detail:
1. You must play a card of the suit that was led if you have one, and if possible you must play a card of the suit led which beats the card currently
winning the trick (even if the trick is currently being won by your partner).
2. If you have a card or cards of the suit led, but none of them beat the card currently winning the trick (either because you do not have a high
enough card in the suit, or because a non-trump was led and the trick has already been trumped), you may play any card of the led suit.
3. If you have no card of the suit led you must play a trump if you can. If there are already trumps in the trick, you must if possible play a trump
that beats the highest trump so far played to the trick (even if that trump was played by your partner).
4. If you have no card of the suit led, and the trick is currently being won by a trump that you cannot beat, you must still play a trump if you have
one.
5. If you have no cards of the suit led and no trumps, you may play any card you wish.
The obligation to follow suit and to beat cards already played to the trick when possible also applies in no-trump contracts.
In a suit contract, a player who wishes to score for a mari (the king and the over-knave of a suit held in hand) must play the over before the king and
must announce "20" or "40" as appropriate when playing the over.
A player who has announced "seven" or "seven against" is not allowed to play the seven of trumps until there is no legal alternative.
The Scoring
When the play is finished, payment is made for the contract and any bonuses. The payments are expressed below in "units"; the value of a unit should
be agreed between the players at the start of the session. Payments are collected by the lone player from both opponents, or paid by the lone player to
both opponents. The opponents of the lone player are a team, and always win or lose the same amount. For example, if one opponent wins the last trick
with the trump seven, both opponents are paid the bonus; if one opponent says "flek", both opponents are affected by the double payment.
The payments are as follows:
Item Payment in units Notes
Suit contract 1
Betl 5
Game Durch 10
Open Betl 10
Open Durch 20

Quiet seven 1 Paid whenever the seven of trumps wins the last trick.
Unannounced ("quiet") bonuses Killed quiet seven 1 Paid whenever the trump seven is beaten in the last trick.
(paid only in a suit contract) Quiet hundred 2 The payment is 2 units for 100, 4 units for 110, 8 units for
120, 16 units for 130, etc - doubling for each extra 10
Each extra 10 x2 points.
Seven 2 A lost announced seven costs 2 points if the seven is
forced out before the last trick. If the seven is "killed" in
Seven against 2 the last trick, the cost is increased to 3 units. A flek of the
seven doubles the prices to 4 (won or lost) and 6 (if killed
Announced bonuses Killed seven 3 in the last trick).
(paid only in a suit contract) The payment is 4 units for 100, 8 units for 110, 16 units
Hundred 4
for 120, etc - doubling for each extra 10 points. If the
Hundred against 4 announced 100 fails, the announcing side can count just
one Mari. The cost is 4 units if the total is 90 points, 8
Each extra 10 x2 for 80 points, 16 for 70 points, and so on.
This is paid by the offending player to both of the others.
Penalty for a revoke (renonc) - i.e. when the rules of play are broken. 10 or more The cost is 10 units or the value of the contract and
bonuses being played, whicheber is more.
In a suit contract with hearts are trumps, all payements for the game and bonuses are doubled.
The game and bonuses are paid independently - for example it is possible to win the basic game but lose a seven. An exception to this is that the score
for a "quiet hundred" replaces the score for "game". If the game was doubled and silent 100 is made, then the bonus for 100 is doubled - so a game
with flek in which forehand takes 100 card points in worth 4 units.
The unplayed game

There are two cases in which the cards are not played out.
1. If forehand plays a suit game without announcements and there is no "flek", it is assumed that forehand will win. The cards are not played, and
forehand can claim 1 unit from each opponent for the game (or 2 units if hearts were trumps).
2. If forehand plays a suit game with seven announced, and there is a "flek" to the game but no other announcements or doubles. Then it is
assumed that forehand will win the seven but lose the game. The cards are not played and there is no payment, because the payments for
announced seven and double lost game are equal and opposite.
Variations
Some play that for each extra 10 points above 100 (or for each extra 10 points by which an announced 100 fails) an amount equal to the value of the
100 is added, rather than a double being applied. So an announced 100 with 130 points made is worth 16 units (4+4+4+4) rather than 32 units
(4*2*2*2). Some play that the additional amount for each extra 10 is only half the value of the 100, so 100 announced with 130 made would be worth
only 10 units (4+2+2+2).
Four-Player Mari
It is possible for four people to play three-player mari in which the dealer sits out of each hand, but there is also the following version, in which all
four players are active. Rules are the same as for three-player mari unless otherwise stated.
The dealer deals a batch of four cards to each player. Forehand looks at the first four cards, and places one card face down on the table to determine the
trump suit. Forehand also names (by rank) a card of the trump suit whose holder will become forehand's partner and the other two players will form a
team against them. The dealer then completes the deal with another batch of four cards to each player. The player who holds the called trump must not
do or say anything to indicate who they are - if a suit contract is played the partnerships will become clear in the course of play, when the called trump
appears, or perhaps during the announcements of bonuses and doubles. If forehand has the called trump and a suit contract is played, forehand will
play alone against the other three in partnership. (This happens when the called trump is dealt in forehand's second batch of four cards).
Forehand can reveal the face-down card and stay with the suit contract or can announce a higher contract (Betl, Durch, Open Betl or Open Durch). The
others in turn either say "good" or bid higher, exactly as in the three-player game, except that there is no talon. If everyone says the suit is good, all
have the opportunity to announce seven or hundred for their team, forehand's opponents can say flek to the game, and anyone can say flek to bonuses
announced by the other team.
The scores for the contracts are as in the there-player game. In games played two against two, each player pays or receives from one opponent; in
games played one against three the lone player pays or receives from all three opponents.

Variations
In the four-player game, some play with two partnership Durch games, which rank below Betl in the bidding - so the possible games in ascending
order are: suit, durch with partner, durch with the wise one, betl, durch alone, open betl, open durch.
If a "durch with partner" is called good by the other players, the bidder names a card whose holder becomes declarer's partner. Between them
they must win all the tricks. If they fail and the bidder has won fewer than 6 tricks, the declarer pays double and the partner pays nothing.
In "durch with the wise one", the bidder undertakes to win the first seven tricks. If this fail, the declarer has to pay the ost of a durch to the
other three players. If it succeeds, the winner of the eighth trick (the wise one) becomes the bidder's partner. If the bidder is wise enough to win
the last trick as well as the other seven, the bidder is paid by all three opponents.
A common rule in the four-player game is that an opponent of forehand in a suit contract who holds the king or the over-knave of trumps is obliged to
say flek to the game. Some also play that an opponent of forehand who has a trump mari must flek and announce 100 against.
Two-Player Mari
This two-player game, known as lzan mari (draw mari), is simpler and far less interesting than the three- or four-player versions. It is played by
Mari players who cannot find a third player or by children.
The card ranks and point values and the scores for a hlka or mari are the same as in the three-player game.
The dealer gives four cards to each player (in a single batch), the non-dealer chooses and announces a trump suit, and then the dealer deals another
batch of four cards each, so that each player has eight. The remaining 16 cards are stacked face down on the table to form the talon.
There is no possibility of betl or durch, but bonuses are scored as in the three-player game. Before the first lead, either player can announce 100 or
seven or both. The dealer can say flek to the game, and either player can say flek to bonuses announced by the other. Further doubles (re, tutti, boty,
kalhoty, kaiser, etc) are possible.
The non-dealer leads to the first trick. While there are cards in the talon, there is no obligation to follow suit or win the trick - the second player to the
trick can play any card. After each trick the winner draws the top card of the talon (without showing it) and the loser draws the next card, so that both
have eight cards again. The winner of the trick then leads to the next.
When all the cards from the talon have been taken, play continues with the cards remaining in the players' hands. It is now complusory for the second
player to a trick follow suit and to beat the led card whenever possible.
A player who has the king and over-knave of a suit in hand at any stage declares 20 or 40 as appropriate when playing the over to a trick. No matter
who wins the trick, the over is left face up in front of the player until the end of the play as a reminder of the score.
The payments for the game, 7 and 100 are the same as in the three-player game.
Variations
I have been shown an even simpler version of two-player mari. Six cards each are dealt, the thirteenth card is turned up to determine the eventual
trump suit, and the remaining stock is placed crosswise on top of it. There is no choice of trump suit, no announcements and no doubling. Non-dealer
leads and the mechanics of play are as in the two-player game described above, but the trump suit does not take effect until the talon is exhausted. Each
trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. If a mari is declared in this first phase it is only worth 20, even if it is in the turned up suit. While there
are cards in the talon, either player who holds the 7 of the turned up suit can exchange it for the turned up card. The face-up card will be drawn by the
loser of the 10th trick. After this, the turned up suit becomes trumps, and it is compulsory to follow suit and win the trick when possible. Whoever has
the majority of card points at the end of the play wins a stake.
Auction Mari
Licitovany mari (auction mari) is a more complex version of the three-player game. Unfortunately I do not know the details, but if you can
understand Czech, you will be able to read about it in some of the web sites referenced below.
There is the additional possibility of announcing "two sevens", which is an undertaking to win the last trick with the trump seven and the trick before
that with another seven. It is also possible to overcall a contract with a similar contract in which hearts are trumps. The possible bids in ascending
order, with their scores, are:
Seven (2)
Seven in hearts (4)
Hundred (4)
Hundred and seven (4+2)
Hundred in hearts (8)
Hundred and seven in hearts (8+4)
Betl (15)

Durch (30)
Two sevens (40)
Two sevens and hundred (40+4)
Two sevens, hearts trump (60)
Two sevens and hundred, hearts trump (60+8)
Other Mari WWW Pages

You can find another description of Mari in English on Tom Nmec's Rules of Mari page.
Three Mari sites in Czech:
http://sorry.vse.cz/users/braza/marias/
http://www.marias.cz
http://hry.atlas.cz/marias_pra_ovl.html


Rules of Games: Marjapussi
Marjapussi
Marjapussi is quite popular in Finland, and there are many variations. The version described here is
Partnership Auction Marjapussi.
My description is based on an anonymous account from the mathematics department at Erlangen,
Germany, which was supplied to me by Frank Sven Nestel. It is possible that the game was extended
somewhat by the Erlangen mathematicians - for example, the Finnish book Marjapussissa Porvooseen
by Pekka Ranta (1993) describes various kinds of Marjapussi but does not mention Kontra and Re, so
those may be German additions to the game.
Players and Cards

There are 4 players in fixed partnerships; you sit opposite your partner. A 36 card pack is used - a
standard pack from which all the cards below 6 have been removed. The cards in each suit rank A
(highest), 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7, 6. The game is played clockwise.
Summary of the Game

It is a trick taking game. There are no trumps at the start, but if the side winning a trick hold the king and
queen of a suit, they can make that suit trumps. Trumps can change in this way several times during a
hand. Points are scored for cards won in tricks, for making trumps, and for winning the last trick.
Players bid according to how many points they think their side can take. The partnership that wins the
bidding is allowed to exchange some cards and lead first, but they must take as least as many points as
their contract in order to score. The side which first reaches or exceeds 500 points wins.
Point Values of Cards, Making Trumps and the Last

Trick
The point values of the cards taken in tricks are as follows:
Ace 11 points
Ten 10 points
King 4 points
Queen 3 points
Jack 2 points
Nine 0 points
Eight 0 points
Seven 0 points
Six 0 points
The total value of the card points in the pack is thus 120.
http://www.pagat.com/marriage/marjapus.html (1 de 6) [04/05/2001 9:53:39]

When a partnership who hold the king and queen of a suit use them to make trumps they get additional
points depending on the suit as follows:
Hearts 100 points
Diamonds 80 points
Clubs 60 points
Spades 40 points
Finally, whichever side wins the last trick gets an extra 20 points.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random, and turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand. The dealer
shuffles, the player to dealer's right cuts, and the dealer deals out all the cards one at a time, so that each
player has nine.
The Bidding
Bidding begins with the player to dealer's left and proceeds clockwise. The bidding is by numbers,
representing the number of points which the bidding side expects to take. The minimum bid allowed is
120, and all bids must be multiples of 5 (120, 125, 130, 135, ...). Each bid must be higher than the
previous one. Any player who does not wish to bid may pass, but a player who has passed is not allowed
to bid in later rounds of the auction (unlike in Bridge).
If all four players pass, there is no declarer and the hand is played with no contract and no exchange of
cards. In this case the player to dealer's left leads to the first trick.
Usually someone does bid, and the bidding then continues for as many rounds as necessary until three
players have passed. The highest bidder is then the declarer, and has the right to exchange some cards
with partner as described below and to lead to the first trick.
The Card Exchange

The declarer's partner chooses any four cards from his hand and passes them face down to the declarer.
The declarer then has 13 cards and passes any 4 of them face down to her partner.
Announcing the Contract

After the card exchange, the declarer announces the contract, which must be at least as high as her last
bid, and must be a multiple of 5. The declarer's side have to take at least as many points as their contract
to win, but however many points they take, they only score the value of the contract. It therefore pays
(except near the end of the game), to announce the highest contract you can safely make, but not too high
because if you fail to make enough points for your contract, you will score minus the value of the
contract.

The Play
The declarer leads to the first trick (or if there is no declarer because everyone passed, the player to
dealer's left leads). This first trick is subject to some restrictions:
1. An ace must be led if possible;
2. If the player on lead has no ace, a spade must be led;
3. If the player on lead has no ace and no spade, any card may be led.
Furthermore, in cases 2 and 3, whoever has the ace of the suit led is obliged to play it.
Despite the restrictions above, there is no obligation during the card exchange for the declarer to keep an
ace (or a spade) in order to be able to lead it - you can give all your aces to your partner if you wish.
The general rules of play are as follows, in order of priority:
1. If you have a card of the suit led, you must play it;
2. If you have no cards of the suit led, you must play a card of the current trump suit (if any) if you
have one;
3. Subject to 1 and 2, if you can beat the card which is currently winning the trick you must do so;
4. If you have no cards of the suit led or the current trump suit, you may play any card.
If a trick contains a card of the current trump suit (if any), it is won by the highest trump in it; otherwise
the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
The winner of a trick leads to the next. After the first trick there is no restriction on what may be led and
no obligation for the holder of the ace of the suit led to play it.
Making Trumps
At the beginning of a hand there are no trumps. Trumps can be made only by a player who has just won a
trick, before leading to the next trick. The trump making side must possess the king and queen of the suit
which is made trumps. They score the relevant points, and the new trump suit comes into force
immediately, replacing the previous trump suit if any.
It is only possible to make trumps once per trick. A player with two king-queens would have to win two
separate tricks to make trumps twice.
A suit which has once been made trumps cannot be made trumps a second time in the same hand - once
the trumps change the previous trump suit can never be trumps again.
The king and queen must still be in the hands of the players making trumps - once either has been played
it is too late to make this suit trumps.

Questions and Answers

If the winner of a trick holds both the king and queen of the suit, making trumps is straightforward - she
just announces the trump suit - for example: "diamonds are trumps".
In other cases it is more tricky. Instead of making trumps herself, the player on lead is allowed to ask her
partner one question to establish whether trumps can be made involving partner's cards. Only certain
questions may be asked and they must be answered truthfully. The possibilities are as follows:
1. The player on lead can ask "Can you make trumps?".
If her partner possesses the king and queen of a suit, he must answer by announcing that suit
as trumps - for example "Spades are trumps".
If he does not have the king and queen of any suit he must simply answer "No", without
indicating whether any unpaired kings or queens are held.
If he has more than one king-queen he must choose one of them and announce that suit as
trumps without giving any indication that he is concealing another king-queen.
2. The player on lead can ask "Have you a half in xxxx?", where xxxx is some suit - for example
"Have you a half in hearts?".
To this her partner must simply answer "Yes" if he has either the king or queen (or both) in
the suit asked, and "No" if he does not.
If the answer is "No" that is the end of the matter - the next trick must be played.
If the answer was "Yes", and the leader also has the king or queen of the suit asked, she
must now announce the suit as trumps.
If the answer was "Yes", but the leader does not herself have the king or queen of the suit
she asked about, she must now say "But I do not", and lead to the trick. This means that if
the leader asks for a half in a suit she has neither the king nor queen of, and her partner
happens to have both, the suit is not made trumps because the partner just answers "Yes"
and the leader then admits that she has no half.
The winner of the trick can do only one action - either make trumps or ask one question - before leading
to the next trick. Therefore if a player wishes to change trumps again or ask further questions, she must
win further tricks in order to do so. Furthermore a player can only undertake actions in a specific order:
first making trumps; then asking partner to make trumps; then asking for a half. In other words:
A player who has previously asked her partner to make trumps cannot on a subsequent trick make
trumps herself;
A player who has previously asked for a half cannot on a subsequent trick make trumps or ask her
partner to do so.
This order of actions applies to each player independently. So for example if one player asks for a half,
this does not stop her partner from later making trumps if he wins a trick himself.

Result of the Hand

Normal scoring - when each side takes at least one trick
If the declarer's side make their contract - that is the card points in their tricks plus any points for making
trumps or taking the last trick add up to at least as much as their contract - the contract value is added to
their score. If they fail - taking fewer points than their contract - the contract value is subtracted from
their score.
In either case the declarer's opponents add to their score the points they actually made - card points plus
any points for making trumps and taking the last trick if applicable. These points are rounded to the
nearest 5 (112 becomes 110, 113 become 115).
When one side is sent to Porvoo

A side which takes no tricks at all is said to be "sent to Porvoo". It is a tradition to ask the losers on such
occasions how much a kilo of salted herrings costs in Porvoo market.
If the declarer's side is sent to Porvoo, twice the value of their contract is subtracted from their score, and
their opponents score the points they actually made as usual.
If the declarer's side make their contract and send their opponents to Porvoo, the declarer's side add the
value of the contract to their score and the opponents subtract twice the value of the contract from their
score.
In theory there is a third possibility: the declarer's side win all the tricks but despite this they do not have
enough points to make their contract. In this case the declarer's side subtract the contract value from their
score, but the opponents suffer no penalty and their score stays as it was. If in this case there was at least
one kontra, the first kontra is not counted.
When no one bid

If no one bid then each side scores the points they actually took. There is no Porvoo penalty - if one side
takes no tricks they just score no points for that hand.
Kontra and Re
An opponent of the declarer who thinks that the contract will fail can say "Kontra", which doubles the
declarer's side's score for that hand, whether they win or lose. You can only say the first Kontra while
you have nine cards in your hand - once you have played a card it is too late.
If an opponent has said Kontra, then either member of the declarer's side may say "Re", doubling their
score for the hand again. To say Re you must have at least eight cards in your hand.
After Kontra and Re have been said, either of the declarer's opponents who still has at least seven cards
may Kontra again. Then someone on the declarer's side with at least six cards may say Re again. These

alternate Kontras and Res may continue in this way, up to a theoretical maximum of nine doubles.
Note that it is only the declarer's side's score that is affected by Kontras and Res. For example if the
contract is 150 and Kontra and Re are said, and then the declarer's side make the contract, sending the
opponents to Porvoo, the declarer's side score 150 x 2 x 2 = 600, but the opponents just lose 150
x 2 = 300, the same as without the Kontra and Re.
If all four players passed, then no one can say Kontra.
Keeping the Score

A running total of each side's score is kept. The first side to have 500 or more at the end of a hand wins.
If both sides reach 500 in the same hand then the side with the higher total at the end of that hand wins.
The scoresheet looks something like this (a horizontal line after every four deals helps to remember
whose turn it is to deal):
Players A and C | Players B and D
Contract Score | Contract Score (Notes)
----------------------+-----------------------
140 +140 | +35 (1)
165 +305 | -295 (2)
+375 | 145* -5 (3)
145 +230 | +85 (4)
----------------------+-----------------------
+380 | 170 -85 (5)
+380 | 180* -265 (6)
150 +530 | -225 (7)
Notes of what happened on each hand:
1. A & C made a contract of 140; B & D took 37 points
2. A & C made a contract of 165 and B & D went to Porvoo.
3. B & D made a contract of 145. A said Kontra (denoted by a star), so B & D won 290 points. A &
C took 69 points.
4. A & C were in a contract of 145 but took only 144 points, so they lost. B & D took 92 points.
5. B & D were in a contract of 170 and lost; A & C took 150 points.
6. B & D were in a contract of 180 and C said Kontra. B & D won all the tricks but took only 140
points. So A & C suffer no penalty and the Kontra is cancelled, and B & D lose just 180. If B had
said Re, B & D would have lost 360, because just one Kontra is cancelled.
7. A & C made a contract of 150; B & D took 42 points.


Rules of Domino Games: Matador
Matador
This game is normally played with a standard set of Western double-six dominoes - 28 tiles in all.
Dominoes are played so that the spots on touching ends add up to 7, and the object is to be the first to
play all your dominoes to the layout. The 0-0, 1-6, 2-5 and 3-4 are the matadors - they can be played on
any free end, but the person adding the next domino to a matador must play so that the ends add to 7 as
usual (or play another matador). If there is a blank at either end of the layout the only dominoes that can
be played there are the matadors.
It is possible to play matador with a double-9 set of dominoes (55 tiles) in which case the touching ends
have to add up to 10 and the matadors are the 0-0 and the dominoes whose ends add up to 10. In the same
way, if using a double-12 set (91 tiles) the touching ends must add to 13 and the matadors are the 0-0 and
the dominoes whose ends add up to 13.
Full rules of Matador can be found on the Domino Plaza site.

Last updated 31st August 1999
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Rules of Card Games: Skitgubbe
Skitgubbe
The original version of this page was based on four sources:
E. Werner and T. Sandgren: Kortoxen (Helsingborg 1975)
David Parlett: Shedding Games (Games and Puzzles No 4: July 1994)
A letter from Dan Glimne (1996)
A translation by Anthony Smith from the Norwegian book: I and U Schenkmanis "Cappelens
Kortspillbok" (Cappelens Forlag a.s., 1987), which is based on the Swedish books "64 Kortspel"
(1982) and "54 Kortspel" (1984).
It has since been revised and expanded, on the basis of contributions from several players.
Introduction

Object of the Game
Play in the first phase
Play in the second phase
Variations
Playing sequences
Anti-trumps
Mas with turned up trump
Atlanta variation
Other Skigubbe WWW Pages
Introduction
This popular Swedish game for three players is also known as Mjlnarmatte or Mas and in Norwegian
it is called Mattis.

The game is best for three players, but it is also possible for two or four to play. A standard 52 card pack,
without joker, is used. The cards rank in the usual order: A (highest) K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (lowest).
Deal and play are clockwise. Each player receives 3 cards. The rest of the cards are laid face down in a
pile on the table (stock).
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Object of the game

Skitgubbe has two phases. In the first phase players collect cards for the second phase. In the second
phase the object is to get rid of one's cards as fast as possible. The last player left with cards in hand is
the loser and becomes the skitgubbe.
Play in the first phase

The first phase consists of tricks of 2 cards. The player to dealer's left leads first. Any card can be led and
the player to the left of the leader plays any card to complete the trick. At this stage the suits have no
significance and there is no requirement to follow suit. Each player draws a card from the stock
immediately after playing, so that each player always has a hand of three cards so long as there are still
cards in the stock. Whoever played the higher card wins the trick, places the two cards face down in front
of himself, and leads to the next trick. If the player who led wins the trick, he leads again and the same
two players are involved in the next trick.
If the two cards played to a trick are equal it is called a stunsa (bounce); the cards are left on the table,
the two players each draw a card from the stock and the same player leads again. This continues until one
of the players wins the trick and takes all the cards played, including the cards from the tied tricks.
In this first phase, the second player to a trick is under no obligation to try to beat the card led. If a low
card is led the second player may wish to play lower and give the trick to the leader, for it is important to
collect strong cards in the first phase of the game, so gain an advantage in the second phase.
Throughout the first phase, when it is your turn to play and there is still more than one card in the stock,
instead of playing from your hand you may turn up the top card of the stock. If you turn a card from the
stock you must play it - you may not put it in your hand.
The last card from the stock determines the trump suit for the second phase. The player who has to draw
this card takes it but does not add it to his hand but keeps it face down until the first phase is over.
When the stock is exhausted, the play continues as long as possible with the cards players have in their
hands. If some players have cards left in hand at the end of the first phase they keep them for the second
phase. If the final trick of the first phase is a bounce, the players take back the cards they played to it and
keep them for the second phase.
Play in the second phase

The players have now divided the 52 cards between themselves, but the cards are probably not divided
equally; some players have more cards than others. The player who drew the trump card leads. The
object is to get rid of one's cards as fast as possible.
Now you must either beat the previous card played or pick it up. A card may be beaten by a higher card
of the same suit, and a non-trump may be beaten by any trump. It is never lawful to duck. If you cannot
or do not wish to beat the card in front of you, you must take it up into your hand, and it is then the next
player's turn to lead to a new trick. If there is more than one card lying on the table and you cannot beat

the last card played, it is only this last card which you must take up into your hand. It is then the next
player's turn to beat the card which was underneath it.
A trick is complete when either:
1. the number of cards in it is equal to the number of players who were in the game when the trick
began, or
2. all its cards have been picked up.
In the first case, the cards in the trick are set aside and the player who played last (and therefore highest)
to the trick leads to the next. In the second case, the player to the left of the player who picked up the last
card leads to a new trick.
Suppose there are 3 players; player A has led and player B beaten A's card. If C now beats B's card, C
puts aside the cards and leads to the next trick; but if C does not beat B's card but picks it up, it is now
A's turn to beat the card showing on the table (which is in fact A's own lead). If A does this, and then B
beats A's card, it is B who has completed the trick; B sets aside the three cards and leads to the next trick.
Another possibility is: A leads, B beats A's card, C picks up B's card, and A picks up his own card. It is
now B's lead.
Note that as players run out of cards, the number of cards in each trick reduces. If there are three players,
one of whom runs out of cards during a trick, that trick still requires three cards to be completed (or all its
cards to be picked up), but the next trick will require only two cards.
For example suppose there are 3 players: A, B, C. A leads his last card, B beats it, C picks B's card up, B
beats A's card again, and now C beats B's card. The trick is now over, and C leads to the next trick. As
there are now only two players, the new trick will have only two cards. Another example with three
players: A leads; B beats with his last card, C picks this card up, and A picks up the card he led. It is now
B's lead and the next trick will be complete with two cards.
A player who gets rid of all his cards can draw a sigh of relief, for he is not the loser. The loser is the
player who is left with the last card in his hand, and is called "Skitgubbe" (or "Mas" or "Mattis").
Skitgubbe means "dirty old man" (in the sense of unwashed, rather than obscence); Mas and Mattis mean
fool.
Variations
Playing sequences
This version is described by David Parlett and Dan Glimne. In the second phase, as an alternative to
playing a single card it is possible to play a sequence of two or more consecutive cards in the same suit.
A card or sequence is beaten by any higher card or sequence in the same suit. Any non-trump card or
sequence is beaten by any trump card or sequence. The length of the sequences is immaterial. For
example a lead of 5 could be beaten by a sequence 7- 8- 9, which could in turn be beaten by a
sequence Q- K, or by a single 3 if spades are trumps.
A trick is completed when it contains as many plays as there are players at the beginning of the trick,
each card or sequence counting as a single play. A player who cannot or does not wish to beat the card or

sequence played by the previous player must pick it up. In this version, it is important in phase two to
keep the successive plays to a trick separate rather than piling them up, so that players can clearly see
how many times the trick has been played to, and which cards must be picked up if the previous play is
not beaten.
Anti-trumps
This version, played in Bors, was reported by Bengt Green. In the second phase, as well as a trump suit,
there is a mot-trumf (anti-trump) suit. Anti-trumps have no power over any other suit, but cannot
themselves be beaten by trumps.
In some circles, anti-trumps are the other suit of the same colour as the last card of the stock. In other
circles anti-trumps are permanently clubs (and presumably if the last card of the stock is a club there are
no anti-trmps for that hand).
Mas with turned up trump

This variation (described in Kortoxen) has a different first phase. After three cards have been dealt to
each player the next card is turned up and placed face up crosswise under the stock, to determine the
trump suit.
The first phase consists of two-card tricks as in ordinary Skitgubbe, but in this version the second player
can only beat the led card by playing a higher card of the suit led, or playing a trump if a non-trump is
led. If the second player cannot or does not wish to beat the lead he must pick it up, and it is the next
player's turn to lead.
As long as there are cards in the stock, you must draw a card from the stock as soon as your hand
contains less than three cards. However, it is possible to have more than three cards in your hand,
because soemtimes you pick up a led card. If after playing a card you still have three or more cards in
your hand you do not draw from the stock.
A player who at any stage has a hand of three trumps and no other cards is allowed to show these three
trumps, store them face down for the second phase, and draw a hand of three new cards from the stock.
As long as the turned up trump remains on the table, any player who at any stage has the two of trumps
can exchange it for the turned up trump.
When someone has to draw the last card of the stock (which is a face-up trump, usually the two by this
time) to replenish their hand, the first phase ends as soon as the current two-card trick is completed.
Players keep any cards in their hands, along with cards they have won in tricks for the second phase.
The player who drew the final card (face-up trump) from the stock leads to the first trick of the second
phase, which then proceeds exactly as in ordinary Skitgubbe.

Atlanta Variation
This variation, played in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, was contributed by Mark Reed.
There are differences from the basic game both in phase one and in phase two:
Phase One:
1. All three players play to a trick, not just two.
2. If, when it is your turn to play, you possess a card equal in rank to the highest card yet played on
the trick, you must play that card, thus forcing a bounce. A bounce may occur between more than
two players; only those players who played the bouncing cards participate in the bounce
resolution, although other players may slough (see below).
3. Any player, once after playing to a trick and before that trick is taken by anyone, may play
("slough") additional cards to the trick, provided that the cards being sloughed are equal in rank to
a card already played to and losing the trick.
Phase Two:
1. If any player has fewer than six cards at the end of phase one, then all players collect from their
hands the cards of rank two through five, plus the six of the trump suit (referred to collectively as
the "dreck"), and divide them up randomly and as evenly as possible among those players with too
few cards. (If by removing the dreck from his hand, a player drops below six cards himself, he
does not then become eligible for dreck, but enters the second phase with the smaller hand. This
does not happen often.)
2. Play is as described under the Sequences variant, with one exception: when a player cannot play to
a trick, he picks up the entire lowest unbroken sequence on the table, even if it was played by more
than one player. This may remove more than one play from the table and thus extend the trick even
further.
Other Skigubbe WWW Pages

The Swedish Goat Game page gives further American variations of Skitgubbe for up to 7 players (related
to the Atlanta Variation above) played at UCLA, CalTech and elsewhere.


Rules of Card Games: Maw
Maw
This game, popular in 16th century Britain, is an ancestor of a group of games normally associated with
Ireland and Irish communities abroad. The descendants include Spoil Five and a series of games named
after the number of points required to win: 25, 45, 55, 110, 120.
A reconstruction of Maw can be found on Glen Overby's Maw page.

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Rules of Card Games: Mensch
Mensch
This page is based on a contribution from Ray McNeil, from Redvers in the south-East corner of
Saskatchewan, Canada.
The Players
There are four players, each playing as individuals.
The Cards and their ranking

Strip a normal 52 card deck of playing cards by removing the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes leaving
32 cards. In each hand there is a trump suit. Irrespective of what suit is trumps, the queen of clubs, called
the "mensch", is the highest trump. Second highest is the 7 of the trump suit; then A, K, (Q), J, 10, 9, 8.
In the non-trump suits, the cards rank (from high to low) A, K, (Q), J, 10, 9, 8, 7. The queen of clubs
belongs for all purposes to the trump suit, not to the club suit.
The Deal
The cards are dealt out in batches of four to the four players, starting with the player to dealer's left and
going twice around the table clockwise, ending with the dealer. Each player will then have eight cards.
The Bidding
Bidding starts at the dealer's left and passes in order clockwise, each player having only one opportunity
to bid.
There are three types of bid:
Half and After: These are bids to win at least five tricks with clubs as trumps, with the help of a
partner.
Five, Six, Seven, Solo: These are bids promising to win at least five, six, seven or eight tricks
respectively, playing alone against the other three players. The bidder chooses the trump suit.
Five After, Six After, Seven After: These are bids promising to win at least five, six or seven
tricks respectively, with clubs as trumps, playing alone against the other three players.
The bids, in increasing order, are Half, After, Five, Five After, Six, Six After, Seven, Seven After, Solo.
Each player must either pass or bid higher than the previous bid, if any. "After" can only be bid after
someone has said "Half". Similarly "Five After" is only used after someone has bid "Five", "Six After"
after someone has bid "Six", and so on.
If no one else has bid yet, a player who has three or more Clubs must bid, saying "Half" at least, or a
higher bid if preferred. If a subsequent bidder also has three or more Clubs that player must also bid
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saying "After" (unless someone else has already bid higher), thus relieving the "Half" bidder of the bid.
Note that players may bid "Half" even though possessing fewer than three Clubs. In this way it may be
possible to manipulate subsequent bidders into the position of being required to bid "After".
A player who has a strong enough hand to wish to play without a partner has the option of bidding
"Five", "Six", "Seven", or "Solo" depending on the strength of the hand. A player who bids Solo must
win all the tricks but has the advantage of leading to the first trick regardless of who dealt the cards.
After a player has bid "Five" or more, subsequent players are relieved of their obligation to bid "Half" or
"After".
After a player has bid "Five", another can bid "Five After", meaning that they will play Five with clubs
as trumps. Similarly "Six" can be overcalled by "Six After", "Seven" by "Seven After".
In the event that everyone passes, which happens when nobody has three or more Clubs nor wishes to
make any other bid, the person holding the Queen of Clubs must choose a suit for trump, call a partner
and attempt to win at least five tricks.
Whenever Half or After are the highest bid Clubs are trump.
Calling a Partner
If the highest bid was Half or After the bidder must now call a card. The player who holds that card
becomes the partner of the caller. The called card must not be a trump, and the caller must hold at least
one card in the suit of the called card. Usually the called card is an Ace. If the bidder has the Ace of all
the suits in his hand he must ask for some other card - generally a King.
The partner must not reveal that he has the called card until that suit is first played, at which time the
requested card must be played.
If everyone passed, the holder of the Q (the "Mensch") now names trumps and calls a card as decribed
above.
If the highest bid was five or more, the bidder does not call a partner, but plays alone against the other
three players.
Play of the Hand

Unless there was a "Solo" bid, the player to the left of the dealer leads to the first trick. If the bid is
"Solo", the Solo bidder leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible (the queen of clubs
belonging to the trump suit). A player who has no card of the suit led can play any card. The trick is won
by the highest trump in it (queen of clubs is highest, seven second highest, then the ace, king, etc.) If it
contains no trumps, it is won by the highest card played of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the
next.
If the bidder called a partner, the partner must play the called card the first time that that suit is led. Until
that time, the partner must not reveal that they hold the called card.

Scoring
If the bid is Half or After and the caller and the called partner win at least five tricks between them, each
member of the losing team pays one chip; the bidder takes one of these chips and the called partner takes
the other. If the calling team take four tricks or fewer, the caller and called partner each pay two chips
and the opponents receive two chips each.
If there was no bidding, the payments are the same as for Half or After, except that if the calling team
take four tricks or fewer, the payment is only one chip each rather than two.
If the bid is Five, Six or Seven, with a suit other than clubs as trumps, the bidder is paid one chip by each
opponent if successful in winning at least the number of tricks bid. If the bidder fails to win enough
tricks, the bidder pays one chip to each opponent.
If the bid is Five, Six or Seven and clubs are trumps, the bidder wins two chips from each opponent if
successful and pays two to each opponent if not. If the bid was Five After, Six After or Seven After, the
payment is the same.
In all the above cases, the payment is doubled if one team wins all the tricks - so the payment is two
chips in Half, After or when everyone passes, or in Five, Six or Seven with a suit other than clubs as
trumps, and four chips in Five Six or Seven with clubs as trumps.
If the bid is Solo, with a suit other than clubs as trumps, the bidder wins 4 chips from each opponent if he
succeeds in winning all the tricks and pays 4 each otherwise. In Solo with clubs as trumps the bidder
wins 8 chips from each opponent for winning every trick and loses 8 each otherwise.
Variation
Some play that if no one bids, the caller and partner pay two chips each if they lose, exactly as though the
caller had bid Half or After.


Rules of Card Games: Train
Train
This page is partly based on a contribution from Sarah Ash
Introduction
Equipment and Preparation

The Play
The Scoring
Mexican Train
Other Train WWW Pages
Introduction
Train is a domino game, played mainly in the USA. The basic version described here is for four players,
but it is easily adapted for other numbers.
Equipment and Preparation

A double twelve set of dominoes is used. This contains all possible pairs of numbers from 0 (blank) to
12, giving 91 pieces in all. In addition some coins are used as markers: one penny for each player and
one nickel.
The dominoes are shuffled and distributed as equally as possible among the players. With four playing,
three will have 23 dominoes and one will have 22. The players stand their dominoes on edge so that their
faces are visible to the owner but not to the other players.
The Play
The player who has the 12-12 begins the first game by placing it in the centre of the table. Players then
take turns, in clockwise order around the table, to add one domino to the layout. Each player has their
own train, which is a single row of dominoes starting from the 12-12 in the centre and extending
towards the player. The ends of adjacent dominoes must match in number and the centre facing end of
the first domino played must match the centre domino, in this case a 12. A single train built might look
like this:
In addition to the players' trains there is an extra row of dominoes called the caboose. To begin with
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players are only entitled to add a domino to their own player or to the caboose. The nickel is placed on
the caboose, to distinguish it from the other trains and show that it is open to all players. The caboose can
be started by any player, beginning like the other trains with a domino which has a 12 at one end to
match the centre domino. The whole layout, with four players' trains and a caboose, might look
If you find at your turn that none of the ends of your dominoes matches the free ends of the layout on
which you are allowed to play, you must pass. In addition, you must place a penny on your train, which
indicates that the other players are now allowed to add a domino to it, as an alternative to playing on their
own train or the caboose.
At each turn, a player must if possible play one domino either to their own train, or to the caboose, or to a
train with a penny on it. If they are unable to play they must pass and place a penny on their own train (or
leave the penny there if there already is one). If a player whose train has a penny manages to play a
domino (either on their own train or elsewhere), this entitles them to remove the penny from their train,
so that other players are no longer allowed to add to it.

The Scoring
The game ends as soon as one player runs out of dominoes, or when the layout becomes blocked so that
no one can play. The player who ran out of dominoes, or the player with fewest points in case of a block,
is the winner, and scores the total number of points on the dominoes remaining in the other players'
hands. In case of a block with a tie for winner, the winners share the other players' points.
The second game is begun with the 11-11 (so everyone's train and the caboose must begin with an 11),
the third game begins with the 10-10, and so on down to the double blank. When all thirteen games have
been played, the scores are totalled and the player with the highest score wins.
Mexican Train
This is a variation of Train, the main differences being as follows:
1. Not all of the dominoes are distributed at the start. Up to 4 players take 15 dominoes each, 5 or 6
take 12 each, 7 or 8 take 10 each, and 9 or 10 players take 8 each. The remaining dominoes are left
face down in the boneyard. If no one has the double required to start players draw equally from
the boneyard until it is found. The player who played the initial double also plays the next domino
(as in rule 4 below) and the turn to play then continues clockwise.
2. The spare train (caboose) open to all the players is called the Mexican Train.
3. If you are unable to play you draw one domino from the boneyard, which you must play if you
can. If the drawn domino is not playable you pass and place a penny on your train if it does not
already have one. When the boneyard is empty the game continues without drawing as in basic
Trains.
4. Whenever you play a double you must play an extra domino, which may go anywhere on the
layout where you are allowed to play - not necessarily on the double you just played. If you cannot
play a second tile you must draw (if available) and if the drawn tile is not playable you pass and
put a penny on your train. If the extra domino you play is a second double, you must play a third
domino, and so on. Your turn ends after you play one domino that is not a double or (being unable
to do so) you pass and place your penny. The only exception to this is that if your very last domino
is a double you may go out with it and the game is scored.
5. After a double (plus extra domino) is played, if person who played the double chose not to play
their extra domino on the double but elsewhere, the next domino added to the layout must be
played on the double (this is called "satisfying" the double). This duty falls first on the next player
after the person who played the double. If they can satisfy the double they must do so - even
though it may be in a private train where they could not normally have played. If they cannot
satisfy the double from hand, they draw a tile and if that does not match the double either they pass
and place a penny and the duty of satisfying the double passes to the following player in turn. If a
player plays several doubles in one turn, each of the doubles played must be satisfied, in the order
that they were played.
6. At the end of the play - when someone gets rid of all their dominoes or no one can play - instead of
the winner scoring for the dominoes held by the other players, each player scores as penalty points
the spots on the dominoes they have left. The object is to accumulate as few points as possible

over the 13 games.
Other Train WWW Pages

The Domino Plaza has rules for Mexican Train.
There are two Train pages by Joe Celko in the Game Cabinet: Basic Trains (a very brief outline) and
Mexican Trains (a fuller description). Both of these give somewhat different versions from the above
rules.


Rules of Card Games: Mighty
Mighty
This page is based on contributions from Jun Chulmin, Miller Kim and John Pannell and Dan Roth.
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The bidding
Exchanging cards and calling a partner
The play
Scoring
Variations
Tactics
Other Mighty web pages
Introduction
The card game Mighty is said to have been invented by Korean college students in the mid 1970's, and it
is still mostly current or former students that play it. It is known by the English name "Mighty" even in
Korea. It is also played by some groups in North America.
Mighty is a point-trick game with bidding. In each hand the high bidder chooses a partner by calling a
card, and these two players try to take enough of the scoring cards (A, K, Q, J, 10) to fulfill the bid. The
basic version for five players will be described first, followed by versions for other numbers of players
from three to eight. There are several variations of the rules, which will be described at the end.
Players and cards

The basic game is played by five players, using a standard 52 card deck with one joker - 53 cards in all.
The cards in each suit rank from high to low A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. The ace, king, queen, jack
and ten of each suit are worth one point each, so that the pack contains 20 points in all. The other cards
have no value.
There are three cards with special powers:
the mighty is the A unless spades are trumps in which case it is the A. It is the most powerful
card in the pack, beating all others;
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the joker is the second most powerful card, but loses its power if the ripper is led;
the ripper or joker hunter is the 3 unless clubs are trumps, in which case it is the 3. If led,
the ripper forces the joker to be played and robs it of its power.
The Mighty and the Joker are together referred to as the Magic Cards because of their properties and
strength.
Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random. Thereafter the holder of the called card becomes the dealer for the
next hand.
The cards are shuffled by the dealer and cut by the player to dealer's left. Ten cards are then dealt to each
player, one at a time, starting with the player immediately to the dealer's left. The last three cards are
placed face-down in the center of the table to form the blind.
Bidding
In the first hand the dealer starts the bidding. In subsequent hands the bidding is begun by whoever was
the declarer in the previous hand. The bidding continues clockwise around the table for as many circuits
as necessary until the highest bidder and contract are established. At your turn you can pass or bid. A bid
specifies the number of points to be taken (minimum 13, maximum 20) and the proposed trump suit or
"no-trump". One would say, for example, 13 with hearts, 14 with no-trump, 16 with spades, full
score(20) with clubs, etc.
Each bid must be higher than the one preceding it. A bid for a greater number of points is higher than a
bid for a lesser number, and a no-trump bid is higher than a bid of an equal number of points with a
trump suit. There is no priority order between the suits, so if the previous bid was 14 with diamonds your
options are to bid 14 with no-trump, or 15 or more with any suit or no-trump, or to pass.
If you bid and another player bids higher, you can bid again when the turn comes back to you, provided
that your new bid is the highest so far. A player who has passed cannot bid again during the auction. If a
bid is made then the auction continues until all the players except one have passed. That one player who
has not passed is the declarer and the final bid is the contract.
It is unusual for all five players to pass. If it happens, there is a second round of bidding in which players
have another chance to bid. If everyone passes again the cards are thrown in and there is a redeal by the
same dealer.
Exchanging cards and calling a partner

The declarer (the last and highest bidder) now exposes the three cards of the blind and then adds them to
his hand and discards any three of his cards face down, bringing his hand back to 10 cards. If the cards
discarded by the declarer include any scoring cards, these points count for the declarer's team.
At this point the declarer can change the trump suit or change from trumps to no-trump or vice versa, but

in order to do so must increase the level of the bid. If changing from one suit to another or from
no-trumps to a suit the bid level must be increased by two. If changing from a suit to no-trump it must be
increased by one. The declarer cannot change the bid level by any other amount, nor can the level be
raised without changing trumps.
The declarer may then name a card, and whoever holds this card becomes the declarer's partner or
friend. Any card can be called, including the mighty or the joker. The holder of the called card must not
reveal who they are at this stage. The identity of the partner will only become clear during the play of the
hand - when the called card is played or when the partner wins a trick containing scoring cards. It is also
possible for the declarer to play alone by declaring "no friend" or by calling a card that is in the declarer's
hand or has been discarded.
If the final bid was '20 with no-trump', when calling a partner, the declarer is also permitted to say which
suit he would like his partner to lead after winning a trick, so as to pass control back to the declarer. The
declarer would say, for example, "full-20 with no-trump and I need hearts from my friend".
The Play
The declarer leads to the first trick, and is not allowed to lead a trump, nor the joker, nor the joker hunter
(ripper). The other players, in clockwise order, each play one card from their hands. The winner of each
trick leads to the next trick. In the second and subsequent tricks any card may be led.
Players must follow suit when possible, except when playing the mighty or joker as described below. A
player unable to follow suit is free to play any card. A trick is won by
the mighty, if it was played;
the joker, unless the mighty was played or the ripper was led;
the highest trump played, if not beaten by the mighty or joker;
the highest card of the suit led, if not beaten by a trump, the mighty or the joker.
All point cards (10 and higher) won in tricks by a player not known to be in the declaere's team are
displayed face up in front of that player. All other cards - the tricks won by declarer's team and the
non-scoring cards played to other tricks - are kept in a single face-down pile in front of the declarer,
along with the discard.
If you hold the called card and win a trick containing point cards, you are allowed (but not forced) at this
point to announce that you are the partner and add your tricks to declarer's pile. If you choose not to
reveal yourself, the fact that you are the partner will only become officially known when you play the
called card. When the declarer's partner is identified, any point cards in front of this player are also added
to declarer's pile.
The Mighty always wins the trick it is played to, and it can be played to any trick, even if you could have
followed suit. However, it still functions as a card of its suit in the following cases:
1. if the suit of the mighty is led, and the mighty is the only card you have in that suit, you have to
play it;
2. if the mighty is led, the other players have to play the suit of the mighty if they can.

The Joker is the second highest ranking card unless the Joker Hunter is led. The Joker can be played to
any trick except the first or the last, even if you could have followed suit. If you lead the Joker to a trick,
you can nominate the suit that the other players must play to that trick if they can.
The Joker Hunter (or Ripper) has no special power to win a trick, but if it is led, the player who holds
the Joker is compelled to play it, unless he also has a Mighty which he may choose to play instead. When
the Joker is 'ripped' by the Joker Hunter, it cannot win the trick. Unless someone plays the mighty, the
trick is thereforw won the highest trump, or if none are played, by the highest card of the Joker Hunter's
suit.
Scoring
The scores are kept in such a way that they add up to zero, representing the amount won or lost by each
player. The score can be recorded on paper or you can settle up in money or chips after each hand.
At the end of the play, the scoring cards won by the declarer's opponents are counted, and the total is
subtracted from 20 to find out how many scoring cards the declarer's team won. If this is equal to or more
than the bid, then the declarer's team has succeeded. Each defender loses one unit for each point bid
above 12. Two units per point above 12 are collected by the declarer and one by the partner. For example
for a bid of 15, each defender loses 3 points (15 - 12), the declarer wins 6 and the partner wins 3.
If the declarer's team was unsuccessful these payments are reversed. Each defender wins one unit for
each point bid above 12, the declarer has to pay two thirds of these units and the partner one third.
If the declarer played alone, all four defenders pay the declarer one unit per point bid above 12 if the
contract succeeds, and the declarer pays them each the same amount if it fails.

Mighty has been adapted to be played by any number from three to eight. There are a number of ways of
doing this. They involve adjusting the number of cards in the pack, (sometimes) the number of cards
dealt, the partnership arrangements, and the scoring. Here are the details.
Three players (Jun, Chulmin's version)
The 2 - 6 of each suit are removed, leaving 33 cards - 10 for each player and three in the blind. The
Joker Hunter is the 7, or the 7 if clubs are trumps. The holder of the joker in each hand deals
the next.
The declarer does not call a partner but always plays alone against the other two. The minimum
bid is 11 and the declarer receives from or pays to each opponent one unit per point bid above 10.
Four players (Jun, Chulmin's version)
All the twos and fours and the two red threes are removed from the pack, leaving 43 cards - 10 for
each player and three in the blind. The minimum bid is 12. Declarer calls a partner as in the
five-player game. The defenders pay or receive one unit for each point bid over 11. If the contract
is successful the declarer and partner divide the winnings equally; if they lose they divide the loss -
or (by prior agreement) some play that the declarer pays the whole loss and the called partner pays

nothing.
Four players (Chicago version)
Remove the 2 and 2 leaving 51 cards - 12 for each player and three in the blind. The gain or
loss is divided between declarer and partner in a ratio of 2:1. This results in some fractional scores;
to avoid these the following table may be used:
Contract 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Declarer 1 3 4 5 7 8 9 11
Partner 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5
Defenders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Six, seven or eight players (Chicago version)
In Chicago, a two deck version of Mighty was developed to allow six or more people to play. Two
jokers are included, for a total of 106 cards. A few cards may be removed from the pack to make
the deal even as follows:
six players - use all the cards; deal 17 cards each;
seven players - remove both 2's and both 2's; deal 14 cards each;
eight players - remove both 2's, both 2's, one 2 and one 2; deal 12 cards each.
There are always four cards in the blind. The minimum bid is 25 and the maximum is 40. If the
declarer changes to a new trump suit after looking at the blind, the bid must be increased by three;
if changing to no-trump it must be increased by two.
The declarer calls two partners by naming two distinct cards. The players (other than the declarer)
who play the first copies of each of these cards join the declarer's team, which therefore normally
consists of three players. Either partner can announce themselves when they win a trick containing
point cards. If the other partner is not yet known, the player making such an announcement must
say which of the two called cards it is based on. It can sometimes happen that the declarer only has
one partner - for example if a single player has both copies of both called cards.
When two identical cards are played to the same trick, the first played beats the second.
The defenders win or lose one unit for each point bid in excess of 24. The gain or loss is divided
among the declarer's team in such a way that the declarer wins or loses twice as much as the each
of declarer's partners. Fractional scores can be avoided by using the scoring tables on John
Pannell's Mighty page
Variations
Some play that the bidding is begun by the partner (holder of the called card) from the previous hand - or
the first of the two partners in the double deck game.
Some play that when picking up the blind, the declarer does not show it to the other players.
Some play that when changing the trump suit, the bid level is only increased by one. If the bid is 20 the
trump suit can simply be changed without increasing the bid.

Some play that the declarer is not allowed to call a card that is in his own hand or that he has discarded in
order to play without a friend. If he wants to play alone he can only do so by announcing "no friend".
Others do not allow the declarer ever to play alone.
Some play that the holder of the called card is not allowed to announce his identity when winning a trick
containing points. The partnerships only become known formally when the called card is played.
Some play that in the following cases the score for the hand is doubled (everyone wins or loses twice as
much):
declarer plays with no trump suit;
declarer buries the Mighty in the blind;
declarer buries the Joker in the blind;
declarer bids a 'grand-slam' (all 20 points).
If several of these things happen, the doubles are cumulative. For example if you bid no-trump and bury
the Mighty and the Joker, the score is multiplied by 8.
In John Pannell's version, if the contract is 17 or higher (in a game with 4 or 5 player), the declarer can
on one occasion during the hand instruct partner to win the trick. Partner does not have to obey. In the 6
to 8 player double deck game, if the contract is 34 or higher the declarer may issue two such instructions
during a hand.
It is not quite clear, but it may be that some players score a successful contract according to the number
of points actually taken by the declarer's team, rather than according to the number that was bid.
It seems that some people play that the joker may be played to the first last trick, but in that case it loses
all its power and becomes the lowest card of the pack.
Tactics
As in any strategic trick-taking game it is important to keep track of which cards have been played,
especially the trump suit cards and magic cards. It is also important to use the Mighty and Joker to
maximum effect, and to avoid having the Mighty forced out by a spade lead when you have no spades or
the Joker by the Joker hunter.
It is possible to employ some conventions in the bidding. Suggestions for bidding and play tactics can be
found on John Pannell's Mighty: Bidding and Play page.
Other Mighty web pages

Another description of Mighty (from which some of the information on this page was taken) can be
found on John Pannell's page Mighty: The Card Game



Rules of Card Games: Minnesota Whist
Minnesota Whist
This page is based on a contribution from Marisa Johnson
This game is reported to be very popular in northern Minnesota, where it is just called Whist.
Players
There are four players in two fixed partnerships. Partners sit facing each other. The game is played
clockwise.
Cards
4 3 2. There are no trumps.
Deal
The dealer deals out all the cards one at a time so that each player has 13.
High / Low Bids

Each hand is played either "high" or "low". If it is played "high", the partnership that takes at least 7 of
the 13 tricks scores points. If it is played "low", a partnership must take 6 or fewer tricks to avoid losing
points.
All four players indicate whether they wish to play the hand as "high" or "low" by simultaneously
placing a card face down in front of them. A black card indicates that they wish to play "high"; a red card
indicates that they wish to play "low". Usually players pick their lowest red or black card to represent
their bid.
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each person turns over their bidding card in turn. If the
card is red, the next player to the left turns over their card. If any card is black, all revealing of bid cards
stops and the hand is played "high". Only if all four bidding cards are red is the hand played "low".
The partnership containing the person who showed black first is said to have "granded".
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Play and Scoring with High Bid

The player to the right of the person who granded leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit. The
player of the highest card in the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next. When all 13 tricks have been
played, the side which won more tricks scores 1 point for each trick they won in excess of 6.
Play and Scoring with Low Bid

The player to the left of the dealer leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit. The player of the
highest card in the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next. When all 13 tricks have been played, the
side which won more tricks loses 1 point for each trick they have in excess of 6.
End of the Game

The partnership which first reaches 13 points wins the game. This takes several deals.
Variations
Tanya Veverka reports a difference in the scoring in her family's version, which is played in
southwestern Minnesota. In the case of a high bid, the if the side that did not grand takes more than 6
tricks, they receive 2 points for each trick they won in excess of 6. If the side that granded wins more
than 6 tricks, they receive just 1 point for each trick in excess of 6 as usual. This type of scoring reflects
the idea that granding is like undertaking a contract, and the penalty for failing should be greater than the
reward for succeeding.
Tactics
The Invite
When a person leads for the first time, it is called an "invite". (Thus there are usually four invites
during a game.)
Tactics for the high bid
When playing high, the invite should be the lowest card of the player's best suit. This gives their
partner a hint as to what to lead later on if their own hand is weak, yet doesn't give away the true
strength of inviter's hand. The inviter's partner should respond by playing their highest card in this
suit. This gives the inviter a sense of what the partner has to offer during the hand.
Sometimes when it comes to the partner's turn to invite (after having won a trick), they will choose
instead of leading their own suit to lead back their partner's suit. To do this indicates to one's
partner that one has a very weak hand.
The most important invite is the first lead by the person who "granded" earlier - this indicates to
everyone the strongest suit of a person who considered themselves to have a strong hand.

Tactics for the low bid

Playing low is generally considered more difficult than playing high. The invite during a low game
should be the highest card of a player's weakest suit. This gives their partner a hint as to what to
lead later on. The response of this person's partner is to play their highest card in this suit as well.


Rules of Card Games: Mittlere Jass
Mittlere Jass / Molotow Jass / Plus-Minus

Jass
The description of Mittlere Jass was contributed by Nick Wedd
Mittlere Jass
Players and Cards

The Deal and Play
Scoring
Advice on Play
Molotow Jass
Plus-Minus Jass
Software
Mittlere Jass
Mittlere is an unusual Swiss Jass game for three players. It is a point trick game, with the basic object of
each hand being to avoid ending up with the middle score.
Players and Cards

Mittlere is played with a 36-card jass pack. There are four suits: acorns, shields, flowers, and bells. In
each suit, there are nine cards: ace (or sow), king, ober, under, banner, 9, 8, 7, 6. If you cannot obtain
such a pack, you can play it with a bridge or poker pack, using queens for obers, jacks for unders, 10s for
banners, and discarding cards smaller than 6s.
The rank of the cards (followed by their point values in brackets) within each suit is:
Ace(11), King(4), Ober(3), Under(2), Banner(10), 9(0), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0).
However the rank within the trump suit is:
Under(20), 9(14), Ace(11), King(4), Ober(3), Banner(10), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0).
These points count to the player winning the trick containing the card. There is also a bonus of 5 points
to the player winning the last trick. Thus there is a total of 157 points in the pack.
The Deal and Play

The deal, and the play, are anticlockwise. The dealer deals all the cards out, in threes, starting with the
player on his right. After each hand the deal rotates to the right. A game consists of twelve hands, so each
player eventually deals four times.
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The play is in tricks. The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, and thereafter the winner of each
trick leads to the next. The other players are obliged to follow suit. Eventually, a player will be unable to
follow suit, having no cards in the suit led: then, that player may play any card, and the suit of that card
becomes trumps for the rest of the hand. Thereafter, a player who is able to follow suit must either do so
or play a trump [in Swiss Jass games you are allowed to trump even if you have cards in the led suit];
while a player who cannot follow suit may play any card that she holds. A trick is won by the highest
trump in it; or if there were no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led.
If a non-trump is led, and the second player plays a trump, the third player may only player a smaller
trump if void in the suit led. If she is not void, she must either follow suit or play a higher trump.
A player is never compelled to play the Under of trumps (also known as the Puur). If trumps are led, and
a player holds no trump other than the Puur, she need not play it but may play any other card.
If all the suits split evenly, there will be no trump suit. In this unlikely case, so that the pack will still add
up to 157 points, the 8s are counted as 8 points each.
Scoring
Scoring is by means of sticks (which one tries to win) and potatoes (which one tries to avoid). At the end
of a hand, it is scored as follows:
1. If a player wins all the tricks, she receives two sticks and the other two players receive a potato
each; otherwise,
2. If a player wins no tricks, she receives two potatoes and the other two players receive a stick each;
otherwise,
3. If a player wins 100 or more points, she receives two potatoes and the other two players receive a
stick each; otherwise,
4. If two players make the same score, they receive a potato each and the third player receives two
sticks; otherwise,
5. The player with the intermediate score receives two potatoes and the other two players receive a
stick each.
On each hand, look down the list until you find something that has happened, and score only for that, not
for subsequently listed things. Thus if player A takes 121 points, player B takes 36 points, and player C
takes no tricks, then item 2 specifies that player C receives two potatoes and the others receive a stick
each. Player A does not get potatoes for taking 100 points.
This shows a scoring slate after four hands have

been played. Note that when a player has both
sticks and potatoes, they are drawn through one
another so as to cancel out. Player A has three
sticks and two potatoes for a total of one stick, B
has four sticks, and C has six potatoes and one
stick for a total of five potatoes.

Advice on Play
A player who takes from 79 to 99 points is guaranteed a stick, as both the others will have taken fewer
points. A player who takes a trick but fewer than 29 points is guaranteed a stick as either an opponent has
taken 100 points, or both opponents have taken more points. Thus a player who can ensure his score
ending up in one of these ranges should do so.
It is usually good to be the player who chooses trumps. To make this more likely, it is a good idea to start
by leading short suits.
Among beginners, the idea of taking a fairly small number of points often looks more attractive than the
idea of taking a large number which does not exceed 100. An effect of this is often that two players
struggle over which of them is to take fewer points, while the third takes around 80 in comfort.
A player who takes no tricks will receive a potato. You should therefore ensure winning a trick on every
hand. With a weak hand, it is better to win the trick early; otherwise the other two players may start
cooperating to prevent you from winning one.
The most useful cards to hold are 6s, as they are guaranteed exits (so long as you are sure that there is
another card in the suit). Aces are also valuable. Kings and Obers are rather a nuisance. So in leading at
the start of a hand, Aces and 6s should be preserved, preferably with another card in the same suit to
guard them. A singleton King is often a good lead.
The most useful thing to count is trumps; then the points that one has taken; then the cards in the other
suits; then the points that the other players have taken. It may seem difficult to count trumps, when you
don't know what suit they are; but there is an easy way of doing this. Start by remembering the shape of
your hand, 5-4-2-1 say. Then when the first trump appears, compare the cards left in your hand with this
initial distribution, and as everyone has followed suit up till now, you will be able to work out how many
cards remain in each suit.
An early trick may contain an Unter, a 9, or both. If you win such a trick, bear in mind that if that suit
becomes trumps, the trick will be worth more than otherwise.
It is generally good to win early tricks (even ones containing Unters and 9s) as they allow you to choose
the lead. Leading early in the hand is good, as you can preserve your useful cards and get rid of your

doubtful ones. Leading late in the hand is generally bad, as your opponents will know what they are
trying to do by then, and will trump the tricks that you wanted to win, or duck the ones that you wanted
to lose.
The chance that the suits will all split evenly and there will be no trump suit, is so remote that it should
be ignored. Do not bother noticing who wins the 8s.
Molotow Jass
This is a game for 4 players, from which Mittlere was derived. Nine cards are dealt to each player and the
rules of play are exactly as in Mittlere.
If all four players take different numbers of points all less than 100, the middle two players get a potato
each and the players with most and least points score a stick each. There is no penalty for taking no
tricks. If the middle two players tie, the result is the same.
A player who takes at least 100 but less than 157 points scores three potatoes and the other three players
get a stick each.
A player who takes 157 points score three sticks and the other three get a potato each. This can
conceivably be done without winning all the tricks, if one of the other players wins a trick other than the
last with no points in it.
If all players take less than 100 points and there is a tie between two players, the result is as follows:
If the tie is for most points, the tieing players do not score, the third player gets a potato, and the
player with the lowest score gets a stick.
If the tie is between the middle players they each get a potato and the highest and lowest players
get a stick as usual.
If the tie is for least points, the player with most points gets a stick, the second player gets a potato,
and the tieing players do not score.
If all players take less than 100 points and there is a three-way tie, then the player with the odd score
scores a stick. The other three players cut cards and whoever draws the highest card gets the potato; the
other two players do not score.
Plus-Minus Jass
This can be played by 3 or 4 people. The cards are dealt equally and are played as in Mittlere or
Molotow. It is played for sticks only - there are no potatoes. The winner is the first player to score 7
sticks. If several players reach 7 in the same hand, the game is continued until there is a clear leader.
If all the players except one tie for card points, the tieing players do not score, and the player who has a
different card point total scores two sticks.
Otherwise, if everyone scores less than 100 points, the player who has least card points and the player
who has most card points score a stick each. A player who takes 100 points or more does not score, and

in that case it is only the player who has least points who gets a stick.
If in the four player game there is a tie between two players for most or for least card points, neither of
these players scores, but one stick is held in abeyance between these two tieing players until the next
hand on which only one of them scores a stick or sticks, and is then given to the scoring player.
Software
Michael Gasser's Jass!! program plays Plus-Minus and two other Jass variations. You can play against
the computer or over the Internet.


Rules of Card Games: Mizerka
Mizerka
This popular Polish game was shown to me by Micha Wojwoda of dz.
It is a three-player game using a standard 52 card pack, the cards in each suit ranking as usual frrom ace
(high) down to two (low).
The game is played clockwise. Any player can deal first and the turn to deal passes clockwise. In each
deal the player to the dealer's left chooses among the six possible contracts. Each player must choose
each contract once, and after 18 deals, when everyone has played every contract the game ends.
The possible contracts are: clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds, no trumps and mizerka. In the first four the
aim is to win tricks, with the named suit as trumps. In "no trumps" the aim is to win tricks, but without a
trump suit. In mizerka there are also no trumps, but the aim is to avoid winning tricks.
The dealer deals the cards one at a time into four piles - a hand for each of the three players and a talon.
After six cards each have been dealt, the deal pauses and the player to dealer's left must select the
contract on the basis of his or her first six cards. After the contract has been announced, the deal is
completed, so that each player has a hand of 13 cards and there is a face-down talon of 13 cards.
The player to the dealer's left may now discard any number of unwanted cards and replace them by
drawing cards from the top of the talon. Having drawn replacement cards you are not allowed to discard
any further cards. The player to dealer's right may then discard any number of cards up to the number of
unused cards remaining in the talon and replenish in the same manner. Finally, if there are any cards left
in the talon (which is unusual) the dealer may do the same. No player is obliged to discard any cards at
all - you may play with your original hand if you wish to.
The player to dealer's left now leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible. A player who
has no card of the suit led may play any card. There is no obligation to trump or to overtake. The trick is
won by the highest trump played if any, or otherwise by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a
Each player has a quota of tricks to make, and scores according the number of tricks they win more or
less than their quota. The quotas and scores are as follows:
Trumps or no trumps Mizerka
Player
Quota Score Quota Score
Left of dealer 7 tricks 1 trick

Each trick above quota +1 Each trick above quota -1
Right of dealer 5 tricks 5 tricks
Each trick below quota -1 Each trick below quota +1
Dealer 1 trick 7 tricks
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Rules of Card Games: Mizerka
The scoresheet looks like this:
NT Miz
Player A
Player B
Player C
In the left-hand section an "X" is marked to show the contracts that each player has chosen. The
cumulative scores of the players are kept in the area to the right.
Example. Suppose that in the first deal player A chooses hearts as trumps and wins 5 tricks, B and C
winning 4 tricks each. Then A loses 2 points, B loses 1 point C wins 3 points. In the second deal player B
plays a mizerka and wins 2 tricks, C wins 6 tricks and A wins 5, so that B and C each lose a point and A
wins 2 points. The scoresheet would then look like this:
NT Miz
Player A X -2 0
Player B X -1 -2
Player C +3 +2
The scores always add up to zero, and the the score after all 18 hands have been played indicates how
much each player has won or lost.
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Rules of Card Games: Mus
Mus
This description was written by John McLeod, and revised to incorporate corrections and extra material from
Fernando Hernandez Morondo, Stephan Ocker and Joseph Jaureguy.
Mus is a popular Spanish game, of Basque origin. It is unusual in that although its mechanics - drawing cards
and then betting on who has the best hand - are reminscent of gambling games like Poker, Mus is a partnership
game which does not need to be (and usually is not) played for money.
Mus is actually quite quick and straightforward to play, with a lot of scope for bluff and jokes. Please don't be
put off by the fact that the description below may look rather long and complicated. This is mainly because the
betting procedure, though quite simple in practice, is a little tricky to explain accurately in words.
Contents
Players and Cards
Object of the Game
Deal and Mus
The four ways of comparing hands
Grande
Chica
Pares
Juego
The Betting
Betting on the Grande and the Chica
Betting on the Pares and the Juego
rdago
The Showdown and Scoring
Scoring the Grande and the Chica
Scoring the Pares
Scoring the Juego or Punto
Keeping the score - piedras and amarracos
The Signals
Variations
Mus with four kings and four aces
Juego Real
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Variations in Signals
Mus Visto
Replacement cards for 4-5-6-7
Mus with Ten Kings
Mus for three, five or six players
Other Mus WWW pages
Players and Cards

Mus is a game for 4 players in fixed partnerships; as usual you sit opposite your partner. It is played
anticlockwise.
The standard 40 card Spanish pack is used. The suits are swords, batons, cups and coins, and each suit
consisting of Rey (R), Caballo (C), Sota (S), 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace (A). The Rey (or King) has a crown and is
numbered 12 on the card, the Caballo rides a horse and is numbered 11, and the Sota is numbered 10.
In the game of Mus the suits have no significance. Also the 3's are equivalent to kings and the 2's are
equivalent to aces. So for the purposes of Mus the pack effectively consists of eight kings (Rey), four each of
Caballo, Sota, 7, 6, 5 and 4, and eight aces. The ranking order of the cards is:
R or 3 A or 2
C S 7 6 5 4
(highest) (lowest)
10 points 10 points 10 points 7 points 6 points 5 points 4 points 1 point
The cards also have point values, shown above, which are used only in the fourth and final stage of each deal,
the juego.
Object of the Game

Each game is won by the first team to reach 40 points (this will usually take several hands). Normally the best
of three games is played, so the overall winners are the first team to win two games. The points are counted

using small stones (piedras). Points are scored for having the best hand of cards in each of four categories:
Grande (high), Chica (low), Pares (pairs) and Juego (game). Players can try to increase the points scored for
any category by betting. The betting on each category is taken in strict order, and only after all four betting
rounds are complete is there a showdown where the hands of the players are compared and the points
calculated.
In this account I shall use the word round to mean a round of betting on one of the four categories. A hand is
the period of play from the deal, through the four rounds of betting and the showdown to the final scoring. A
game consists of however many hands it takes until one team reaches 40 points, and the match consists of two
or three games, the side which wins two games winning the match.
Deal and Mus

The dealer shuffles, the player to dealer's left cuts, and the dealer
deals the cards (anticlockwise) one at a time until each player has
four. The player to dealer's right, who speaks first in each round of
betting, is known as the mano.
Mus is a proposal that all four players should have a chance to
improve their hands by discarding one or more cards. This can
only happen if all four players agree. The players speak in turn
starting with the mano. If all four agree to change cards by saying
"Mus" the discard takes place as described below, but if any player
disagrees by saying "No hay mus" there is no opportunity to
discard and the game proceeds immediately to the first round of
betting.
If everyone said "Mus", then each player in turn, starting with the
mano, discards from one to four cards face down and is dealt an
equal number of new cards. The players look at their new hands
and there is another opportunity to propose "Mus" as before.
If the players keep on agreeing to Mus, eventually the dealer will run out of cards. If this happens while more
than one player requires cards, all the discards are shuffled to form a new stock to deal from. If the cards run
out while only one player is short, then the cards excluding that player's discard are shuffled to make a new
stock.
The four ways of comparing hands

The players compete to establish who has the best cards in each of four different categories, Grande, Chica,
Pares and Juego, which will now be explained.
Note: In all cases, if two hands are otherwise equal the winner is the mano, or the earlier player after the mano
in anticlockwise order. In the diagram, in case of equality, A beats B who beats C who beats D.

Grande (High)
This is won by the hand with the highest cards. In comparing two hands the cards in each are arranged in
descending order. The hand with the higher first card wins, or if these are equal the hand with the higher
second card, or if these are equal too, the higher third card, or if the first three cards are tied the higher fourth
card.
For example, R-3-4-4 beats R-C-C-C for the Grande, because the 3, being equivalent to a king, beats the first
Caballo.
In the absence of betting on the Grande, the side with the best Grande wins one stone.
Chica (Low)
This is won by the lowest hand. The cards are arranged in ascending order and the hand with the lower first
card wins, or if these are equal the lower second card, and so on.
For example, R-3-4-4 beats R-C-C-C for the Chica as well as the Grande, because the 4 is smaller than the
Caballo.
In the absence of betting on the Chica, the side with the best Chica wins one stone.
Pares (Pairs)
These are sets of two or more cards of equal rank. There are three types. In ascending order they are:
Par Simple
Two cards of equal rank and two of different ranks - such as R-S-S-5 or 7-6-2-A (because twos and aces
are equal). The hand with the higher pair wins, and the other two cards are irrelevant even if the pairs are
equal. Therefore between 7-7-4-3 and R-C-7-7, the winner is the mano or the earliest player after the
mano in anticlockwise order.
Medias
Three cards of equal rank and one card of a different rank, such as R-R-3-6. The hand with the higher set
of three cards wins, and the rank of the fourth card is irrelevant.
Duples
Two pairs of cards of equal rank, such as C-C-5-5. There is no special significance if all four cards are of
the same rank - this just counts as two equal pairs. If more than one player has duples, the higher pair is
compared first, then the lower pair. So C-C-5-5 beats S-S-S-S because the Caballo is higher than the
Sota, and C-C-5-5 beats C-C-4-4 becaause the 5 beats the 4.
Any duples beats any medias, and any medias beats any par simple, irrespective of the ranks of the cards.
If there is no betting on the pares, whoever has the best hand scores for her own and her partner's hand as
follows:
Par Simple 1 stone
Medias 2 stones
Duples 3 stones
and the other side score nothing for any pares they may hold.

Juego (Game)
For the purposes of the Juego, the cards have point values as follows:
R or 3, C, S 10 points
7 7 points
6 6 points
5 5 points
4 4 points
A or 2 1 point
In other words pictures are worth 10 (including threes, which are really kings), and other cards are face value
(bearing in mind that twos are really aces and so are worth 1).
For the Juego, you simply add up the point values of the cards in your hand. To have a Juego you must have at
least 31 points.
The best Juego is a hand of exactly 31 points. The next best is 32. Then come in descending order 40, 37, 36,
35, 34 and 33, which is the lowest Juego. Totals of 39 and 38 are not possible, and if your cards total 30 or less
you don't have a Juego. Note that a 31 point Juego held by the Mano is unbeatable, unless you play the
variation Juego Real.
If there is no betting on the Juego, then the side with the best Juego score for both their hands: 3 stones for a
Juego of 31 and 2 stones for any other Juego. The other side score nothing.
If no one has a Juego, then you compete instead for the best Punto, which is a hand totalling 30 or fewer
points. The highest Punto is a hand with 30 points, then 29, 28 and so on, down to 4, which is the worst. If no
one bets, the player with the best Punto gets 1 stone.
The Betting
There is a round of betting for each category of hand: Grande, Chica, Pares, Juego, and they must be taken in
strict order. Each round is begun by the mano (the player to dealer's right). The mano may announce each
round so that the players know what they are currently betting on, but this is not really necessary if the players
are awake because the four rounds always occur in sequence.
Betting on the Grande and the Chica

Each round of betting is begun by the Mano , who may either pass (paso) or bet (envido). If the mano passes,
the next player in anticlockwise order may pass or bet, and so on round the table. If all four players pass, there
is no betting in that category, and the mano begins the round of betting for the next category.
A bet is a proposal to stake some number of stones, at least 2, on the outcome of the category. If no number is
mentioned, 2 is assumed, so if the mano starts the first round of betting by just saying "I bet", it is a proposal to
stake 2 stones on the Grande. It is also possible to bet a higher number by saying for example "I bet 5", or "I
bet 20".
If someone bets, the opposing team have three options. They must decide whether to:
fold (no quiero) - conceding that the betting side wins that category, irrespective of who has the best
cards, but losing only one stone;

see (quiero) - agreeing that the side with the best cards will win the amount bet; or
raise (reenvido) - proposing to raise the stake further.
Either partner may speak; if they disagree, in general the more aggressive action prevails (raise rather than see,
see rather than fold). However, it is possible for a player to overrule partner by using the plural: "we fold" or
"we see". If the opponents fold in response to the first bet of a round, the side that bet immediately win one
stone for "no". If the opponents see the bet, the scoring is deferred to the showdown at the end of the hand.
Raising is a proposal to increase the stake further, by at least 2. If no number is stated, 2 is assumed, but it is
possible to raise by any higher amount. It is helpful to state the amount of the raise and the new total - e.g. "I
bet 3", "I raise 5, making 8". After a raise, the other side now has to decide whether to fold, see or raise further,
and so on.
The round of betting continues until one side or the other either folds or sees the last bet or raise. If one side
folds, the other side immediately takes the number of stones previously staked (example: A says "I bet"; B
says "I raise, making 4"; A says "I raise 16, making 20"; B says "We fold". A and C immediately take 4
stones.) If the last bet or raise is seen, then in the showdown, the side with the best cards in that category will
win the agreed stake.
Betting on the Pares and the Juego

The betting procedure described above applies to the first two rounds, the Grande and the Chica. The
procedure for the Pares and the Juego is slightly different.
Pares Before any betting on the Pares can begin, each of the four players must announce in turn (truthfully)
whether they actually have Pares by saying "yes" or "no".
If at least one player from each partnership says "yes", then there follows a round of betting on the
Pares, using the same procedure as for the Grande and the Chica.
If both players of one partnership say "no", but one or both of the other partnership say "yes", then the
side with Pares will score for them at the end, but there is no betting.
If all four players say "no", then there will be no score for Pares at all on that hand, and of course no
betting.
Juego Before any betting on the Juego can begin, each of the four players in turn must say whether they have a
Juego - that is whether their cards total at least 31 points.
If at least one player from each partnership says "yes", then there follows a round of betting on the
Juego, using the same procedure as for the Grande and the Chica.
If both players of one partnership say "no", but one or both of the other partnership say "yes", then the
side with Juego will score for them at the end, but there is no betting.
If all four players say "no", then there will be no score for Juego, but instead, there is a competiton for
the Punto (also known as Juego No). So in this case there is a round of betting on who has the best
Punto, using the same procedure as for Grande and Chica.
rdago
rdago is a special bet - a proposal for an immediate showdown, staking the outcome of the whole game on
the current category. During any of the four rounds, a player instead of betting or raising in the normal way
may say rdago. The opponents must then either fold - conceding the loss of that category, or see it, in which

case there the cards are shown and the game is decided. The word comes from the Basque hor dago (meaning
'here it is').
Here is an example. In the first round of betting A, B and C pass, D says "I bet 5" and A says "I'll see it". So
the Grande will be worth 5 stones. Second round of betting (Chica): A says "I bet"; B says "I raise 4, making
6"; C says "rdago". B and D must now either fold or see. If they fold, A and C take 6 stones. If they see it
case whichever side has the best Chica wins the game immediately (and the 5 stones for the Grande become
irrelevant, even if they would have been enough to decide the game).
It is of course, possible to say rdago instead of the first bet of a round. If you do this and the opponents fold,
you get just one stone, for "no".
The Showdown and Scoring

After the end of the last round of betting (on the Juego or the Punto), all four players show their cards, and the
hand is scored. Again this is done in the order Grande, Chica, Pares, Juego. The order of scoring is important
because it is possible for the game to be won by one side reaching 40 points part way through the scoring
process.
Scoring the Grande and the Chica

If either side folded during the corresponding betting round there is no further score - the winners have already
had their stones. If for example A and C bet on the Chica and B and D folded, then even if B or D actually
turns out to have the best Chica there is no score for this, as they have given up their right to win the Chica by
folding (A and C have bluffed successfully).
If the betting round ended with one side seeing the other, or if everyone passed, then the hands are compared to
see which individual player has the best combination of that type, and that player's team wins the agreed
amount of stones (or one stone if everyone passed).
Example (for the Grande): A (mano) has 7-7-2-A; B has 3-3-S-2; C has R-R-S-A; D has C-C-C-6. Then B's
hand is best (B and C have equal cards but B is earlier in the order of play), so B and D win the stake for the
Grande.
Scoring the Pares

If one side folded in the betting round, then the side which made the final bet or raise automatically wins, even
if their actual Pares are not as good as the side that folded. The winning side will already have won one or
more stones for this in the betting round, but now in addition they score the appropriate amount of stones for
the Pares in their hands, that is: 1 for par simple; 2 for medias; 3 for duples. They must have at least one
example of Pares between them or they were not allowed to have bet. If both partners have Pares then both
score.
If the betting round ended with one side seeing the other, then the hands are compared to see which individual
player has the best Pares, and that player's team wins the agreed stake for the Pares, plus the value of the
Pares in both their hands.
If there was no betting, the hands are compared as above, and the winning player's team just score for the
Pares in both their hands. Of course if no one has Pares at all then no one scores.

Using the same example as before: A (mano) has 7-7-2-A; B has 3-3-S-2; C has R-R-S-A; D has C-C-C-6. A's
hand is best (duples), so A and C score for A's duples and C's par simple. Assuming that A and C have bet 4
and B and D have seen it then A and C win a total of 8 stones (3 + 1 + 4). Alternatively if A and C bet 4, B and
D raised by 6 making 10, and A and C then folded, B and D would now win 3 stones (for B's par simple and
D's medias) in addition to the 4 they won during the betting round when A and C folded.
Scoring the Juego or Punto

The principle is similar to scoring the Pares. If one side folded during the betting, then the other side has
already won, and has already taken some stones. In addition to this, if the betting was on the Juego, both
members of the winning team score the appropriate amount of stones for the Juegos in their hands (3 for 31, 2
for any other Juego). If the betting was on the Punto, they just take one additional stone for winning the Punto.
If the betting round ended with one side seeing the other, then the hands are compared to see which individual
player has the best cards. In the case of Juego, the winning player's team wins the agreed stake, plus the value
of the Juegos in both their hands. In the case of Punto, the winning player's team wins the agreed stake plus
just one extra stone for winning the Punto.
If there was no betting, but at least one player had a Juego, then the team of the player with the best Juego
scores for this and for her partner's Juego if any. If no one had a Juego, then the team of the player with the
best Punto scores one point.
Keeping the Score - piedras and amarracos

This is done with small stones or pebbles, or other convenient small objects. You need 22 of them. They all
start in a saucer in the middle of the table, and are taken and placed in front of the four players to represent the
score. Each partnership decides who will keep the ones (piedras) and who will keep the fives (amarracos).
Note: I am told that in Basque, the word is in fact hamarreko, which (oddly) means "of ten" rather than "of
five".
When a partnership wins one or more stones, the player keeping the ones simply takes the appropriate number
from the saucer and places them in front of himself. When he has five, he gives one to his partner, who is
keeping the fives, and puts the other four back in the saucer. When taking or moving stones you should always
tell the opponents how many you are taking, and why.
When the player keeping the fives has collected seven amarracos, representing 35 single stones, she must warn
the opponents by saying dentro (inside), to alert them to the fact that her team is within 5 stones of winning.
The seven amarracos are then put back in the saucer. After a team is dentro, as soon as the partner keeping the
piedras has collected 5 stones (making a total score of 40), they win.
The Signals
Certain signals are allowed, by which players can communicate to their partner what cards they hold. Naturally
they will try to do this while the opponents are not looking. Signals relating to specific card holdings must be
truthful - for example if you signal medias you must have medias. The signals which are allowed vary
somewhat between players. Here are the signals in general use:
Close (or lower) both eyes (ciego)
- means you have bad cards.

Bite your lower lip

- means you have two kings (doing this twice would show four kings).
Show the tip of your tongue
- means you have two aces (doing this twice shows four aces).
Distort your mouth to one side
- means you have medias (three of a kind).
Raise both eyebrows
- means you have duples (two pairs).
Wink
- means you have a Juego of 31.
Often it is useful for the first two players (the mano and the player opposite to the dealer) to signal their cards
to their partners, who will decide whether to mus. Sometimes the last players are also in a better position to
decide whether and how much to bet, if they know their partners' cards.
Variations
Mus with four kings and four aces
In Navarre, La Rioja, and some areas in the Basque Country, Mus is played in its original form with just four
kings and four aces. In this game the threes and twos count as themselves, not as kings and aces. The cards
rank K C S 7 6 5 4 3 2 A. In the Juego or Punto, the threes count 3 points and the twos count 2 points.
As there are fewer good cards in the pack, winning the game is less dependent on being randomly dealt an
unbeatable hand and there is greater scope for bluffing.
In this version the sign of closing both eyes (ciego) to show bad cards is generally not recognised.
Juego Real
Some players recognise a special combination called Juego Real (Royal Game), which is 31 points consisting
of three sevens and a 10 point card. This beats an ordinary Juego of 31 points, and is the only way a Juego of
31 held by the Mano can be beaten. You should agree whether you are playing this variation or not before you
start the game, otherwise heated arguments could arise later.
For some players, the 10 point card in a Juego Real must be the Sota of Coins. This of course makes it
extremely rare. There are other variations - for example that Juego Real consists of sevens of three suits and
the Sota of the fourth suit.

Juego Real is valued as 3 points, the same as any other Juego.
Variations in Signals
In Navarre and many other places, the first hand of each game is played without signals.
There are several alternative versions of the signals - both of which signals are allowed, and of what they are.
Here are some examples of additional signals:
Pout your lips, as though pronouncing the word "mus"
- means you would like to change some cards - or for some players means that you have 3 kings and an
ace
Incline your head to the right
- means you would prefer not to change cards.
Shrug one shoulder
- means you have a Punto of 30
Bite your lower lip to the left or right
- means 3 kings (a combination of the signals for kinds and medias)
Show the tip of your tongue to the left or right
- means 3 aces (a combination of the signals for aces and medias)
Mus Visto
If it happens that during the deal any card is exposed, this is called "mus visto". Some play that in this case,
all four players have one opportunity to discard any number of cards and receive replacements, without the
need for everyone to agree by saying "Mus". In the case of mus visto, you are not obliged to discard any cards -
you can keep your dealt hand if you want to. After everyone has had their opportunity to change cards, the
game continues with a normal round of saying "Mus" or "No mus".
Replacement Cards for 4-5-6-7

A hand consisting of 4-5-6-7 is one of the worst combinations you can be dealt. In this variation, a player who
is dealt these cards as an initial hand can expose it immediately and is dealt a replacement hand of four cards.
This must take place before the Mus.
Mus with Ten Kings

Roberto Alberdi reports that in Eibar (Gipuzkoa, Spain) the elders of the town play variation known as "Mus
with Ten Kings". In this version, two of the four sotas (those of cups and coins) act as jokers, but with two
limitations:
1. A joker can represent an ace or a king, but no other card.
2. A joker cannot change its value during the showdown and scoring - when the betting is complete, at the
moment when the cards are exposed, the holder of a joker must decide whether to call it an ace or a king,
and stick to that.
Example. Suppose you have three kings and one joker. Depending of the value you choose for the joker, you
can have "Duples" of kings, or "Medias" (three kings) and 31 points. This is the Mus player's dream come true

- Duples and 31 at the same time! The first option is unbeatable for "Grande" if you are "mano" and gives you
a terrific weapon in "pares"; the second is not so good at Grande and Pares, but you get the powerful 31 points
instead.
But, in the end, you cannot have both at the same time. When you show your cards for counting the
"amarracos" you have won, you have to decide the final value of the joker, the king or the ace. Obviously, the
final decision depends on how much you have bet, and thus the number of amarracos you will win from each
option. Unfortunately, you can't have it all, even when playing Mus.

There is a verion of Mus for three or five players, called Encaje or Mus Francs. This is explained on a
separate page.
Mus with six players is also possible, though this version is rarely played in Spain. There are two teams of
three players, who sit alternately (that is each player sits between two players of the opposing team). The rules
of the game and the scoring are exactly as for the four handed game. As in the four player game, the last
players of each team usually receives signals from their partners.
Joseph Jaureguy reports a variation of six player Mus which is played to 50 points rather than 40. In this
version each team elects a captain who is responsible for deciding whether to Mus, keeping track of the bets,
and counting the scores. If the table is rectangular, normally the two captains sit in the centre of each side,
facing each other, like this:
Other Mus WWW Pages

The Federacin Asturiana de Mus page has information (in Spanish) about Mus, including future tournaments.
The Cybermus site has facilities for playing Mus on line over the Internet.
The Spanish virtual community COMMM also runs a Mus server.
The organisation Duples is now promoting the game of Mus in Germany. You can find out about their
activities from the Duples home page.
Return to General Index of Card Games site This page is maintained by John McLeod
(john@pagat.demon.co.uk).

Rules of Card Games: Napalm
Napalm
Introduction
This unusual poker variant was contributed by Michael Sanderson. The exact origin is unclear, but it
seems that it may have originated in the Northeastern USA. The game was certainly played on the
Brandeis University (in Massachussetts) campus, and now has a reasonable following in the
Maryland-Virginia area as well. There are several poker games in Annapolis where this game is standard
fare. It is not known how the game acquired the name "Napalm".
Michael Sanderson writes:
This has proven to be a very interesting game, calling for frequent bluffing and allowing
substantial movement of money fairly quickly. We have found it to be a good game for a
timid poker table. Perhaps the most interesting facet is that the "winner" of the game
(getting 5 tokens first) may not be the biggest money winner, as the side bets can
collectively eclipse the final pot amount.
Andy Latto reports that he learned this same game in 1979, under the name Whipsaw.
Players, cards and equipment

There are from 4 to 7 players. A game consists of a series of hands, the turn to deal passing to the left
after each hand.
A regular poker deck is used, with 52 cards and no jokers. The game uses the standard ranking of poker
hands, but aces always count as high cards, even when playing for lowest hand.
Players need a supply of chips (or money) for betting. You also need a collection of tokens which are
different from the chips. Tokens do not have a direct monetary value; they start in a central store and are
awarded to players in certain circumstances; the first player to collect five tokens wins the pot.
Objective
There are two main objectives:
to win the gradually increasing pot by being the first to collect a pre-determined number of tokens;
to win occasional "side bets" each matching the pot amount, occuring throughout the game.
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Play
At the start of each hand, each player antes one chip into the pot. The play of the hand is then in three
stages.
First stage
Dealer starts by dealing two cards to each player. Each player looks at their own cards.
Starting at dealer's left and going round the table clockwise, each player makes a declaration "Yes" or
"No", indicating whether they believe they may have the best two card hand of those dealt (a pair of aces
is highest; any pair beats any two odd cards; highest odd card wins if no one has a pair; second card
compared only if there is a tie for highest; 3-2 is the lowest hand; in a two-card hand flushes and straights
have no value).
Each player has just one chance to say "Yes" or "No" except for one special case: if the dealer, declaring
last, sees that all others have said "No" and then says "Yes," each other player in turn has the opportunity
to "challenge" the dealer by changing their "No" announcement to a "Yes."
After all declarations, there are three possibilities:
1. If only one player has declared "Yes," that player is awarded one token from the central store.
2. If two or more players have declared "Yes", they privately show each other their hands; whichever
of them has the highest hand collects a "side bet" equal to the total number of chips currently in the
pot, paid directly to them by each of the others who said "Yes". No tokens are distributed and the
pot itself is not affected.
3. If there is a tie for best hand between players who have said "yes", there is no payment of chips
between the winning tied players. If any other players with worse hands also said "yes", then each
of these losers pays an amount equal to the total number of chips in the pot to each of the winners.
So if two players tie for best hand and beat you (both you and they having said "yes"), you have to
pay out twice as many chips as if there had been a single winner.
4. If no players have declared "Yes", no chips or tokens change hands.
Second Stage
Dealer deals three additional cards to each player (players keep their original two as well), and each
player then makes a declaration based on their belief that they have the lowest hand of five cards. Aces
still count as high, and straights and flushes now count, so the best (lowest) possible hand for this stage is
2-3-4-5-7. After the round of declarations, tokens are awarded or side bets resolved in exactly the same
way as for stage one, described above. Between several players who said "Yes", the lowest poker hand
wins.

Third Stage
Dealer deals two additional cards to each player, so that everyone has seven in all. Each player then
makes a declaration based on having the highest 5-card poker hand (selecting whichever 5 of their 7
cards make the best hand). The declarations and token award or side bets are again handled as in the first
stage, with the highest five-card poker hand winning any contest between players who said "Yes". The
cards are then thrown in and shuffled, the turn to deal passes to the left, and a new hand begins with stage
one, each player putting another chip into the pot.
Winning the pot

With each new dealer, each player antes an additional chip. (By player agreement, this may be limited to
every other new dealer, to keep the pot from rising too quickly).
As soon as any player collects five tokens (or another pre-agreed target number) the game is immediately
over, and the winner (the player with the five tokens) takes all the chips in the pot.


Rules of Card Games: Links to Napoleon
Napoleon
The card game Napoleon, also known as Nap, originated in Britain in the 19th century.
For rules, see Dave Barker's Napoleon page.
Wireplay offers an on-line Nap game.

http://www.pagat.com/trumps/napoleon.html [04/05/2001 9:54:11]

Rules of Card Games: Nerts
Nerts / Pounce / Racing Demon

The description on this page is based on contributions from Joe Childers, Scott D Rhodes, Larry
Charbonneau, Steven Toillon, Jesse, Matt Beeken and Adam Joshua Smargon.
Introduction
Players
Initial setup
The play
Work piles
Nerts pile
Foundations
Stock and waste pile
Scoring
Partnership Game
Variations
Commercial versions of Nerts
Other Nerts WWW pages
Introduction
The game of Nerts is also known as Pounce, Racing Demon, Peanuts or Squeal. It is a competitive
patience game for two or more players, using a pack of cards for each player (or team). The players race to
get rid of the cards from their "Nerts piles" (also kown as "Pounce piles", etc. - depending on what you call
the game) by building them from the ace up onto common foundations.
Players and cards

There can be two or more players. It is a very good two-player game, a fun game for three or four. With
five people playing as individuals it begins to get out of hand but with an even number of players from six
upwards you can play a partnership version; partners sit next to each other and share a pack.
Each player or team needs a standard 52-card pack - the cards ranking A(low) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q
K(high). Each deck must have a different back design. There is a variation in which two jokers are added
to each deck.
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Initial setup
Each player deals a Nerts pile (Pounce pile) of thirteen cards in one pile, twelve cards face down and the
thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up, side by side and not
overlapping, to begin four work piles. The remainder of each player's cards are held face-down as a stock;
these cards will be turned three at a time onto a face up stack, forming the player's waste pile.
Players need to arrange themselves and their tableaus in a triangle, box, circle, etc. around a common area
that all players can access easily. The common area is where the foundations will be placed and built on.
The layout of a game of Nerts / Pounce in progress looks something like this:

The play
Players play simultaneously as fast as they like, not taking turns, moving cards around their own tableau
according to the rules given below, and where possible building on the foundations in the common area.
The players' main objective is to eliminate their Nerts piles, by playing cards from them onto their work
piles or onto foundations. A player whose Nerts / Pounce pile is exhausted may call "Nerts!" (or
"Pounce!"), at which point the game immediately ends. Cards which were in the air being moved from
one point to another may complete their move, but no further play is allowed.
It is not necessary to call Nerts! / Pounce! as soon as your Nerts / Pounce pile is empty. You may choose
to carry on playing for a while to try to improve your score further.
Players are only allowed to use one hand at a time to move cards, but may hold their stock in their other
hand. Only one card at a time may be moved, except when moving a block of cards from one work pile to
another. You can only move cards within your own tableau and into the common area. You cannot touch
another player's tableau or take cards out of the common area.
If two or more players try to play to the same foundation at the same time, the first played card (generally
the one which ends up lowest in the heap) stays there, and all other players must return the equivalent
cards they had just tried to play on that same foundation pile to their previous positions. If there is a tie
which cannot be resolved, both cards stay.
You are never forced to play a card if it isn't in your best interest - you can always wait.
Work piles
A player's four work piles begin with one card each. Work piles are built in descending order, alternating
color, overlapping the cards. Thus a red six is placed on a black seven, a black ten on a red jack, and so on.
You can move any card in one of your work piles onto another of your own work piles if it fits, and any
cards on top of the card are moved go with it. When a space results, it may be filled by a card from your
Nerts pile, your waste pile or another work pile. The exposed cards of each of the four work piles (i.e. the
lowest ranked cards of each pile) are available to be played onto the foundations.
If one of your work piles is empty, you are allowed to save time by placing a card underneath a pile if it
ranks one higher than the bottom card and is opposite in colour. For example, if you have a work pile
headed by a red jack, and another work pile with nothing in it, and the top card of your Nerts pile is a
black queen, it is permissible to take the black queen and slide it under the red jack, rather than first
putting the black queen in the space and then moving the whole work pile headed by the red jack on top of
it.
Nerts / Pounce pile

Cards from the top of your Nerts pile can be played onto empty spaces in your work piles. If they fit, they
can also be played onto one of your existing work piles, or they can be played directly onto a foundation.
When you have played the top card of your Nerts pile you can turn the next card of the pile face up. When
your Nerts pile becomes empty, you are entitled to call "Nerts!" ("Pounce!"), though you need not do so

immediately.
Foundations
Foundations piles are built in the common area. They are always begun with an ace, and can be built up by
playing the next higher card of the same suit (for example the nine of spades on the eight of spades) until
the king is reached. Players can always start new foundation piles by placing any available ace in the
common area. Other available cards can be played onto an existing foundation where they fit, provided
that another player doesn't get there before you. The cards available for playing to foundation piles are: the
top card of the Nerts pile, the exposed cards (lowest ranked cards) of each work pile, and the top card of
the waste pile. Any player may play onto any foundation. When a foundation is filled up to king, it is
turned over and set aside.
Stock and waste pile

You can turn over cards from your stock three at a time and put them face-up onto your waste pile (the
waste pile has no cards at the start of play). Be sure to keep the cards in the same order when you do so.
The top card of your waste pile may be played to one of your work piles or to a foundation pile if it fits. If
there are only one or two cards left in the stock, place them on the waste pile, and then turn the waste pile
over to start a new stock; do not pick up the waste pile and place it underneath so that you can deal three
cards.
If it happens that all players are stuck (no further legal moves), or no one wishes to play any more cards,
then everyone picks up their waste pile to re-form their stock, and then puts the top card of the stock on the
bottom. (This happens frequently in a two-player game and rarely with more players.) If you get stuck but
others can still play, you have to wait for everyone else to get stuck (or decide they do not want to make
any more moves) before you are allowed to transfer your top stock card to the bottom.
Scoring
When someone calls "Nerts!" (or "Pounce!") play ends and scoring takes place. Each player (team) scores
one point for each of their own cards that they managed to play into the common area. To determine this,
the foundation piles have to be sorted out according to the owners of the cards - this is why it is necessary
that the decks have different backs. All players except the one who called Nerts then subtract two points
for every card left in their Nerts pile when play ended. Thus calling Nerts does not guarantee the highest
score, but more often than not it does result in a good score.
If all players get so stuck that no card in their stock will play, play stops and the score is calculated as
usual. In this case everyone will have to subtract two points for each card that is left in their Nerts pile.
Further deals are played until one or more player's scores reach or pass an agreed target score (usually
100). At this point the player with the highest score wins from each other player in proportion to the
difference between their scores.

Partnership Game
Nerts / Pounce can be played by more than five people if they play as partners. Partners will sit next to
each other. Each partnership plays just like an individual player except that they are able to help each other
out (an extra set of eyes and hands can come in handy). One partner can go through the stock pile three at
a time, while the other partner keeps an eye on the Nerts / Pounce pile.
Variations
Jokers (optional but fun)
Two Jokers are added to each deck. Jokers can stand for any other card. When played a joker onto a
foundation, a player must follow the following protocol: before moving the Joker, the player must
announce the rank and suit it represents; only then can the player move the joker onto the
foundation. A player may touch a Joker, and even pick it up halfway, but the announcement of rank
and suit must be completed before the Joker leaves the pile it is on. The reason for this rule is to
give other players a fair chance to realise that they can play the next card top of the joker, denying
the player of the joker the chance to get un-stuck by doing the same. When playing Jokers on the
work piles no announcement needs to be made. A Joker on top of a work pile or on the Nerts or
waste pile can be placed on any work pile without a thought. If a regular card is moved onto a Joker,
however, the Joker's rank and color are fixed until the cards above it are removed. Jokers score like
any other cards.
Number of cards dealt to Nerts / Pounce pile
Rather than 13 cards, some people deal 12 cards (11 face down and one face up), and some deal 11
cards (10 face down and one face up).
Scoring variations
Some people award a bonus of 25 points to the player who calls "Pounce!".
Some people deduct only one point for each card remaining in a player's Nerts / Pounce pile.
Some people, rather than totalling the score over a series of hands, play each hand as a separate
event in which the player with the highest score wins.
Turning cards from stock pile onto waste pile
Some players reverse the order of each set of three cards, so that the card which was on top of the
stock becomes the card which is uppermost on the waste pile.
Some play that the stock cards are turned up onto the waste pile one at a time rather than three at a
time.
Commercial Versions of Nerts

Greg Stanforth has designed a special deck of cards for playing Nerts. Details of these are available from
his Nertz web site. A Nertz T-shirt is also available!
Dutch Blitz is another commercial game closely related to Nerts. It is sold as a Pennsylvania Dutch card
game. It consists of four decks of 40 cards containing numerals from 1 to 10 only. The Blitz pile is the

equivalent of the Nerts pile and contains 10 cards at the start. The post piles are the equivalent of the work
piles - each player has five post piles in the two player game, but only three post piles when there are more
than two players. The waste pile becomes a wood pile, and the foundation piles are called Dutch piles. It
may be that on religious grounds the Pennsylvania Dutch are offended by the picture cards in the regular
playing-card deck, and this could explain the existence of this version with numerals only. Rook cards are
used by some Protestant communities in the American mid-west for similar reasons. Dutch Blitz cards are
made by the Dutch Blitz Games Co, PO Box 100, Flourtown PA 19301, USA. Tel: (215) 643-9100.
Other Nerts WWW pages

Here is a link to Larry Charbonneau's Nertz Page, which has another account of the rules.
Another version, in which each player has five work piles arranged as for Klondike solitaire, is described
on Air Hadoken's Pounce page.
In the Game Cabinet there is a letter from Mark Delano giving rules of Nerts.


Rules of Card Games: NLK
NLK
This is a light-hearted game which is best for about six players. Gyula Zsigri and I learned it from Gbor
Sperla and a group of students at Szeged university in Hungary. The initials stand for name of the game
in Hungarian, which is obscene: N stands for nagy (meaning big); L stands for any nationality beginning
with that letter, such as litvn (Lithuanian), lengyel (Polish) or luxemburgi (Luxembourg); K stands for
kibaszs, which is roughly translated as screwing.
Four players use a 32 card pack, the cards ranking from high to low A K Q J 10 9 8 7. Five players use a
36 card pack (6 low), six players use 40 cards (5 low), and so on, adding one more rank (four cards) for
each extra player. With nine players a full standard 52 card pack would be used, ranking from high to
low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2.
Each hand is in two phases. In the first phase the players accumulate cards, and in the second phase they
try to get rid of them. The loser is the last player who is left holding cards at the end of phase two.
In the first hand the dealer is selected at random; thereafter the loser of each hand deals the next. Deal
and play are anticlockwise.
First phase
The dealer shuffles, and the player to dealer's left cuts. The dealer then deals one card face up in front of
each player. The remaining cards are stacked face down in the centre of the table to form a talon. In the
course of phase one, each player accumulates a stack of face up cards; this stack becomes the player's
hand for phase two.
The player to dealer's right begins, and players take turns, in anticlockwise order around the table, until
the talon is exhausted. A basic turn consists of drawing the top card of the talon and placing it face up on
the top of your stack. Each of your turns must end in this way, but before doing this, there are two
methods by which you can give unwanted cards to other players.
1. Giving away cards from your stack.
At the beginning of your turn, you may move the top card from your stack onto the top of another
player's stack, provided that your card fits there. A card fits if it is next in rank above the card it
covers (irrespective of suit) - so for example you can place your six on someone's five. Also, the
lowest rank in the pack fits on an ace - so playing with the full 52 card pack you can place a two
on an ace. When you have given away your top card, you may then give away the next card in
your stack, if it fits some card that is showing at the top of another stack. You can continue giving
cards to other players in this way as long as you wish to and there is somewhere legal to put them.
2. Giving away talon cards.
When you draw the top card from the talon, if it fits on another player's stack, you may if you wish
put it there instead of on your own stack. If you placed it on another player's stack, you must
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immediately draw another card from the talon, which you may also give to another player if it fits.
Eventually you will draw a card which you place on your own pile - either because you wish to, or
because there is nowhere else you can put it. This is the end of your turn, and the next person can
play. Note that once you have drawn from the talon, you can no longer move cards from the top of
your own stack in that turn. Note also that you are never obliged to give away cards.
Example of first phase:
Four people (A, B, C and D) are playing using a 32 card pack (so sevens are lowest). It is
A's turn and the following cards are face up:
A: J, B: K, C: 9, D: Q.
A cannot get rid of the J anywhere, so draws a card from the talon; this is the 9, which
A must keep.
B could put the K on D's queen, but prefers to keep it. B draws the 10 from the talon
which could be given to A or C; B put's it on C's 9 and draws the next talon card, which is
the A. This goes on B's own pile. The cards showing are now:
A: 9, B: A, C: 10, D: Q.
C begins by moving the 10 onto A's 9, revealing C's 9. There is nowhere this can be
placed so C draws from the talon - the 7. As sevens are low, this fits on B's ace, so C puts
it there and draws the 8, which also goes on B's pile. C would now like to give the 9 to
B but cannot, having already drawn from the talon. B therefore draws another card, the
K, and keeps it.
It is now D's turn ...
Phase one ends when someone draws the last card from the stock. This card determines the trump
suit for phase two. The player who draws it shows it to the other players. Everyone then picks up
their cards. The player who drew the trump card keeps it and begins phase two.
Second phase
This phase is played in what I will call tricks, though they are not like the tricks in a trick-taking
game. Any card may be led. When playing to a trick you must beat the previous card played to it,
by playing either a higher card of the same suit or a trump. Note that there is no obligation to
follow suit - the only requirement is to beat the previous card, which you can do by trumping, even
when you hold cards of the suit led.
If you are unable or unwilling to beat the previous card, you must pick up the lowest card in the
trick and add it to your hand. It is then the next player's turn to play to the trick. A trick can end in
two ways:
1. The number of cards played to it is equal to the number of players who were in the game at
the start of the trick. In this case the cards in the trick are set aside, and the player who
played last (and therefore highest) to the trick begins a new trick by leading any card.
2. A player picks up the only (remaining) card in the trick. It is then the next player's turn to

begin a new trick by leading any card.

Note that you are never forced to play to a trick (except when it is your lead) - you can always pick
up the lowest card in it instead. Because of this, some tricks may go several times around the table
before they are complete, and you might end up playing to the same trick more than once.
As players run out of cards they drop out of the game, and this reduces the number of cards in
future tricks (but not in the trick currently underway). If the player due to lead to a trick has no
cards (which happens when that player won the previous trick with their last card), then the lead
passes to the next player in rotation.
The hand ends when only one person has cards left, and the last person left holding cards loses.
Note that the hand can end in the middle of a trick. For example, if there are two players left, each
holding just one card, then the player on lead wins even if the second player's card beats the led
card.
Example of play in the second phase:
There are four players, A, B, C and D, hearts are trumps, and it is A's lead.
A leads the 9, B plays the J and C plays the A. D does not wish to use a trump, so
picks up the 9; for the same reason B picks up the J, but C trumps his own ace with the
7. D picks up the A and A picks up the 7, which was the only card on the table.
Since A picked up the last card, it is now B's lead. B leads the A and C decides to pick
this card up.
It is now D's lead, and D leads the 7. A plays the J and B picks up the 7. C beats A's
jack with the Q, D plays the A and A trumps this with the 7 which she picked up
earlier. There are now four cards in the trick, so these cards are out of the game, and it is A's
turn to lead any card.


Rules of Card Games: Noddy
Noddy
This was a precursor of Cribbage, played in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
A reconstruction can be found on the Noddy page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games site.

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Rules of Domino Games: Nos
Nos
a domino game from the Netherlands for three, four, or five players
This description was originally drafted by Gnther Senst and edited by John McLeod in October 1996.
The source for this game is Brethouwer, D.H.G. - Domineren en Nossen - Van Goor Zonen Gravenhage
(1967). There are a few places where the rules given in the book seem to us to be ambiguous. These are
noted in italics within the description below.
This game has an interesting dimension not found in other domino games: the first player in each deal
has the advantage of choosing between a large number of alternative sets of rules governing how the
layout is built. The loser of each deal has the compensation of playing first and thus choosing the rules
for the following deal.
We would be very interested to know whether this game is still played in the Netherlands or elsewhere.
We would like to hear from any players, especially if they can help us to resolve the doubtful points in
the rules.
Preparation
The Deal
The Set
The Play
Nos and Blocking
End of Game, and Scoring
The Possible Games
Procedures and Penalties
Summary of Nos
Preparation
Three, four or five people can play. A double-six set of 28 dominoes is used. It is convenient to use chips
for scoring; before the start of the game, each player receives 500 units - 4 hundreds, 4 twenties, 4 fours
and 4 ones.
The first play of each hand is called the set, and the player who begins is said to be on set. In the first
hand this is the player who holds the highest double. In subsequent hands the player on set is the loser of
the previous hand - i.e. the player who held the greatest pip value of stones at the end of the play.
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The Deal
The 28 stones are shuffled face down on the table - for the first hand anyone may shuffle; in subsequent
hands the stones are shuffled by the player to the right of the player on set. Then each player in turn,
starting with the player on set and continuing clockwise takes the proper number of stones, which is 8
minus the number of players - i.e. 5 stones if there are 3 players, 4 if there are 4 and 3 if there are 5
players. Each player places his stones on edge so that they are visible to himself but not the other players.
A stock of 12 or 13 stones will remain face down on the table. This is called the boneyard.
The Set
For the first hand the player on set is the player with the highest double, and he has to play this double,
double blank counting low. If no player has a double (theoretically this can happen once in 700 games)
the stones are put back and there is a new shuffle.
For hands other than the first, the loser of the previous hand is on set. He must play a double. If he has no
double, he must draw a stone and play that stone, whether it is a double or not. The "loser" who starts the
next hand is the player who has the largest spot value of dominoes left at the end of the play (0-0
counting as 14) - even though in fact some other player may have lost more points on the deal if the
various bonuses, penalties and side payements are counted. It is not stated who starts the next hand if
two or more players end with equally many points. We suggest that it should be the player among them
who has the most expensive single domino, and if there is a tie for this also, the player whose most
expensive domino has the largest end (e.g. 5-1 beats 4-2 beats 3-3).
The player on set who plays a double from his original hand is paid the point value of one end by each
opponent; if it is the double blank he receives 7 points from each. If he had to draw a stone and it is a
double, he gets double the amount of points from each player (for example 8 instead of 4 for the double
four). If the drawn stone is not a double, instead of receiving points he has to pay to each opponent the
total spot value of the domino (e.g. 9 points each for the 5-4, 2 each for the 2-0).
After playing the first stone, the player on set announces which type of game will be played. There are 17
possible types of game (some of which have further options within them). These are explained below. In
all types the object is to play out all your dominoes to the layout before the other players, but the rules
vary as to which dominoes can be played where.
Immediately after the player on set has announced the kind of game to be played, players with more than
a certain number of doubles can declare them if they wish to, and receive payment from each of the other
players. The doubles are placed face up on the table in front of the owner and they remain there until
played to the layout. The number of doubles which can be declared and the payment for them depends on
the number of players as follows:
Payment for: 3 players (5 stones) 4 players (4 stones) 5 players (3 stones)
3 doubles --- 25 50
4 doubles 200 250 ---

5 doubles 500 --- ---
The Play
After the first domino has been set and the game announced, the play continues in clockwise rotation
beginning with the player to the left of the player on set.
Each player must if possible play one stone when it is his turn. Before playing this stone, the player is
allowed to draw as many stones as he wishes, one at a time, from the boneyard, provided that at least two
stones remain in the boneyard.
If a player has no stone that can legally played, he must draw stones from the boneyard until he is able to
play, or until only two stones remain. If a player has no legal play and there are only two stones left in
the boneyard, that player must pass and the turn passes to the next player in rotation.
A player who plays a double next to the stone just played by his immediate predecessor receives from his
predecessor a number of points equal to the number of spots on one end of his double (7 points for the
double blank). The player has to ask for these points in order to receive them. The player of a double
does not receive payment if one or more players have played stones elsewhere on the layout between the
play of adjacent stone and the play of the double. There is also no payment if the predecessor has just
won the nos (see below) by playing his last stone.
[Two details here are unclear from the Dutch rules:

1. If the predecessor has just played his last stone, but did not win the nos, must he pay if the next
player plays a double on his stone? Reading the Dutch rules literally, the answer should be 'yes',
but in Gnther Senst's interpretation the answer is 'no'.
2. If a player plays a stone, the next player passes, and the player after that plays a double next to the
first player's stone, must the first player pay the third for the double? Literally the answer seems to
be 'no', because the first player is not the immediate predecessor of the third, but Gnther Senst's
interpretation is that there is a payment, becuase no stone was played in between.]
In the first round, any player who has a double that fits the first stone can play it out of turn at once, and
receive payment as above from the player on set. This is an exception to the rule that doubles are only
paid for when played next to the immediately previous stone. Later, when it is the normal turn of the
player who played a double ahead of his turn, he must say 'I wait', and wait until the second round to play
his next stone. After everyone has played one stone, play proceeds clockwise from the player to the left
of the player on set as normal.
[Here again the rules are not quite clear.
1. Do all the players who can play a double on the first stone get paid, or only the first? Gnther
Senst's interpretation is that all those who play doubles next to the first stone are paid by the
player on set, not just the first.
2. Does the player to the left of the player on set have to wait before playing to see if the other
players want to play doubles? What happens when three or more players want to play a stone on
the first domino but there are only two spaces? This last case could arise for example in the

5-player game of ordinary Matador (see below): when the 5-1 is set, the next player has a 2-3, and
the other players have a 6-6, a 2-2 and a 0-0. If all four players want to play, who has priority? A
civilised solution would be to say that doubles have priority over other stones, and that players
earlier in rotation have priority over those whose turn comes later.]
Nos and Blocking

Nos
The first player who gets rid of all his stones declares Nos and receives 5 points from each
opponent. In the course of the game other players will get rid of all their stones as well, but there is
no special reward for that. They are simply out of the game, and take no further part until the
scoring at the end.
Blocking or closing:
A player who has just played a stone and is of the opinion that no further stones can be played in
this hand can announce 'I block' or 'I close'. If he is right, each player who is not yet out of the
game has to pay 20 units to the player who closed. The next player in turn will then have to draw
all the remaining stones from the boneyard, except for the last two. If it turns out during his
drawing of stones that the closing was not correct, he need not go on drawing of course. If the
closing announcement is wrong, the player who closed incorrectly has to pay 40 units to each
opponent, and in that case the game continues. If there are only two players still in the game and
one of them closes with his last stone, then the other player need not draw.
End of Game, and Scoring

A game can end in the following three ways:
1. only one player has stones - after the second to last player has played his last stone, no further
stones can be played;
2. the game is closed;
3. all players correctly passed in succession - i.e. there are only two bones in the boneyard and no one
has a legal play.
When the game has ended, each player counts the number of spots on his remainings stones. The double
blank counts 14, but other blank ends count 0. A player who got rid of all his stones has a count of zero.
Each player then pays to every player with a lower count than himself a number of units equal to the
difference between their scores.
It is customary to play for so much per point, rounding payments down to the next multiple of 20. If a
player wants to stop playing in the middle of a session, then he must pay the other players the difference
from 500 if he has less than 500 points, and he can collect the difference if he has more than 500. At the
end of a session, all players settle up acccording to the number of points they have above or below 500,
again rounding the difference down to the nearest 20.

The Possible Games

The following are the types of game which can be chosen by the player on set.
1. Ordinary dominoes.
The layout extends in two directions from the first stone. Each domino played must have an end
which matches (has the same number of spots as) the free end of a domino at one end of the
layout. The domino is played with its matching end next to the domino it matches, and the other
end free to be matched by a future play. Doubles are traditionally placed crosswise, but this has no
special significance for the game - for matching purposes a double counts as the number of spots
on one end.
Example:
2. Ordinary cross dominoes.

The first stone must be a double. The next four stones played must have one end matching the
number of the double; they are played with the matching end inward, so that a cross is built. Only
when the cross is full can further stones be played, extending any of the four arms of the cross,
according to the rules of ordinary dominoes.
Example:
3. Ordinary double cross dominoes.

The beginning is the same as in ordinary cross. After the cross has been built, the next stone
played to each arm must be a double matching the free end of that arm of the cross. Once a double
has been played to an arm, it can be extended by playing further dominoes according to the rules
of ordinary dominoes. An arm can be extended as soon as its double has been played - it is not
necessary to wait for the other doubles.

In the following example the top arm requires the 6-6 next and the left arm requires the 4-4:
4. Matador (also known as Russian dominoes).

The procedure is similar to ordinary dominoes, but with a different matching rule. The ends placed
together, rather than being equal, must have a total of seven spots (so a 1 matches a 6, a 2 matches
a 5, and a 3 matches a 4). There are four special stones, called Matadors. These are the stones
which have a total of zero or seven spots: the 6-1, the 5-2, the 4-3 and the 0-0. A matador may be
played against any stone. When playing next to a matador, the free end must be matched in the
normal matador way - that is making a total of 7 spots. Therefore a player playing a matador
should choose carefully which of the two ends should be an open end. Doubles as well as matadors
are arranged in a straight line. Notice that on a blank end only a matador can be played. On the
other hand you are not allowed to match a blank end to a matador on the layout - thus stones
containing a blank can only be played with their blank ends facing outward.
The following example was started from the 6-6:
5. Matador cross.
The first stone must be a double, but not the double blank. A cross is then built, as in type 2
(ordinary cross), but following matador rules (the inner ends of the dominoes must total 7 with the
number of the double - or matadors can be played). When the cross is complete, the four arms are
extended according to matador rules.
Example:

6. Matador double cross.

This begins like matador cross. When the cross is complete, the next stone on each arm must be
either the appropriate double (using matador matching rules) or a matador. These doubles or
matadors are not placed crosswise. The four arms are further extended following matador
matching rules - you can add further stones to an arm as soon as its compulsory double or matador
has been played, without waiting for the other arms.
In the example, the top arm can only be extended if the 4-4 or a matador is added to it:
7. Ordinary cross, then matador.

The first five stones are played as in ordinary cross; then the arms are extended using matador
matching rules.

8. Ordinary cross, then matador double cross.

The first five stones are played as in ordinary cross. The next stone on each arm must be a double,
matching according to the matador rules, or a matador. Then the arms are extended using matador
matching rules.
9. Matador cross, then ordinary dominoes.
The first five stones are played as in matador cross; then the arms are extended using ordinary
matching rules.
10. Matador cross and then ordinary double cross dominoes.
The first five stones are played as in matador cross. The next stone on each arm must be a double,
equal in number to the free end of the arm it is played on. Then the arms are extended using
ordinary matching rules.
11. Ordinary or matador dominoes with conditions.
The special conditions are given by the player on first set when naming the game. These can be:
a) 'First here and then there', which means that the player first on set determines that the
second stone must be played on a particular side of the first stone, and third stone must be
placed on the opposite side;
b) The player on set can determine that a specified number of stones (up to four) must be
played on one side of the first stone before any stones can be played on the other side.
c) As an additional condition, the player on set may if he wishes specify that after the setting
of stones in either ordinary or matador manner according to condition (a) or (b), the game
should continue in the opposite manner - i.e. matador if the first stones were set according to
ordinary rules; ordinary if the first stones were set according to matador rules.
Example: The player on set puts down the 5 - 3 and says 'Matador first here' (pointing to the five)
'and then there' (pointing to the three), 'and after that ordinary dominoes'. These stones must be
played according to the rules of matador, the game is then continued following the rules of
ordinary dominoes.
12. Volapuk, volapuk cross or volapuk double cross.
In volapuk, ordinary dominoes are played on one side of the first stone and matador on the other
side. In volapuk cross or double cross, ordinary dominoes are played on two opposite arms of the
cross, and matador on the other two. In announcing this method of play, the player on first set must
decide which side shall be ordinary and which matador. In volapuk (but presumably not in volapuk
cross or double cross), the player on set may also specify if he wishes that one side (or arm) must
be played on up to four times before the other side may be played. (The rules do not mention the
possibility of volapuk, first here and then there - presumably this is not allowed).
Example. The first stone is a 6 - 1, and player on first set announces 'Volapuk, first four stones
ordinary on the six'.
13. Triangle, also known as colonel cross.
The first stone played must be the double blank. Next to that, the other three matadors must be
placed. After these four stones are in place, the three arms are extended according to matador
rules.

Example:
14. Triangle double cross, also known as general cross.

This begins in the same way as triangle. After the four matadors have been placed the next stone
added to each arm must be the appropriate double (matching according to matador rules). The
three arms are then extended using matador rules. As in any double cross game, it is not necessary
to wait for all three doubles to be played before further extending the arms - further dominoes can
be added to any arm which contains a double.
In the following example, the next domino added to the right arm can only be the 1-1:
15. Triangle, then ordinary dominoes.

This begins like triangle, but after the four matadors have been played, the arms are continued
using ordinary martching rules.
16. Triangle, then ordinary cross dominoes.
This begins like triangle. After the four matadors have been played, a blank end must be played
next to to the fourth side of the double blank to form a cross. Once the cross is built, the game
continues as in ordinary cross dorminoes.
17. Matador, first here and then there, then ordinary cross or ordinary double cross.

The first stone can be any double. The next two stones must be played next to the double,
following matador matching rules. Then the cross is completed with two further stones played
according to ordinary matching rules. The four arms are then extended using ordinary matching
rules. In the case of a double cross the next stone added to each arm must be a double.
[It would be possible to think of many further variations along the lines of those listed above - for
example 'ordinary, first here and then there, then matador cross'. Presumably these are not allowed, and
the choice is restrictricted to the 17 types listed above.]
Procedures and Penalties

The penalty for drawing too few stones at the start of the game is to pay 40 points to each opponent and
draw additional stones until you have the correct number. This penalty can be exacted by the other
players any time after the offending player has set his stones on edge in front of him, but before the first
stone is played. If the offender is on set, the penalty can be demaded any time before the second stone is
played. Once a player other than the offender has played a stone, the penalty lapses, and the offender no
longer has to draw stones to make his hand up to the correct number of stones.
There is no penalty for taking one or two stones too many at the start of the game. The offender can
return the extra stones to the boneyard if he has not yet looked at them (otherwise he must keep them). A
player who took more than two stones too many pays a penalty of 40 points to each opponent.
If the player on set has a double, but draws from the boneyard instead of playing the double, the penalty
is again 40 points.
Once a player has played a legal stone and let go of it, the play cannot be changed.
If a player who has played a double ahead of his turn in the first round forgets to say 'I wait' when his
proper turn comes, but instead tries to play another stone, he has to pay 40 units to each opponent.
If a player opens the game with a double, there is no obligation for the other players to pay for the double
if the first player had too many stones at the beginning of the game. A player who wrongly asks for
payment for a double has to pay 40 units to each of the other players. Similarly, there is no obligation to
pay a player who declares doubles, if that player took too many stones at the beginning of the game.
A player who tries to draw from the last two stones in the boneyard, or who passes when there are more
than two stones in the boneyard, has to pay 40 points to each opponent. In addition, a player who passed
illegally has to draw until he can play a stone or there are only two stones left. If after his play it is
discovered that he had passed while able to play a stone, the penalty is 80 points to every player.
A player who declares Nos while he has still stones, pays a penalty of 40 points to each opponent.
Players who have no stones left must not give advice or hints as to the play, but they are allowed to point
out mistakes in play. The penalty for breaking this rule is to pay 40 points to each other player.
If the game was closed correctly, the player next in turn has to draw all stones remaining in the boneyard
except for the last two. If he does not draw and it is noticed, he has to pay 40 units to every player.
Other penalties of 40 units to every player in addition to the cases mentioned above:

a) playing a stone which does not follow the rules of the announced game,
b) playing the first stone if you are not on first set,
c) playing a stone out of turn, (except the playing of a double on the set stone in the first round),
d) playing a stone instead of saying, 'I wait' when you played a double out of turn before,
e) asking for payments which you are not entitled to,
f) if a player covers one or more stones with his hand or otherwise so that one or more opponents
cannot see this stone or these stones,
g) displaying ones stones face-up on the table (except when declaring doubles of when required to
as a penalty)
In the cases (a) to (d) the incorrectly played stone must be taken back and lie face-up in front of the
player until legally played. In case (a) the player must take back the stone and play another stone.
Summary of Nos
List of possible games
1. Ordinary dominoes
2. Ordinary cross dominoes
3. Ordinary double cross dominoes
4. Matador
5. Matador cross
6. Matador double cross
7. Ordinary cross (the first five stones) and then Matador
8. Ordinary cross and then Matador double cross
9. Matador cross (the first five stones) and then ordinary dominoes
10. Matador cross and then ordinary cross dominoes
11. Ordinary or Matador construction with condition and then change
12. Volapuk - ordinary, cross, or double cross
13. Triangle
14. Triangle double cross
15. Triangle (the first four stones) and then ordinary dominoes
16. Triangle and after the playing of a blank end to the double blank ordinary cross
17. After any double, Matador "First here and then there", and then ordinary cross or ordinary double
cross
Payments
First stone a double played from hand - receive the spot value of one end from all players (double
blank is worth 7);
First stone a drawn double - receive the spot value of both ends from all players;

First stone drawn and not a double - pay total spot value of both ends to all players.
Double placed on the stone played by immediate predecessor, or out of turn on the first stone -
receive spot value of one end from the player of the previous stone.
For declared doubles you receive from every player:
50 points for 3 doubles out of 3 stones,
500 points for 5 doubles out of 5 stones.
Nos - the first player who gets rid of all his stones receives 5 points from everybody.
Declared blocking or closing of the game - the player who closes receives 20 points from all the
players who are not yet out of the game.


Rules of Card Games: Old Maid
Old Maid
This children's game can be played by two or more players. From a standard 52 card pack remove one
queen leaving 51 cards. Deal and play are clockwise.
The dealer deals out all the cards to the players (generally some will have one more card than others -
this does not matter). The players all look at their cards and discard any pairs they have (a pair is two
cards of equal rank, such as two sevens or two kings).
The dealer begins. At your turn you must offer your cards spread face down to the player to your left.
That player selects a card from your hand without seeing it, and adds it to her hand. If it makes a pair in
her hand she discards the pair. The player who just took a card then offers her hand to the next player to
her left, and so on.
If you get rid of all your cards you are safe - the turn passes to the next player and you take no further
part. Eventually all the cards will have been discarded except one queen (the old maid) and the holder of
this queen loses.

http://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html [04/05/2001 9:54:30]

Rules of Card Games: Pai Gow
Pai Gow
This is a gambing game played with Chinese dominoes. The set consists of all pairs of numbers from 1-1
to 6-6, with the following eleven tiles duplicated: 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-1, 5-5, 5-1, 4-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 1-1.
There are 32 tiles in all.
Each player receives four tiles and forms them into two pairs, as does the banker. If both the player's
pairs outrank the banker's pairs the player wins, if neither does the banker wins, and if just one does it is
a draw.
The rules, compiled by Joe Celko, can be found on the Pai Gow page at the Game Cabinet.
The ICA Pai Gow page offers a Pai Gow computer program as well as rules, information about the game,
and a set of MSWord documents intended to be printed on business cards to produce a cardboard set of
annotated dominoes for practice.
Many casinos in the USA offer Pai Gow Poker, a game loosely based on Pai Gow, played with standard
playing-cards.

http://www.pagat.com/banking/paigow.html [04/05/2001 9:54:32]

Rules of Card Games: Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker

This is a poker variation based on the Chinese Domino game Pai Gow. It can be played by up to seven
players.
A pack of 52 cards plus one joker is used. The joker is a wild card which can be used only as an ace, or
to complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush.
On each deal the dealer plays against the other players. Before the deal, each of the other players puts up
a stake.
Seven cards are dealt to each player. All players other than the dealer look at their cards and divide them
to form two hands - a two card hand and a five card hand. The relative values of the five card hands are
the same as in poker, with five aces beating a royal flush. For the two card hand, any pair beats any two
unmatched cards, but no other combinations are possible.
The player must arrange the cards so that the five card hand is higher than the two card hand (so if the
two cards were a pair of aces, the five card hand would have to contain two pairs or better). Players are
not allowed to discuss their hands at any stage.
The players place their two hands face down, and when all are ready, the dealer's seven cards are
exposed. The other players may not touch their cards from this point on. The dealer forms the seven
exposed cards into a five and a two in the same way as the players.
Then all the players' cards are exposed. The result between the dealer and each player is determined by
comparing the player's 5 card hand with the dealer's 5 card hand and the player's 2 card hand with the
dealer's 2 card hand:
1. If the player wins both hands the dealer pays out the amount staked by the player.
2. If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins the other no money changes hands. This is called a
"push".
3. If the dealer wins both hands the dealer wins the player's stake.
If either hand is tied, the dealer wins that particular hand. So in this case, if the dealer wins or ties the
other hand it is a win for the dealer; if one hand is tied and the player wins the other no money changes
hands.
Note on the deal
When this game is played formally, a rather elaborate method of dealing is used. Seven hands of
seven cards are dealt, one card at a time, and the remaining four cards are discarded unseen. The
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Rules of Card Games: Pai Gow Poker
dealer then throws three dice and counts around the players at the table counter-clockwise, starting
with himself, up to the dice total to determine who gets the first hand which was dealt. The
following hands go to the other players, in counter-clockwise rotation.
Dealer's advantage
The dealer obviously has an advantage (winning tied hands), so if you want the game to be fair
everyone has to deal an equal number of times during the session.
For another description, see the Pai Gow Poker FAQ of the newsgroup rec.gambling.misc
Another set of rules for Pai Gow Poker can be found at the winneronline.com site.
The Casino-info.com site has a page of Pai Gow Poker rules and strategy.
The Vegas Fever software package includes Pai Gow Poker and other casino games.

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Rules of Card Games : Pandoeren
Pandoeren
This description was written by Nick Wedd and edited by John McLeod.
Introduction: players, cards and deal
The bidding
The rules of play
Counting points
Contracts
The scoring
Introduction: players, cards and deal

Pandoeren is a trick-taking card game for four players which used to be popular in the Netherlands. I
have recently been told that it is still much played in Heerlen in the south, but I have not yet been able to
check how closely that game corresponds to the older version described here.
A 33-card pack is used, consisting of A K Q J 10 9 8 7 in four suits, with the 33rd card being the 6 of
hearts.
The cards are dealt clockwise, with four to each player, then one face-up in the middle of the table, then
four to each player. On subsequent hands, the deal will rotate around the table.
The bidding
After the deal the bidding begins. Starting with forehand, each player may make any of the bids listed
below, or may pass. After a bid has been made, only higher bids are available. A higher bid is either a
similar bid with more points (e.g. 180 outbids 170) or a bid from further down the list. Note that bids
lower down the list are not always more difficult to make, and are not always worth more. The bidding
continues round the table until there have been three consecutive passes, when the successful bidder
becomes declarer.
Declarer picks up the card in the middle of the table, puts it in her hand, and discards a card (maybe the
same one) from her hand face-down. She then names the trump suit (if any), calls a partner (if
appropriate to the contract), and leads to the first trick.
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The rules of play

The declarer leads to the first trick. The winner of a trick leads to the next one.
If there is no trump suit, a player must follow suit if possible. Otherwise she may play any card.
If there is a trump suit, a player who can follow suit must either follow suit or play a trump if possible. A
player who cannot follow suit must play a trump if possible. But the play of the jack of trumps, known as
the jas, is never forced: a player who holds this card can always play as if she did not hold it (except on
the last trick, of course).
A trick is won by the highest trump in it; or if there is no trump, by the highest card in the suit led. The
ranking of the cards is given in the next section.
Counting points
There are three ways of scoring card-points: tricks, roem, and stuk. These are described in order.
Tricks
In the trump suit, if there is one, the cards rank in this order (followed by their card-point values):
J(20), 9(14), A(11), K(3), Q(2), 10(10), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0).
In other suits, they rank (and score):
A(11), K(3), Q(2), J(2), 10(10), 9(0), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0).
Declarer counts up the card-points in the tricks which she has won. She does not count the value of the
card which she discarded. In addition, there are 5 card-points for winning the last trick. Thus there are
146 card-points to be won in the play of the hand.
Roem
Another source of points is roem: certain sets of cards in one's hand which can be announced on the first
trick. The roem are:
Sequence of 3 cards in suit 20 card-points
Sequence of 4 cards in suit 50
4 queens 100
4 kings 100
4 aces 100
4 jacks 200
Sequences are counted in the order A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 whether or not the suit is trumps. As players play

to the first trick, they announce their roem. You are only allowed to announce roem if you have taken
part in the bidding (i.e. not just said pass all the time). If declarer or her partner has the best single
instance of roem, they score for this and any other roem that they may have. Otherwise, the declarer's
side scores no roem. It is possible to use the same card in both a sequence and a four of a kind, but not as
part of more than one sequence (so sequences cannot overlap).
Roem is better if it is further down this list. To resolve ties between sequences of the same length, the
sequence containing the higher card (in the order given here) is better. If this does not break the tie, the
sequence in the higher suit wins, the suits ranking spades (highest), hearts, diamonds, clubs.
Stuk
Independent of roem is stuk, which may be announced by a player holding the king and queen of trumps.
It is worth 20 card-points.
Contracts
The possible bids are as follows:
Score Contract Comment partner? trumps?
1 120, 130, 140 Call an ace Yes Yes
3 Piccolo Win first trick only No Yes
3 Misre Lose all tricks No Yes
2 150, 160 Call an ace Yes Yes
2 Kereltje Call the Jas. Win all tricks Yes Yes
2 Zwabber Call an ace. Win 4+all tricks Yes No
3 170, 180, 190 Call an ace Yes Yes
5 Solo-zwabber Win all tricks No No
6 Piccolo Ouvert Win exactly 1 trick, exposed No Yes
4 200, 210, 220, etc. Call an ace Yes Yes
6 Misre Ouvert Lose all tricks, exposed No Yes
9 Stil Praatje Lose all tricks, all exposed No Yes
5 Pandoer Call an ace. Win all tricks Yes Yes
5 Pandoer+20, 40, etc. as Pandoer, with roem/stuk Yes Yes
9 Praatje as Stil Praatje with talking No Yes
10 Priv Win all tricks No Yes

In the number contracts, 120, 130,.. 220, etc., declarer names trumps and calls the ace of a suit (for
example she might say "diamonds are trumps and the ace of spades goes along"). It is permissible to call
the ace of trumps. If the declarer holds all four aces (or holds 3 and discarded the fourth) she calls a king
instead. The holder of the called card is the declarer's partner. The partner does not reveal her identity
immediately, but stacks the tricks for declarer's side. Therefore the partnerships are known as soon as the
declarer wins a trick and her partner picks it up. If declarer and her partner make at least the bid number
of card-points, in tricks, roem and stuk, they have succeeded, otherwise they have failed.
Piccolo is a contract to win the first trick and lose all the others, playing alone. Piccolo Ouvert is the
same, but declarer's hand is exposed as she plays to the second trick. Some people play the object of
Piccolo and Piccolo Ouvert as being to win any one trick, but this makes these contracts very easy; a
wide range of hands containing a jack will then stand a good chance of making Piccolo.
Misre is a contract to win no trick. Misre Ouvert is the same, but declarer's hand is exposed as she
plays to the second trick.
In Kereltje, the declarer names trumps and the holder of the jas is declarer's partner. The partner does not
admit to this immediately, but reveals her identity by keeping the tricks for declarer's side. They must
win all the tricks between them.
In Zwabber there are no trumps. Declarer calls an ace, or if holding 4 aces a king, as in the number
contracts. The holder of called card is her partner. The partner does not admit to this immediately, but
reveals her identity by keeping the tricks for declarer's side. Declarer must win the first four tricks
herself. She and her partner must win all the tricks between them.
In Solo-zwabber there are no trumps. Declarer must win all the tricks.
In Stil Praatje, the declarer names trumps and all the hands are exposed as declarer leads to the first
trick. She must lose all the tricks.
In Pandoer, declarer names trumps and calls an ace, or if holding 4 aces a king, as in the number
contracts. The holder of called card is her partner. The partner does not admit to this immediately, but
reveals her identity by keeping the tricks for declarer's side. Declarer and her partner must win all the
tricks between them.
Pandoer + n is the same as Pandoer, except that Declarer and her partner must achieve an additional n
points from roem and stuk.
Praatje is similar to Stil Praatje, but is not Stil (silent). The declarer names trumps and leads to the first
trick and then all the cards of the four players are exposed. Declarer's aim is to lose every trick and from
this pioint on, discussion is allowed. The defenders can talk about how they plan to make declarer win a
trick, and tell each other which cards to play. They are not allowed to touch the cards except to play
them, nor to make notes, just to talk (praatje means talk or chat). It is sometimes surprisingly difficult to
agree on the best defence in a praatje - the ability to trump while able to follow suit opens up many
possibilities - and so the discussion can go on for some time.
In Priv declarer plays alone, with a trump suit, and must win all the tricks.

The Scoring
In partnership contracts, if declarer and her partner succeed in their contract, they each add the score for
that contract (as given in the left hand column of the table) to their scores; if they fail, they each lose the
score for the contract. In non-partnership contracts, declarer alone has the score for the contract added to
or subtracted from her score.


Rules of Card Games: Paskahousu
Paskahousu
The rules of this Finnish game were contributed by Ola Rinta-Koski
Requirements
An ordinary deck of 52 cards
Three or more players, probably best with four or five
Game play
In the beginning the dealer deals everybody five cards, and puts the remaining stock of cards face down
in a pile. As soon as the deal is finished, if someone has a 3, he starts by putting it on the table face down
(and declaring it as a 3). If several people claim to have 3's, whoever puts their card down first starts.
From then on the players take turns clockwise. If at the beginning nobody claims to have a 3, then the
next lowest card goes first.
At your turn, you can put on the table as many cards as you wish, provided they are all of the same rank,
which is equal to or higher than the rank played by the previous player. You play your cards face down,
but must always tell the others what your cards were (e.g. "three eights").
You can't play jacks, queens or kings if the previous play was 7 or lower, and you can't play aces unless
the previous play was a jack, queen or king or the table is empty.
If the table is empty (other than at the start of the hand) you may play any set of equal ranked cards.
At your turn, as an alternative to playing from your hand, you can draw the top card of the stock and add
it to your hand. The turn then passes to the next player. Another possibility is to draw the top card from
the stock and play it face down, without having looked at it, and tell the other players what rank you
claim it is (as always the rank you claim must be in accordance with the rules of play).
You may also start the game by drawing the top card of the stock, and playing it face down without
looking at it, claiming that it is a three.
Some cards have special effects. The special cards are:
Tens
If one or more 10s are played on a lower card, all the cards played so far, including the 10(s) are
discarded. The person who played the 10 then continues by playing another set of cards, of any
rank. If a 10 is played on an empty table, the next player must pick it up and the following player
continues play.
Ace
Aces behave like a tens, but can only be played on a jack, queen or king, or when the table is
empty.
Twos
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Rules of Card Games: Paskahousu
You can play a 2 on top of any card or when the table is empty. If the previous play was a 2, the
only legal play is another 2.
Boring, you say? What makes the game worth playing is that since the cards are put face down on the
table, there doesn't have to be any correlation between the cards and what you say they are. Thus, if you
don't have a suitable card to put on the table - lie. The other players can doubt your integrity and any of
them can turn your cards face up. If they were what you said they would be, he has to pick up all played
cards. If they weren't, you have to. This can have quite dramatic consequences when there are lots of
cards on the table.
The last one to have cards in his hand loses.
Admittedly Paskahousu is more fun with a cold beer or three within easy reach... Paskahousu, by the
way, is Finnish for "Shitpants", which is what the loser (who gets to deal the next round, and often also to
fetch some more beer for the players) is called.
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Rules of Card Games: Pennies from Heaven
Pennies from Heaven

This page is partly based on contributions from Barbara Bain and from Gorgon.
Introduction
Pennies from Heaven

Railroad Canasta
Bain Hand and Foot
Introduction
The games described on this page belong to a distinctive North American variety of Canasta or Hand and
Foot with the following special features:
1. As in Hand and Foot, each player is dealt a second hand of cards, which can be picked up only
when when the player has completed a canasta.
2. There are four types of canasta: natural (red), mixed (black), wild (twos and jokers only) and
sevens. A team needs one of each type to go out.
In the card game literature this type of game is generally known as Pennies from Heaven. Gorgon has
contributed a version called Railroad Canasta, and Barbara Bain's version of Hand and Foot is another
game of this type.
Pennies from Heaven

Almost identical descriptions of this game appears in the US Playing Card Company's publication
"Official Rules of Card Games" and in John Scarne's "Encyclopedia of Games". The rules of ordinary
Canasta apply, except for the differences explained below.
Players and Cards

There are 6 players in two teams, sitting alternately. 4 packs of cards are used, including 2 jokers for each
pack - a total of 216 cards. All twos and jokers are wild. Red and black threes have special properties as
in regular canasta. The values of the individual cards, as in Canasta, are:
Joker ..... 50 points each
Two, Ace ..... 20 points each
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 ..... 10 points each
7, 6, 5, 4, black 3 ..... 5 points each
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Deal
The dealer deals 13 cards to each player, one at a time, which the players may look at, followed by a
further 11 cards to each, which must not be looked at and are kept in a face-down pile until the player has
completed a canasta. The remaining stock of 72 cards is placed face down and its top card is turned face
up beside it to start the discard pile.
Play
A turn consists of the following stages:
1. Drawing the top two cards from the stock or taking the entire discard pile.
2. Possibly starting a new meld or adding one or more cards to your own side's melds.
3. Discarding one card from your hand face up on the discard pile.
Melds and Canastas

A canasta is a meld of seven cards. Four types of canasta are possible.
Type Description Bonus
Natural (red) canasta Seven cards of the same rank with no wild cards. 500 points
Contains one, two or three wild cards. The remaining cards are all
Mixed (black) canasta 300 points
of the same rank (not threes or sevens).
Wild canasta Any seven wild cards. 1000 points
Sevens canasta Seven sevens (no wild cards) 1500 points
A meld can be started with three or more cards and built up to a canasta by adding cards on later turns.
No meld may ever contain more than seven cards. If you have completed a canasta, it is permissible
for your team to start another separate meld of the same rank.
A mixed meld in course of construction must contain at least two natural (non-wild) cards and cannot
contain more than three wild cards. A natural meld can be turned into a mixed meld by adding wild cards
to it.
The minimum requirements for a team's initial meld are as follows:
Team's cumulative score Minimum initial meld
Any minus score ..... 15 points
0 - 495 ..... 50 points
500 - 995 ..... 90 points
1000 - 1495 ..... 120 points
1500 or more ..... 150 points
Bonuses for red threes and canastas do not count towards this minimum - it must be achieved from the
value of the cards in the meld.

Discarding, freezing and taking the pile

Sevens cannot be discarded unless both teams have completed a canasta of sevens. Any other card,
including a wild card, can be discarded.
You can never take the pile if the top card is a wild card or a three.
If the top card of the pile is a natural card and you have two matching natural cards in your hand, you
can always take the pile, provided that:
1. You immediately meld its top card together with the two cards from your hand;
2. If your side has not melded before, you must at the same time put down sufficient cards from your
hand, in this and possibly other melds, to satisfy the minimum meld requirement. Only after
meeting this requirement are you allowed to take the rest of the pile.
If a wild card is discarded, it is placed sideways in the pile, which is then frozen. If the pile is not frozen
(i.e. does not contain a wild card buried in it), you can also take the pile if its top card matches one of
your team's existing (pure or mixed) melds of fewer than 7 cards, and you must then add the card to the
meld. However, if a card is descarded that matches one of your completed 7-card canastas, you cannot
take the pile unless you have two matching natural cards of that rank in your hand, and you use these
three cards to start a new meld of that rank.
Red and Black Threes

Anyone who is dealt or draws a red three must immediately place it face up with their team's melds and
draw a replacement card from the stock. Red threes do not count towards a team's minimum meld. If a
red three is turned up as the first card of the pile after the deal, it freezes the pile, and the first player to
take the pile must immediately lay out the red three. At the end, if you have completed your canasta of
sevens, each red three you have laid out counts for 100 points bonus. A team which has all eight red
threes counts 1000 points instead of 800. If a player has not yet completed a cansta and picked up their
11 card packet (foot), any red threes in the 11 cards count minus 100. If a team has not completed a
canasta of sevens by the time the other team goes out, all their red threes count minus 100 each (minus
1000 if they have all eight).
Black threes cannot be melded except by a player going out, who can at that point put down three or
more of them as a meld (no wild cards are allowed in a meld of black threes). If a black three is
discarded, the next player in turn is not allowed to pick up the pile, but as soon as the black three is
covered it ceases to have an effect.
Going out and winning

You can only go out when your team has completed all four types of canasta. You must have at least one
example of each type - natural, mixed, wild and sevens - completed with 7 cards in each, and you may
also have additional canastas or smaller melds of any types. You may (but need not) ask permission to go
out from one of your partners, and if you choose to ask you must do as the partner says. To go out you
meld all of your cards, or all except one, which you discard. Your final discard cannot be a seven.
After a player goes out both teams score for all the cards in their melds, plus any bonuses for canastas,

and the team that went out scores 100 bonus for this. They subtract the value of all the cards left in their
hands, including the 11-card packets (feet) of any players who have not yet picked theirs up. Scores for
red threes are added or subtracted as appropriate.
When either team reaches 20,000 points or more at the end of a hand, the team with more points wins. In
case of equality, another hand is played.
Railroad Canasta
This section is based on a contribution from Gorgon.
As in Pennies from Heaven, most of the basic rules of Canasta apply. The exceptions are as follows:
Players and Cards
Two or more people can play and two decks of cards are used per person, including the jokers, of
which there may be two or more per deck.
Deal and Play
As in some versions of Hand and Foot, everyone deals their own cards. All the cards are put in a
big pile on the table and each player counts out the nember of cards they need: 13 cards for their
hand and 11 for their kitty.
For convenience, the stock is arranged into several piles. When you draw from the stock you take
two cards. These can be taken from the top of any stock pile(s).
Canastas
Once a meld contains 7 cards, it is a closed canasta, and no more cards can be added to it. If you
have three more cards of that rank, you can meld them as a new set.
There are four kinds of canasta:
red, consisting of 7 natural cards of the same rank;
black, consisting of at least 4 natural cards of the same rank and the remainder wild;, and
the rest wild;
wild, consisting of 7 wild cards;
seven canasta, which is just that - a canasta of seven sevens.
A closed red or black canasta is indicated by squaring up the cards with a red or black natural card
on top.
Picking up the Kitty
You are not allowed to look at your 11 card kitty until after you have discarded for the turn in
which you complete your first non-black canasta. At that point you pick up your kitty and add it to
your hand.
Red Threes
Red threes never count against a player, always in favour. There is no extra bonus for having all of
them - they just count +100 each.
Black Threes
Black threes stop the next player from taking the pile as usual. When going out, and making a

meld of black threes, you can have as many as you want - this is the only meld that is not limited
to seven cards. You do not count a canasta bonus for a meld of black threes, however.
Going out
To go out, you must have completed at least one 7 card canasta of each of the four types.
You go out by melding all your cards except one, and discarding the last card. You are not allowed
to meld everything and leave yourself with no discard. When a player goes out the play ends and
the hand is scored.
Scoring
The bonuses are:
100 for each red three
100 for going out
300 for each black canasta
500 for each red canasta
1000 for each wild canasta
1500 for each 7 canasta
The cards you have melded also score their usual values (50, 20, 10, 5) and you subtract points for
any cards left in your hand, or in your kitty if you have not picked it up.
Bain Hand and Foot

This version was contributed by Barbara Bain
This game is included here because it has more in common with Pennies from Heaven than with the
games described on the Hand and Foot page. It is for 4 players in fixed partnerships using 4 decks of
cards complete with two jokers per deck.
Each player is dealt a hand of 15 cards and a foot of 13 cards. Before play begins, you may take one look
at your foot of 13 cards, and it must then be set aside face down for later use.
The game continues until one team wins by having a cumulative score of 20,000 or more points. The
minimum initial meld requirement depends on your team's score:
Your score Minimum meld
negative ...... no minimum
0 to 4,999 ...... 50
5,000 to 9,999 ...... 90
10,000 to 14,999 ...... 120
15,000 to 20,000 ...... 150
In melds you must have more normal cards than wild cards - so there can be up to 3 wild cards in a dirty
canasta, and up to two wild cards in a dirty meld of five or six cards.
[It is not stated, but probably, as in other versions of Hand and Foot, a player draws two cards from the

stock pile on each turn. We may also assume that the discard pile can only be taken by a player who has
two natural cards matching the top card of the pile.]
If a joker or deuce is discarded, it is placed crosswise on the discard pile so that it remains visible when
other cards are discarded on top of it. When taking the discard, a player takes all the cards down to and
including the next discarded joker or deuce. If there are none, the whole pile is taken.
If you make the initial meld for your team, you are not allowed to complete a canasta until your partner
has completed a canasta. Having made a canasta, your partner immediately picks up her 13 foot cards
and adds them to her hand cards. You may now complete a canasta and as soon as you have done so you
may also pick up your 13 card 'foot' and add it to your hand. Once both partners have made canastas and
picked up their foot, both are free to complete further canastas when they wish to, and to go out when
they satisfy the conditions.
In order to go out you must have at least:
one canasta of seven sevens (no wild cards)
one canasta of seven wild cards
one 'black' canasta (that is one which contains 1-3 wild cards)
one 'red' canasta (that is a canasta without any wild cards)
In addition, you cannot go out until all eight red threes are face up on the table.
To go out, you must be able to meld all your cards except one and discard your last card. You may then
(if you wish) ask your partner for permission to go out and must follow partner's decision, [or
presumably if you wish to you can just go out without consulting partner].
The bonus scores are:
Canasta of sevens ........ 1500
Canasta of Wild Cards ........ 1000
Red Canasta ........ 500
Black Canasta ........ 300
Bonus for going out ........ 200
Red Threes ........ 100 each
In order for your red threes to count plus 100, you must have a complete canasta of sevens when the play
is finished. If you do not, the red threes your side has put on the table will count 100 points each against
you.
Once you have your canasta of seven sevens on the table, you may start a "garbage pile" on your side of
the table. In the garbage pile you can meld any cards of ranks for which you already have a complete
canasta. The values of the cards in your garbage pile will be included in your final score.
Sevens may never be discarded or placed in the garbage pile. If after completing your canasta of sevens
you draw another one you must hold onto it, and it will prevent you from going out, even if you have met
all the other requirements. However, if you manage to collect three sevens you may start a second meld
of sevens and get rid of them that way. If you reduce your hand to just one seven and you then draw two
sevens from the stock, the game automatically ends.



Rules of Card Games: Pepper
Pepper
This description was contributed by Jon Melton
Pepper is played in Iowa, USA, and also in Ohio. It is a essentially a version of Bid Euchre. A related
game is found in several card-game books under the name Hasenpfeffer ('jugged hare'), and the name
Pepper probably derives from this.
Pepper is an easy game to learn, but offers opportunities for strategy both in the bidding and the play.
The somewhat unusual ranking of the jacks in the trump suit will be familiar to players of Euchre and
500.
Players
Two, three, or four players. The four-hand version, which is played with partnerships, will be described
first.
Cards
A pack of 24 cards containing 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A in each suit. The rank of the cards in the trump suit
is: J (of trump suit, a.k.a. the right bower; high), J (of the other suit of the same color as the trump suit,
a.k.a. the left bower), A, K, Q, 10, 9 (low). In the plain suits the rank is: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9 (low).
When playing with no trumps, all four suits follow the 'plain suit' ranking.
Dealing
Cards are dealt one at a time to each player, clockwise, starting with the player to the dealer's left. Each
player receives six cards.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, and proceding clockwise, each player can bid or pass. A bid
indicates the number of tricks that a player (with the help of their partner) will contract to win if allowed
to choose either the trump suit or no trump. The possible bids are the numbers from one to five; above
five is 'little pepper' which is a bid to take six tricks, and the highest bid of all is 'big pepper' which is also
a bid to take six tricks, but the stakes for that hand are effectively doubled.
Each player in turn must either bid higher than the previous bid or pass. The auction continues for as
many rounds as necessary, until a bid is passed by all of the other three players. The highest bidder then
either names a trump suit or chooses 'no trump'. This fixes the trump suit, if any, for that hand.
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Rules of Card Games: Pepper
The Play
The highest bidder then makes the opening lead, and may lead any card. The other players each play a
card (playing clockwise) and must follow suit if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, he/she may play
any card. The trick goes to the highest trump or, if there are no trump cards, to the highest card of the suit
led. The winner of a trick leads to the next trick.
Note: if (for example) spades are trump, the jack of spades is the highest trump, followed by the jack of
clubs (the other jack of the same color) which is considered a spade for this hand, the ace of spades, K,
Q, 10, 9. The ranking follows the same pattern for the other suits when they are trump.
Scoring
The contracting side scores one point for each trick taken if it makes at least its contract, but is set back
(loses) six points if it fails to make its contract, regardless of the value of the contract. A side can have a
negative score. An exception to this is the 'big pepper' bid. With this contract, if all the tricks are taken
the contracting side wins 12 points. However, if the contracting side fails to take all six tricks, they are
set back 12 points. The opposing side always scores one point for each trick taken.
The first team to score 30 or more points wins. If both sides reach 30 or more points on the same hand,
the side with the higher score wins. If their scores are equal, the game is a tie.
Three-hand and Two-hand Version

Three hands of eight cards each are dealt and each player plays for him/herself. Possible bids are
numbers from one to seven, 'little pepper' for eight tricks and 'big pepper' where a player contracts to take
all eight tricks with the stakes doubled.
Players lose eight points for failing to make their contract, but otherwise score one point for each trick
taken. In big pepper the stake are doubled, so if the contracting player takes eight tricks the player
receives 16 points, but is set back 16 points if he or she does not make the contract.
With two players, one of the three hands is a dummy hand which is not played, but which remains face
down during the hand.
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Rules of Card Games: Double deck Pinochle
Double Deck Pinochle

This page has been put together from various sources, including information collected by John Hay, and
contributions from Toby Thomas and Jim Davis.
Players and Cards
Idea of the Game

Deal
Meld
The Bidding
Calling Trump and Melding
The Play
The Scoring
Bidding Systems
Variations
Other Double Deck Pinochle Web Sites and Software
WWW pages for other types of Pinochle
pinochle glossary
Players and Cards

There are four players; partners sit across from each other.
The deck consists of 80 cards, containing A 10 K Q J in each of the four suits, and with four identical
copies of each card. This deck can be formed by mixing together two normal Pinochle decks, having
thrown out the nines, or from four regular 52 card decks from which you throw out all the numerals 2 to
9.
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Idea of the Game

After the deal there is an auction in which players bid the number of points their team will try to win.
Whoever bids highest has the privilege of choosing trumps and leading to the first trick. The object of the
high bidder's team is to win at least as many points as the amount they bid. Points can be scored in two
ways:
1. by declaring and showing (melding) combinations of cards held in a players hand;
2. by winning aces, tens and kings in tricks
The game is won by the first partnership to achieve a score of 500 or more. If both sides reach 500 on the
same hand, the bidding side wins.
Deal
Deal and play are clockwise. All the cards are dealt to the players, so that everyone has 20. Dealing
practice varies; common methods are 4 cards at a time, 5 cards at a time, or 2 cards to each player, and
the remainder 3 at a time.

In each suit the cards rank, from highest to lowest, Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack. At the end of the play,
each side counts the points they have taken in tricks. Each Ace, Ten and King is worth one point, and the
team who win the last trick get an extra 2 points. Hence there are a total of 50 points available for tricks.
Meld
Points can be scored for certain combinations of cards in hand of one player. These combinations are
called meld; they are displayed to the other players before the start of the trick play. Any meld can be
single (just one of each card), double (two identical copies of each card), triple (three of each card) or
quadruple (all four of each card).
There are three types of meld. Any particular card can only belong to one meld of each type. The point
scores for meld are given in the following table:
Type Combination Single Double Triple Quadruple
Run - Ace, Ten, King, Queen,

15 150 225 300
Jack of trumps
Royal Marriage - King and

Type I 4 8 12 16
Queen of trumps
Runs and Marriages Marriage - Kings and Queen

2 4 6 8
of the same suit, not trumps

Note: A run in a suit other than trumps is not worth anything more than
the marriage score for the king and queen.
Pinochle - Jack of diamonds

Type II - Pinochles & Queen of spades
4 30 60 90
Aces around - An Ace in each

10 100 150 200
suit
Kings around - A King in

8 80 120 160
each suit
Type III
Queens around - A Queen in
Arounds 6 60 90 120
each suit
Jacks around - A Jack in each

4 40 60 80
suit
Note: A set of tens is not worth anything in meld.
Example: with hearts as trump, the following hand:

A 10 K K K Q Q J
QQJ
QQ
AKKQQJJ
scores 87 for meld: a run (15), a royal marriage (4), a double marriage in spades (4), a pinochle (4) and
double queens around (60). There is only one royal marriage as one king and one queen of hearts are
already used for the run, and the remaining queen can only marry one of the remaining kings. Notice,
however, that one of the queens of spades is simultaneously used in the spade marriage, the pinochle and
the around - this is allowed because these melds are all of different types.
The Bidding
The person to the left of the dealer bids first. The opening bid must be at least 50, but may be higher.
You may bid by ones until you reach 60; bids above 60 must be multiples of 5 (65, 70, 75 etc.). Turn to
bid proceeds clockwise. Each bid must be higher than the previous one, but a player who does not wish
to bid can pass. If the first three players all pass, the dealer is forced to bid 50. Once you pass you cannot
re-enter the bidding on a later turn. The bidding continues for as many rounds as necessary until three
players have passed. Whoever wins the bid (bids highest) has the right to call trump and lead.

Calling Trump and Melding

The bidder now chooses the trump suit and announces what it is. It must be a suit in which the bidder
holds at least a marriage. If the bidder does not have a marriage, the hand is not played, and the bidding
side automatically lose the amount of their bid.
Once trump is called all of the players lay their meld face up on the table. A combination must be
entirely within one player's hand to count. Note also that you can count the same card in melds of
different types (for example a queen of spades could be part of a marriage, a pinochle and a set of
queens), but not in more than one meld of the same type (so a king and two queens does not count as two
marriages). Partners add together the scores for their meld and this is written down on the score sheet.
The Play
The person who won the bid begins the play by leading to the first trick, and the others play in turn,
clockwise. A trick consists of one card from each player and if it contains no trumps it is won by the
highest card played of the suit led. If any trumps are played to the trick, then the highest trump wins,
irrespective of any other cards in the trick. If there are two or more identical cards in a trick, the first of
these cards which was played beats the others. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
When leading to a trick any card may be played. Each subsequent players must follow suit if they can
and must crawl (this means that each player must play a card which is higher in rank than the winning
card that has been played to the trick so far). A player who cannot crawl (i.e. does not have a high
enough card of the suit led to beat the highest so far played to the trick) must follow suit in any case, with
a card that will not win the trick.
Any player who does not have any cards of the suit that was led must trump. If someone has already
trumped then later players who can follow suit may play any card of the suit led (no card of the led suit
can beat a trump). If a trick has been trumped, subsequent players who do not have the led suit either
must crawl in trump, that is beat the highest trump so far played. A player who cannot follow suit and
cannot beat the highest trump so far played must still play a trump, even though this trump will not be
high enough to win the trick.
A player who has no card of the suit led and no trumps may play any card.
Scoring
When all the cards have been played, each team counts the points in the tricks they have won. If the
bidding side took in meld and tricks at least as many points as they bid, then both teams add the points
they made to their cumulative score.
If the bidding partnership does not "make" the bid (i.e. their meld and trick points do not equal or surpass
their bid), they have been "set". In this case they score nothing for their meld and tricks, and instead the
amount of their bid is subtracted from their score. The non-bidding partners get to keep their meld and
trick points.

If the bidding partners know that they cannot make the bid before play begins, they may call trump and
throw in their hand. In this case they score nothing for their meld and their bid is subtracted from their
score. The non-bidding partners add their meld points to their score. This allows the bidding partners to
avoid losing the trick points to their opponents.
Bidding Systems
It is sensible to use the bids to convey information about what melds are held. In variations with card
passing, bids can also be used to indicate what cards you would like your partner to pass. Details of
bidding systems vary greatly, and there is no standard that I know of, so the systems below should be
taken only as examples. If anyone would like to let me know about their preferred bidding systems, or
systems that they regard as standard in some way, I would be happy to add them to this page.
The systems that are possible or sensible are clearly affected by the version of the rules that is in
operation. For example some groups do not require the bids to be in multiples of 5 above 60. Some allow
extra information to be given with the bid, not just a number. Some play with with exchanging of cards
between partners (see below).
A common system, for the part of the bidding that is in ones, is to agree that an skip of one point in
bidding represents 10 meld. So if a player opens 52 (skipping 50 and 51) this indicates that the player
holds 20 meld. If the next player bids 56 (skipping 3 numbers: 53, 54, 55) this indicates 30 meld. A
player who bids the minimum indicates a wish to be the bidder (i.e. to set trumps); skipping suggests that
you want your partner to win the bid, and you will help with your indicated meld.
Here is another system, contributed by Jim Davis. This is for use in a game where any number from 50
up can be bid, and in which four cards are passed:
50 ... Opening Bid
51 ... Not yet ready to "Pass"
52 ... I have some meld
53 ... I have several parts of Pinochle ( J's or Q's)
55 ... I need Jacks of all suits
54, 64, 74, etc. ... I need a Jack
56, 66, 76, etc. ... I need a Queen
58, 68, 78, etc. ... I need a King
59, 69, 79, etc. ... I need a Ten
60, 70, 80, etc. ... I need an Ace
Jump ahead to 66 ... I need Queens of all suits
Jump ahead to 80 or 88 ... I need Kings of all suits
Jump ahead to 100 ... I need Aces of all suits
During the bidding process jump ahead to the next appropriate number that will give your partner
a necessary clue as to what to pass if you were to win the bid. Notice that you have to be careful
about the possible confusion between (say) 80 asking for an ace and 80 asking for all kings. If the

bidding is in the low 70's and you want to ask for all kings, you should jump to 88 to make this
clear. In this case 80, being the next available bid ending in '0', would be a request for an ace.
Variations
Double Deck Pinochle has apparently been played since the 1940's. Many different versions have
developed, and there is no universally accepted standard. Here are some fairly widespread variations.
Variations in Bidding Procedure

Some players allow any number to be bid from 50 up. Some play that bids above 100 must be in
multiples of 10.
Some play that the bidding goes around once only - each player has just one change to speak. Some play
that it goes around twice only (but if you pass the first time you cannot bid the second time).
Some players allow extra information to be given during the bidding - not just the numbers. This
normally takes the form of information about meld held. It is generally agreed that it is illegal to direct
attention to any particular suit.
Exchanging Cards and Choosing Trumps

A common variation increases allows card to be exchanged between the partners on the bidding side.
This usually happens immediately after the dealer has chosen trumps. It has the general effect of leading
to higher melds and therefore higher bidding.
The high bidder and partner must simultaneously pass three cards to each other face down across the
table. They are not allowed to look at the cards passed to them before they have chosen and placed on the
table the cards they are going to pass.
The rule requiring the bidder to have at least a marriage in the trump suit is not always followed. If it is,
it will be sufficient for the bidder to have a marriage after the exchange of cards.
Some play that other numbers of cards are passed - the number ranging from one to four depending on
the variation.
Some play that the bidder's partner passes cards first. The bidder looks at these and then passes back an
equal number of cards (possibly including some of the cards just received).
Some play that the exchange of cards occurs before the trump suit is announced. In that case the bidder
may be allowed to suggest a suit in which she would like to receive cards (possibly different from the
eventual trump suit).
Variations in scoring
Multiple meld scores
These vary quite a lot. Many books give a lower score of 45 for triple pinochle but a higher score

of 300 for quadruple pinochle (instead of 60 and 90). I have been told that some of the on-line
Pinochle servers, such as Yahoo, also follow this system. Book versions also tend to give no bonus
for a multiple run, so that a double run counts 30, a triple run 45, and a quadruple run 60. On the
other hand some players increase the scores for all triple and quadruple melds. Toby Thomas's
variation (below) is an example of this.
Pinochle 14
Some players score 14 instead of 4 for a single Pinochle. Double, triple and quadruple pinochle are
still 30, 60 and 90 (information posted by Kit McCormick to rec.games.playing-cards)
Roundhouse
This consists of a king and a queen of each suit. It normally scores 24: royal marriage + 3
marriages + kings around + queens around. However some players give a roundhouse a higher
score of 32. Some score a roundhouse with a run as 39 (24 + 15, allowing the royal marriage to
contribute to the roundhouse as well as being part of the run). Some score a double roundhouse as
240 (it should normally be 160 = 8 + 3*4 + 80 + 60).
Minimum 20 to score
Some play that meld can only be scored by a side whose meld is worth at least 20 points. Before
laying down their meld each player announces its value, and if the total for a team is less than 20,
they cannot lay down or score any meld for that hand. If the bidding side fail to reach 20 in meld
they automatically lose the bid without playing, but the bidder must still name a trump suit and the
opposing team may be able to score meld. Furthermore, a team that does not take at least 20 points
in the play cannot score anything for the hand - their meld is disregarded. If this happens to the
bidding team, they automatically fail (however much meld they had) and their bid is subtracted
from their score.
100 aces
Some players multiply all the scores given above by 10 (so single aces around is worth 100). This
is in fact the older way of scoring, but most people now use the lower scores given above.
According to a post to rec.games.playing-cards by Mike Kelly, 100 aces scoring is found East of
the Hudson River, and 10 aces elsewhere.
Variation contributed by Toby Thomas

Toby Thomas writes: "My father-in-law, Clare Masek is 81 (Oct 96) and has played pinochle for over 70
years. It seems that he lives for pinochle and as of late we have been playing his brand of double
partnership pinochle."
The differences from the versions described above are as follows:
Meld
Values for certain double, triple and quadruple melds are increased as follows:
Combination Single Double Triple Quadruple
Type I - runs and marriages
Run in trumps 15 150 500 ---

Royal Marriage 4 30 60 240

Ordinary Marriage 2 4 6 8
Type II - pinochles
Pinochle 4 30 90 360
Type III - arounds
Aces around 10 100 500 ---
Kings around 8 80 400 ---
Queens around 6 60 300 ---
Jacks around 4 40 200 ---
The treatment of Royal Marriages is a little unusual. If you have an extra Royal Marriage
alongside a trump run, you are allowed to count the multiple marriage in addition to the run. For
example:
A-10-K-K-Q-Q-J is worth 45 points (15 + 30)
A-10-K-K-K-Q-Q-Q-J is worth 75 points (15 + 60)
A-A-10-10-K-K-K-Q-Q-Q-J-J is worth 210 points (150 + 60)
Bidding
The opening bid must be at least 25. You may bid by ones until you reach 50; bids above 50 must
be multiples of 5 (55, 60, 65 etc.).
Card Exchange
Before choosing the trump suit, the high bidder receives three cards from his partner. The bidder
must name a suit he would like to receive and his partner must give him 3 cards of that suit if he
has them. If the partner has fewer than 3 cards of the suit requested, he must pass any cards he has
in the requested suit, plus other card(s) of his choice to complete the 3 card pass. The partner
passes the three cards face down to the bidder, who looks at them, adds them to his hand, and then
passes any three cards back to his partner, also face down.
When choosing trumps, the bidder will often name the suit he asked to be passed, but it does not
have to be the same - for example the bidder may have requested a suit he needed to complete a
combination, such as double aces, but intend to have a different suit as trump.
Bidding System
Bids between 25 and 49 are used to suggest what cards should be passed. A bid ending in 6 means
you would like queens, a bid ending in 8 asks for kings, a bid ending in 0 asks for tens, and a bid
ending in 1 asks for aces. Other bids suggest that you want a standard book (set of cards passed) -
such as a marriage and an ace. Therefore if you want the standard book you can begin by bidding
50 and shut else everyone out.

Other Double Deck Pinochle Web Sites and

Software
John Hay's Double Pinochle page contains rules and variations, and provided a lot of the source
information for this page.
Another description can be found on Brad Wilson's Double Pinochle page.
Chris Chapman's site includes his Double Deck Pinochle computer program plus other Pinochle
information and links.
Larry W. Nicholas has published the Pinochle 97 computer program.
The Pinochle page of the Card Players Web Site has a directory of Pinochle clubs in the USA.
Power Players Pinochle is an organization that promotes Pinochle competition events (tournaments and
Leagues) and has a membership of approximately 250 active members.
The following sites offer on-line Pinochle games:
Igames
www.won.net
Playlink
WWW pages for other types of Pinochle

There are separate pages on this site for:
Single Deck Partnership Pinochle
Three-handed Pinochle
Two-handed Pinochle


Rules of Card Games: Pinochle

This page is based on David Dailey's rules, entitled Pinochle is for Fun!
Note: There are other pages on this site for Double Deck Pinochle and Two Handed Pinochle.
Contents
Introduction
Overview
The Deck
The Deal
The Bid
Passing Cards
Laying Down Meld
Taking Tricks
Counting Points
Variations
Other Types of Pinochle
Further Pinochle WWW Pages
Pinochle Software and On-Line Games
Pinochle Tactics
Pinochle Glossary
Introduction
David Dailey writes:
My parents taught me to play Pinochle the summer before my sixth birthday. I have been
playing for many years since, and I greatly enjoy this opportunity to share my version of
Pinochle with you all.
http://www.pagat.com/marriage/pinmain.html (1 de 9) [04/05/2001 9:54:46]

There are many variations of this game. In fact, nearly every aspect of the game is played
differently by somebody, somewhere. I call this version "My Family's Pinochle," or MFP
for short. I have found Pinochle to be a wonderful game for playing in large groups, and it
can be an excellent vehicle for social interaction if you play, as I do, not necessarily to win,
but to have fun. I hope you also enjoy playing Pinochle.
Please write me with any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding this document.
Additionally, I am working on a paper version of these rules (complete with illustrations!)
that will be available for sale. Please send e-mail if you are interested in purchasing a copy. I
can be reached at compass@ricochet.net.
Overview
Pinochle is a trick-taking game, like Euchre, Bridge, Hearts, Spades, and even the children's game War.
Under Taking Tricks, I'll cover how you decide who leads each trick, how you decide who wins each
trick, and what that all means. But before we get to the trick-taking phase of the game, I'll talk about the
deck, how it's dealt, how bidding takes place, and all the other pieces of the game.
For those familiar with Pinochle terminology, My Family's Pinochle (MFP) is single-deck, four-handed,
partnership, auction, racehorse Pinochle. For those not familiar with these terms, check out the list
below:
Single-deck means we use only one deck of Pinochle cards. There are variations on the game that
use two or more decks, especially to accommodate more than four players.
Four-handed means that four people play at a time. I also play three-handed pinochle, and I've
worked on developing a special deck for playing five-handed pinochle. Two-handed and
six-handed pinochle also exist, and I'm sure there are others (eight-handed comes to mind).
Partnership means that the four people are grouped in two teams of two. There are variations
(notably in three-handed) where each player plays independently, and other variations where the
player taking the bid has a partner based on which other player is holding a particular card.
Auction means that the privilege of naming trump is bid for amongst the players. The player
winning the bid gets the right to name trump, but also has the responsibility to make sure the team
earns the number of points bid. One variation is that trump is determined by the final card dealt
from the deck.
Racehorse means that, after the winning bidder has named trump, that player's partner passes
cards across the table. The bidder incorporates those into the hand, then passes the same number of
cards back. A common variation is to play cutthroat, where such passing of cards does not take
place.
Back to contents

The Deck
My Family's Pinochle is played with a 48-card deck (there are variations). The deck consists of twelve
cards in each of four suits - two in each of the ranks Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, and Nine. Note that
the rank of cards differs from standard usage: the Ten outranks everything (within its suit) except the
Ace. This is likely to be a stumbling block for many people; however, if you are familiar with the bowers
in Euchre or the strange role played by the Queen of Spades in Hearts, you should have no trouble with
the transition.
In the trick-taking phase of the game, the Aces, Tens, and Kings are worth points, and thus are called
"counters." Queens, Jacks, and Nines are not worth points (although they can win tricks [and influence
people]), so they are called "non-counters."
The (at first) unusual order of ranks can be remembered by chanting "Ace, Ten, King" over and over,
much as a beginning or infrequent dancer (such as myself) chants "one, two, three" while learning to
waltz. "Ace, Ten, King" has become something of a mantra at our pinochle parties.
Back to contents
The Deal
For the first round of a game, the players select a dealer in whatever manner they choose. At our house,
it's generally whoever happens to pick up the cards first. (Throughout this document, a "round" will refer
to the entire sequence from one deal to the next; the set of cards dealt to an individual player will be
called a "hand.")
The dealer shuffles the cards in whatever manner is convenient to mix them thoroughly. (It is considered
good form to offer to shuffle and/or deal for somebody whose hands don't work so well.) The shuffled
deck is placed on the table to the dealer's right; the player to that side cuts the deck, preferably toward the
dealer.
The dealer picks up the deck (cut portion last) and deals the cards evenly to each players, beginning with
dealer's left. Some players insist that the cards be dealt one at a time. I was taught to deal the cards three
at a time, and continue to do so. Truth be told, it doesn't matter as long as each player receives twelve
cards, the dealer receiving the final card(s). All 48 cards will have been dealt.
It is generally courteous to wait until all the cards have been dealt before picking up your hand. This
way, if one player does not have enough cards, they can be re-distributed without having to re-shuffle
and re-deal the whole deck.
Once the cards have been dealt, the players pick up, sort, and examine their hands. The next phase is
bidding.
Back to contents

The Bid
The winner of the bid (hereafter called the "declarer") acquires three rights:
the right to name trump,
the right to receive cards from his/her partner, and
the right to lead the first trick.
The minimum opening bid is 250 points, and the player to the dealer's left has the first opportunity to bid.
Bids are made in increments of 10 (or multiples of 10) points. Unlike Bridge, no suit is named along with
the point value - the bid consists of a number only.
Bid passes to the left, and when the bid reaches you, you have four options:
1. Give a normal bid by announcing a number 10 points higher than the last bid.
2. Give a "jump" bid by saying a number at least 20 points higher than the last bid.
3. Say "Pass," thereby removing yourself from the bidding for this round. (If it looks as though the
other players will be bidding for a while, go get a cup of tea.)
4. Say "Pass with help." This phrase removes you from the bidding for the round, but can be used to
convey extra information to your partner. Note that some people do not allow the use of "Pass with
help"; always inquire locally before starting play.
When only one person has not said "pass" (or "pass with help"), that person has won the bid and becomes
the declarer. The amount bid is recorded on a piece of paper which is being used as a score pad.
In My Family's Pinochle, the dealer is "under": this means that if the other three players pass, the dealer
has taken the bid at 250 points.
The winner of the bidding names the trump suit.
Go to bidding tactics
Go to tactics of choosing trumps
Back to contents
Passing Cards
When the bidder has named trump, the bidder's partner selects four cards to pass across the table. Exactly
four cards must be sent; no more and no fewer. Once you've selected your four cards, place them in one
stack face down on the table in front of you, and slide them across to your partner.
The bidder picks up these four cards and sorts them into his or her hand and chooses four cards to send
back across the table in the same way. These may include some of the cards just received.
Go to tactics for passing cards
Back to contents

Laying Down Meld

Now that the cards have been passed back and forth across the table, all four players lay down their meld.
My dictionary calls meld "a combination of cards declared, especially by putting them face up on the
table," and that definition is appropriate. Each combination is called a piece of meld, and each piece is
worth a particular number of points.
There are three types of meld, and an individual card may belong to several different pieces of meld as
long as they are of different types. Each player places face-up on the table only those cards necessary to
show the value of their meld.
In My Family's Pinochle, the various pieces of meld are worth the following numbers of points:
TYPE I
Runs (all cards must be in trump-- non-trump runs do not count)
Bare Run (A, T, K, Q, J) ............................. 150
Run with Extra King (A, T, K, K, Q, J) ............... 190
Run with Extra Queen (A, T, K, Q, Q, J) .............. 190
Run with Extra Marriage (A, T, K, K, Q, Q, J) ........ 230
Double Run (A, A, T, T, K, K, Q, Q, J, J) ............ 1500
Nine of Trump (called the deece) ...................... 10
Marriages (King and Queen of the Same Suit)

Royal Marriage (in Trump) ........................... 40
Common Marriage (non-Trump) ......................... 20
TYPE II
Pinochle
Single (one Jack of Diamonds and one Queen of Spades) ....... 40
Double (both Jacks of Diamonds and both Queens of Spades) ... 300
TYPE III
Arounds One of Each Suit Both of Each Suit
Aces ............... 100 ................. 1000
Kings .............. 80 ................. 800
Queens ............. 60 ................. 600
Jacks .............. 40 ................. 400
Although it seems arbitrary, Tens Around is worth nothing. Nines Around, if you really want to meld it,
is (facetiously) worth 10 points, because you automatically have the deece.
When all four players have laid down their meld, both teams count their points and record them on the

score pad. Here's where it starts to get interesting: There are only a total of 250 points available during
the trick-taking phase of the game. If the amount that was bid is more than 250 points above the amount
melded by the declarer's team, there is no way that team can make their bid. They are not "on the board,"
and they will "go set" for this hand. (See the Taking Tricks section for what happens when you've "gone
set.")
If the difference between the amount bid and the amount the declarer's team has melded is 250 points or
less, the hand can be played out. However, if the declarer feels there is absolutely no chance of making
the required points, he or she can "throw in the hand" and the consequences are the same as if that team
had not been "on the board". General courtesy calls for all players to wait until the declarer picks up his
or her own meld; then they may pick up theirs. This gives the declarer a fair chance to see what he or she
is up against.
Back to contents
Taking Tricks
Once all players have picked up their melded cards, the declarer leads to the first trick. Proceeding to the
left, each player plays a card on the trick (following the rules outlined below). When four cards have
been played to the trick, the highest-ranking card of trump - or, if there is no trump in the trick, the
highest-ranking card of the suit led - wins the trick. If there is a tie for highest-ranking card, the trick is
won by whichever of the equal cards was played first. The player who played the winning card leads to
the next trick, and so on until twelve tricks have been played.
There are some rules about what must be played on the trick. The first, or lead, card, may be anything in
the leader's hand (although some plays are smarter than others). The basic rules of engagement are as
follows:
1. If you have a card of the same suit as the lead card, you must play it. If possible, you must play a
card with a higher rank than the card that currently controls the trick.
2. If you do not have any cards in the suit led, but you have a card in trump, you must play it, thereby
"trumping the trick". If the trick already contains trump, you must beat it with a higher trump card
if you can.
3. If you cannot follow suit and you cannot trump the trick, you may "slough", that is, play any other
card.
Notes:
The first played of two identical cards beats the second.
The rule obliging you to beat the card currently winning the trick applies even if the card you are
obliged to beat is your partner's.
If you have no card of the suit led, you must play a trump if you can, even if someone before you
has already played a higher trump than yours. The only case in which you are allowed to throw a
card of a non-trump suit different from the led suit is when you have no cards of the suit led and no
trumps.
Once all four cards have been played to a trick, it should be clear which player has won the trick. Each

team should designate one partner to "pull" the tricks, or gather them from the center of the table. For the
declaring team, this is usually the non-declarer (giving the declarer time to concentrate on what to lead
next). The puller collects the cards, turns them face-down, and places them in a stack in front of him or
her on the table. As a courtesy, the puller shows the cards to the other players (especially the declarer)
before they are turned face-down.
Go to tactics of playing tricks
Back to contents
Counting Points
Once all twelve tricks have been played, both teams collect their stacks of pulled cards and count the
Aces, Tens, and Kings (the "counters") collected during the round. Each counter is worth 10 points. The
final trick, in and of itself, is worth an additional 10 points. This make 250 points total: 240 for the
twenty-four counters in the deck, plus 10 for the final trick.
The scores obtained by each side are recorded on the score pad.
If the declaring team "makes the bid" (earns enough points, through melding and trick-taking combined,
to meet or exceed the amount bid), all the earned points are added to the team's previous score. If they do
not, they "go set". This means that they do not score any points melded, they score no points taken in the
tricks, and their previous score is reduced by the amount bid.
If the non-declaring team fails to earn points while taking tricks (that is, they pulled no counters and
failed to capture the final trick), they do not score any points that were melded. (It is said that they failed
to "save their meld.") The exception is that if their only meld was one or both deeces, the points are
scored. Nines of trump are said to "save themselves". If the non-declaring team does capture points in
tricks, the meld is added to their previous score, along with any points earned in tricks.
If the declaring team were not "on the board" (their meld fell short of their bid by more than 250 points)
or they decided to throw in the hand without play, they lose the amount of their bid, and the opponents
score their own meld. The cards are not played, so there is no score for cards won in tricks. Note that if
the declaring side have no chance of making their bid, it is advantageous for them to throw in the hand,
as this prevents the opponents from scoring for cards taken in the play.
It is a great coup for the declaring team to take all 250 points during the trick-taking phase of the game. It
is also a great coup for the non-declaring team to steal enough points that the declaring team cannot make
their bid. This tension, and waiting to see how it will be resolved, is part of the great fun of Pinochle.
My Family's Pinochle is generally played to 1500 points when there are only four people playing (and if
both teams exceed 1500 on the same round, the declaring team wins regardless of the actual score). If we
have several more people, however, we call four rounds a game and switch partners and/or tables.
Pinochle is a lot of fun when you can play with four or five different people during the course of an
evening - plus, you build up a lot of stories about "the big one that got away".
Back to contents

Variations
Some play that no extra points are scored for a single extra king or queen added to a run. This is probably
more usual than the way of scoring meld described in the main account. A-T-K-K-Q-Q-J of trumps
would score 190 for a run plus a marriage in trumps.
Many players divide all the scores by 10 - so a pinochle is worth 4, a run is worth 15, each counter (A, T,
K) taken in a trick is worth 1, and so on.
Robert J Gauen reports a different method of scoring frequently used in the Pacific nothwest of the USA.
This uses chips. Each team is allotted 14 colored chips (one team red, the opponents blue) representing
100 points each and 10 white chips representing 10 points each. One player from each team is assigned
to hold the chips at the start and pass them to partner as points are scored.
At the conclusion of each hand one colored chip for each hundred points won and one white chip for
each ten points won is passed across to the partner. The first side to pass all chips to the opposite side of
the table wins.
There is one notable difference in scoring. When the bidding partnership "goes set" on a hand (fails to
make the points for their bid), they do not lose points; instead, the other team scores the failed bid in
addition to the points which they made on meld, and the counters they took in their tricks. This method
of scoring makes for a much faster game.
For other forms of Single Deck Partnership Pinochle, see John Hay's Pinochle page.
Other Types of Pinochle

Double Deck Pinochle
Three-handed Pinochle
Two-handed Pinochle
Eventually, more types will be covered.
Further Pinochle WWW Pages

Associated with this page is a separate page on Pinochle Tactics (for the single deck partnership game)
and a Pinochle Glossary. The material for both of these was also contributed by David Dailey.
The Pinochle page of the Card Players Web Site has a directory of Pinochle clubs in the USA.

Pinochle Software and On-Line Games

Most Pinochle programs and online servers are devoted to the double deck version of the game.
However, I have been told that the online site www.won.net offers Single Deck Pinochle as an option.


Rules of Card Games: Three player Pinochle
Three player Pinochle

This page is mostly based on a contribution from Sion Hanson.
Introduction
Cards, Deal, Objective

Meld
Bidding
The Play
Scoring
Playing for Money
Variations
Tips and Ethics
Renege
Money game with each hand paid separately
Other Pinochle WWW Pages
Introduction
The main game described on this page is three player single deck Auction Pinochle, as played in ... .
Several variations of this game are also described. Versions of Pinochle for other numbers of players are
covered on other pages of this web site.
Cards, deal, objective

The game is played with a single 48 card pinochle deck. This can be made, if necessary, from two
standard 52 card decks by throwing out all the cards 2-8. For the purposes of trick taking, the cards in
each suit rank from high to low:
ace, ten, king, queen, jack, nine.
The aces, tens and kings are called counters. Queens, jacks and nines are called losers (though they can
occasionally win a trick). Counters are valued at 10 points apiece, while losers are worth nothing. One
aim of the game is to win as many counters as possible in your tricks. The last trick is worth an additional
10 points, so the total number of points available to be won in each hand is 250.
The cards are shuffled, cut, and dealt, usually three at a time, but this is not imperative. Each player
receives 15 cards and 3 cards are placed in the kitty, or cat, as it is sometimes called. These 3 cards can
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be placed in the cat at any point during the dealing, with the exception that the last card in the deck can
not be put in the cat. If the cards are misdealt in any way, they must be shuffled, cut and dealt again. Any
fair means can be used to determine the dealer for the first hand; after that the deal passes to the left after
each hand.
There are two ways of scoring points: by melding combinations and by winning scoring cards in tricks.
The object of the game is to be the first player to score 1500 points. After the first complete game is
finished, the winner is the first dealer of the second game.
Meld
In each hand, one player - the high bidder - will name trumps, take the cards in the cat, and play against
the other two, aiming to score at least the number of points mentioned in the bid. The first way of scoring
points is the meld, or display of scoring combinations held in the hand. Therefore, after the deal, each
player looks at his 15-card hand and assesses what scoring combinations of cards he holds in his hand,
and what value of meld he might therefore score if he could choose trumps. The cat cards are at this stage
unknown; they might increase a player's meld but this cannot be relied on.
The scoring combinations and their values are listed below. Each combination exists in a single and a
double version. A double combination is one that contains two copies of each card - for example a
double rope consists of A-A-10-10-K-K-Q-Q-J-J of trumps, and a double pinochle is two spade queens
and two diamond jacks. In some cases the double combination is worth exactly as much as two singles;
in other cases it is worth more.
Type Name Cards Single Double
A rope A 10 K Q J of trumps 150 1500
Type I: A marriage K Q of the same (non-trump) suit 20 40
Ropes, marriages
and deece A marriage in trump K Q of trumps 40 80
A deece the 9 of the trump suit 10 20
Type II:
A pinochle J of diamonds & Q of spades 40 300
Pinochles
100 aces an ace in each of the four suits 100 1000
Type III: 80 kings a king in each of the four suits 80 800

Arounds
60 queens a queen in each of the four suits 60 600
40 jacks a jack in each of the four suits 40 400
These combinations of cards can be intermingled to a certain degree. They are divided into three types,
and a single card can be used in simultaneously combinations of different types, but cannot be used in
more than one combination of the same type. For example, if a player had 60 queens, and a jack of
diamonds, he could score both 60 queens and a pinochle for a total of 100 (using the Q in a type II and

a type III combination simultaneously). Another example would be to meld a rope and 100 aces: the
trump ace from the (type I) rope could be used at the same time as the fourth ace in the (type III) 100
aces to score a total of 250. As far as marriages are concerned, 2 kings and 1 queen of the same suit are
not scored as 2 marriages (the queen cannot be used twice in a type I combination) and the same holds
true for 2 queens and 1 king. Tens have no value in the meld portion of the hand, except when making up
a rope.
Bidding
By calculating his potential meld, each player determines whether or not there is enough score in his
hand to justify bidding. A bid is a promise to score at least a certain number of points in exchange for
two privileges: the bidder gets the cards from the kitty and chooses the trump suit.
The player to the left of the dealer begins the bidding process, by passing or making a bid of at least 250.
The turn to bid passes clockwise around the table. All bids must be multiples of 10 (250, 260, 270, 280
etc.) At your turn you can either pass or bid higher than the previous bid if any. A player who has once
passed cannot bid again in the auction. If all three players pass, the cards are thrown in and the next
player in turn deals. If more than one player bids in the first round, the auction continues for as many
rounds as necessary until two players have passed. The third player, who is the highest bidder, has won
the bidding. At this point, the score keeper should make a note of the amount of the final bid - this has
saved many arguments.
Note that although it is legal to begin the auction with a bid of more than 250, or to "jump the bid",
increasing it by more than the minimum 10 above the previous bid, it is normal and prudent to start at
250 and increase the bid by just 10 at a time.
The player who won the bid exposes the 3 cat cards for all to see and then places them in his hand. He
then discards any 3 of his 18 cards face down into what will become his trick pile. The other players are
not entitled to see the discards until after the play. Note that cards that are discarded cannot be used as
part of your meld; nevertheless it is sometimes to the bidders advantage to discard meld to improve the
playing strength of his hand.
The Play
After discarding, the bidder announces the trump suit and claims his meld, laying out his meld
combinations on the table for all to see. Only the cards that form part of his meld are exposed; the rest of
his hand remains concealed from the other players. The other two players in turn then expose their meld
in the same way.
At this point the bidder has to decide whether it is possible to "make the bid". To make, the total of the
declarer's meld points and the cards he takes in tricks must be at least as much as the bid. If the bidder
decides that he cannot score enough points to make his bid, he announces that he is giving up. In this
case the amount of the bid is subtracted from the bidder's score, and the other two players score for their
meld. The hand is then "thrown in", and the deal passes to the next dealer.
If the bidder decides that the bid can be made, and so elects to play on, the scores for the three players'

melds are noted, and the players return all their cards to their hands, with the exception of the 3 discard
cards in the bidder's trick pile. The play of the hand then begins.
The person with the bid begins by "leading" any one card from his hand. The other two players in turn
each play a card, and who ever plays the highest ranking card of the suit that was led wins that trick,
unless it was trumped. Cards of the trump suit which was chosen by the bidder beat all cards of any other
suit. If any trumps were played to the trick, whoever played the highest-ranking trump card wins the
trick. In all suits, the rank of the cards from high to low is A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. Whoever wins the trick
collects the three cards, stores them face down, and leads any card to the next trick.
When playing to a trick, you have to follow suit. This means that whichever suit is led, the other
players also have to play that suit whenever it is possible to do so.
You also have to kill. This means that if you can, you must play a higher-ranking card on the trick
than any of the other 1 or 2 previously played cards. If you cannot kill, you still have to follow
suit.
If you cannot follow suit you are required to play trump, even if your trump cards are all of a
lesser rank than trump cards already played on the trick.
If you have no cards of the suit that was led, and you have no trump in your hand, you are allowed
to slough any card of your choosing, but slough cards have no power when it comes to taking
tricks. A trick can only be won by a card of the suit led or a trump.
Because the deck contains two identical copies of each card, it can happen that two identical cards are
played on the same trick. In this case the first of these cards played ranks higher then the second. The
player of the first identical card therefore wins the trick if that card is the highest ranking card in the
trick.
Scoring
After all 15 tricks are played out, each player counts the number of counters (aces, tens and kings) that
they have managed to accumulate in their trick pile. These counters are valued at 10 points each, and the
winner of the last trick can count an additional 10 points for that. If the three cards discarded by the
bidder before play include any counters, the values of these are included in the bidder's total. There is a
total of 250 points to be won in the play.
It is now determined whether or not the bidder has made his bid. If the total of his meld and the points he
won in play adds up to at least the amount of his bid, he has successfully made his bid. In this case the
bidder scores all the points he won in melds and play. Each of the other two players also score for their
meld and whatever they won in the play, provided that they won at least one counter. Any player that
fails to capture a counter in the play of the hand scores nothing for any meld they may have had on the
hand (this is called "losing your meld").
If the total of the bidder's meld and points won in play adds up to less than the bid, the bidder goes set.
He does not score anything for his meld nor for points won in play; instead the amount that was bid is
subtracted from his score. The two opposing players still add their meld and whatever they won in play
to their total score.
The first player to reach a score of 1500 or more points wins the game. In the event that more than one

person reaches the 1500 point mark during the same hand, the person with the bid (assuming he is one of
those to score over 1500) is declared the winner ("the bidder goes out"). If two players score over 1500
points and neither of these players has the bid, the one with the higher score wins the game. In the
unusual event that the two players without the bid should have a tie score over 1500, another hand is
played to decide the winner.
Playing for money

When playing for money, a stake is agreed for the game and for the set - for example $2 a game and $2 a
set, or 50 cents a game and 25 cents a set. A set occurs when the bidder loses. If the hand is thrown in
without play it is a single set, but if the bidder chooses to play out the hand and then loses it counts as a
double set. The final winner of the game wins the game stake from each opponent, and in addition each
opponent has to pay the winner a set stake for each time they were set (two set stakes for a double set).
Another way to achieve the same result is to use a pot. At the start of the game, each player puts a game
stake into the pot. Every time you are set you must add a set stake to the pot - or two set stakes for a
double set. The evntual winner takes the whole pot.
It is important to get the balance of the game and set stakes right. The purpose of the set stake is to
discourage frivolous sacrifice bids. However if the set stake is too high in relation to the game stake,
players will only bid on a certainty, making the game a little dull. Sacrifice bidding to prevent another
player from going out is a very much accepted and oft-used tactic and may have a variety of results. For
example:
1. A player may sometimes gets good enough cards in the cat to convert a sacrifice bid into a
winning bid.
2. Sometimes, a player will make a sacrifice bid and the leader will "meld out" anyway.
3. Sometimes a player who is on the verge of going out will bid 250 in the hope of coercing another
player to bid against him to try to drive the bid up and and set the leader. But then the leader will
pass the bid and set the opposing player. We call this trick "dropping the bid on him".
4. A player may have a good hand dealt to him, and the person that is near to going out will try to
"drop the bid on him", thinking the bidder will go set, but the bidder ends up winning the game.
Variations
The minimum bid allowed has gradually increased over time. Books from the beginning of the 20th
century do not specify any minimum. Some people still play with a minimum of 100 or 200. On the other
hand, more recently some people have begun to play with a minimum bid of 300 rather than 250.
Some players require player to the left of the dealer always to begin with the minimum bid. Others
require the dealer to make the minimum bid if the first two players pass.
There are also a few variations in the values of the various melds, though the values given above are
fairly standard. For example Gilbert Ohlson reports that in St Joseph a double marriage in trumps scores
240; if it is combined with rope (sequence) the total score is 390.

Some play that if you have five nines in your hand and you have no meld (except perhaps deeces), the
hand is thrown in and redealt.
Some play a fixed number of deals, rather than to a target score.
Tips and ethics

A game game can last from 5 minutes to 2 hours or more, but the average game lasts from 45 minutes to
an hour. The game can be won with one hand, but an average game requires 10-12 hands, depending on
the number of sets.
1. It is to the bidder's advantage to discard counters into his trick pile prior to the hand being played
out.
2. It is advantageous for the 2 non-bidders to "smear" to each other. This means that they should try
to give each other counters in their tricks in an attempt to set the bidder.
3. Being the dealer allows a person to be the last bidder. This is sometimes to the dealer's benefit.
4. Having the ability to determine how the trump is "played out" in a hand can make the difference
between making a bid and going set.
5. "Talking across the table" is forbidden. This means that you cannot tell any of the players in the
game which cards they should play.
6. Remembering which cards your opponents expose during the meld portion of the game is essential
to being a successful player. Also memorizing which cards have been played out and which cards
remain in their hands during the play portion of the game is important.
7. Like all card games, gloating is frowned upon.
8. Any cards accidentally exposed during the dealing process are grounds for a misdeal. Any
inaccuracies during the deal will void the hand and cause a misdeal.
9. "A card laid is a card played". In the play portion of the game, once a card leaves a persons hand
and is played on the table, it cannot be picked up and placed back in the hand. Sometimes this is
cause for a renege. This rule applies no matter how long the card lays on the table. If either of the
other players can describe the card in question it is considered a "played" card.
Renege
Any time a player accidentally misplays during the play portion of the hand, it is called a renege. There
are various forms of misplay:
playing out of suit
sloughing on a trick when you hold trump in your hand
playing out of turn
failure to discard 3 cards prior to the play portion of the hand - this constitutes a renege if bidder
has led to the first trick
purposely exposing any portion of your hand to another player (during the play portion of the
game for all players and also during the meld portion of the hand for nonbidders with the

exception of meld cards)

failure to kill
any other action that disrupts the harmony of the game.
These are all grounds for a renege.

If the bidder reneges, he automatically takes a double set and the amount of his bid is subtracted from his
score. The 2-opposing players get to count their meld points and the remainder of the hand is thrown in.
If either of the 2 nonbidders accidentally misplay, the bidder automatically makes his bid. The bidder
gets to score the amount of his bid and his meld, the player that misplayed loses all meld and takes a
single set, and the third player scores only his meld.
Money Game with each hand paid separately

This section is based on a contribution from Br. Paul Medvit.
Instead of keeping score and playing to a target, some people prefer simply to settle up each hand
separately in cash. The stake can vary by agreement, but the following assumes 5 cent per 50 points.
To begin the game each player puts 25 cents in the pot. If the pot is won everyone must put in 25 cents
again before the next deal. The minimum bid is 250 and if the first two players pass the dealer must bid
at least the minimum.
If the bidder wins he is paid by both opponents - divide the bid by 10 and round down to the next 5 cents,
so a bid of 250-290 is worth 25 cents, 300-340 is worth 10 cents, and so on.
If the bidder loses he pays the opponents and also the kitty. For a single set (given up without play) the
bidder has to pay the same amount per player that the bid would have won, plus the kitty; a double set
(played and lost) costs double.
Any bid with spades as trumps wins or loses double. So for example if you bid 330, play the hand out in
spades and lose you have to pay $1.20 to each player and $1.20 to the pot.
A player who wins a bid of 400 or more takes the pot in addition to the money won from each other
player.
Since the only result on each hand is whether the bidder wins or loses, the opponents of the bidder do not
meld. Once the bidder has enough points to win, or acknowledges defeat, the play stops, the hand is
settled up and the next person deals.
It is possible, and even preferable, to play this version with more than three people at the table. Only
three people are dealt cards in each hand; the rest take turns to sit out, and thus have time to go to rest
room, get something to eat, drink and so on. The players who are currently sitting out take part in the
payments as though they are opponents of the bidder. If the pot is won, everyone contributes to the new
pot, including those that were sitting out.

Other Pinochle WWW pages

Double Deck Partnertship Pinochle

Two-handed Pinochle


Rules of Card Games: Two-player Pinochle
Two-player Pinochle
Here is a link to John Hay's Two-player Pinochle page.
A shareware program for playing two player Pinochle can be downloaded from MeggieSoft.

http://www.pagat.com/marriage/pin2hand.html [04/05/2001 9:54:52]

Rules of Card Games: Piquet
Piquet
This description was contributed by Noel Leaver.
Introduction
Scoring
Deal
Exchange
Declarations
Repique and Pique
Play of the Cards
Advice on Play
Illustrative Hand
Other Piquet WWW Pages
Introduction
Piquet is game for two players, using a shortened pack of 32 cards which omits 2 to 6 in each suit. In
ascending order, the cards rank 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A (high). A number of French terms are traditionally
used for various features of the game and these are included below.
A game consists of a set of 6 deals called a partie, with the deal alternating. Each player is dealt 12 cards,
with 8 left as a talon. A deal consists of three parts: discarding a number of cards and replacing them
from the talon to try to improve the hand, declaring various features in the hand, and then playing the
cards in tricks.
Piquet is a very old game. It was well established by 1650 with similar rules to the present ones (it
differed in using a 36 card pack with a 12 card talon, elder hand being allowed to change 7 cards, and a
partie was ended by the first to reach 100, a variant still sometimes played). It was mentioned by
Rabelais in 1535 although whether this was the same game is unclear. It has retained its popularity to the
present day as one of the best and most skilful card games for two players. The rules described are those
published by Cavendish in 1882.
Scoring
During the play of the hand, players announce their running total for the hand every time they score
points. At the end of the hand the final totals are written down and added to the scores so far for the
partie. The winner is the player who has a higher score at the end of partie. If the scores are equal after 6
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deals, two more hands are played. If they are then still equal the partie is a draw. A major aim of the
players, apart from scoring more than the opponent over the six deals, is to "get over the Rubicon" by
scoring 100 points or more in the partie.
At the end of the partie, if the loser has scored at least 100 points, the loser pays the winner the
difference between the players' scores plus 100. If the loser has not scored as many as 100 points then
the loser pays the winner the sum of the players' scores plus 100. If another partie is to be played, the
scores are started from zero again.
Examples
At the end of a partie the scores are A:99, B:120. Player A pays 319 to player B.
At the end of a partie the scores are A:101, B:120. Player A pays 119 to player B.
Deal
Deal alternates between the players. Players cut for the highest card. The winner can choose who deals
first (but should always choose to deal first, as there is a slight advantage to being non-dealer on the
critical sixth hand).
The cards should be shuffled thoroughly. Twelve cards are dealt to each player, leaving 8 over as a talon.
Dealer may deal in either 3s or 2s, but must deal her remaining two hands in the partie the same way.
The talon is put face down in the middle.
The non-dealer is known as elder hand, the dealer as younger hand.
If either player is dealt a hand with no court cards (J, Q, K) he may announce carte blanche and score 10
points. It should be announced as soon as it is noticed. The announcement is proved by rapidly dealing
the cards face up onto the table after your opponent has discarded but before you discard. If Elder hand
has carte blanche he announces how many cards he intends discarding so that younger hand can choose
her discards before seeing Elder hand's cards.
Exchange
Elder hand exchanges first and must discard at least one and at most five cards face down (in practice,
elder hand will almost always exchange 5). He then picks up the same number of cards from the top of
the talon. Younger hand then does the same, discarding at least one card and at most the number of cards
not taken by elder hand (usually 3), and taking an equal number of cards from the talon. If either player
exchanges fewer than the maximum allowed they must announce this before picking up cards. Each
player keeps his discards by him, and may refer to them during play to remind himself what he discarded.
If elder exchanges fewer than five cards he can look at the remainder of the five. If younger exchanges
fewer than permitted she may expose the remainder (to both players) after elder hand leads.

Declarations
There are three categories of scoring combinations. Only the player with the best combination in each
category scores for that category:
Point
the most cards in one suit. The number of cards in the suit is announced (e.g. "point of 5") and it
scores this number.
Sequence
the longest run of consecutive cards in one suit (minimum 3). The possible sequences are:
tierce (3 cards, scores 3);
quart (4 cards - pronounced "cart" - scores 4);
quint (5 cards, scores 15);
sixime (6 cards, scores 16);
septime (7 cards, scores 17);
huitime (8 cards, scores 18).
Set
a set of cards of the same rank. There are two types:
quatorze is four Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks or Tens, and scores 14;
trio is three Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks or Tens, and scores 3.
Note that sets of 9s, 8s or 7s do not count.

Elder hand declares first, announcing his best combination in each category, usually in the order given.
After each announcement, younger hand says "good", meaning elder's is better and can be scored, "not
good" if younger has a better combination, or "equal" in which case elder gives more information then
younger says good or not good, or equal if they are precisely equal, in which case neither player scores.
Equal length points are compared by adding the face value of each card, court cards being counted as 10
and ace as 11. Equal length sequences are compared according to the highest card, eg A-K-Q beats
K-Q-J. Any quatorze beats any trio, and when comparing two quatorzes or two trios, the one with the
higher ranked cards wins.
The player with the winning sequence can score any other sequences they hold. The other player scores
nothing for sequences. Similarly, the player with the better trio or quatorze can also score any other trios
and quatorzes they hold, but the other player scores nothing for any trios or quatorzes.
After elder hand has declared he leads a card, and then younger hand announces and scores for
combinations in categories where she has said "not good".
After Elder Hand has led to the first trick either player may ask to see any combination that has been
scored for or which caused no score because of equality, although in practice this is rarely necessary as
you can normally deduce what the cards are. You might, for example, after a declaration of three queens
ask which one is missing. It is not obligatory to announce your best combination (or to announce
anything in a category at all) if you think you can obtain some advantage in the play by concealing the

cards, or if you think it is certain to be beaten. Deliberately not announcing a combination is known as
sinking a declaration. For example, if you only have a trio of tens and are sure your opponent has a trio
of aces, there is little point in announcing the tens. However, once elder hand makes a declaration, it
cannot be revised by declaring a higher one if younger hand says not good or equal, nor may such better
combinations be scored by elder hand if younger hand says good.
Repique and Pique

A player who scores 30 in declarations before his opponent has scored anything gains a repique which is
worth 60 points extra. A player who scores 30 in declarations and play before his opponent scores
anything gains a pique, which is worth 30 extra. In deciding whether the 30 has been reached before the
opponent scores, points are reckoned strictly in this order:
1. Carte Blanche
2. Point
3. Sequences
4. Quatorzes and trios
5. Points made in play
For example, suppose elder hand chooses not to declare a point or sequence but announces four aces. If
younger then announces two quints for 30 points this counts as a repique. Similarly, if elder hand scores
30 for sequences and sets, but younger hand has the better point, elder hand does not score a repique.
Because elder hand always scores one for leading to the first trick, only elder hand can ever score a
pique.
Equality in a declaration does not prevent a pique or repique.
Play of the Cards

Play is in tricks with no trumps, and you must follow suit. A point is scored each time a card is led, and
an extra point is scored for winning a card lead by the opponent. There is one additional point for
winning the last trick. The contents of tricks already played may be examined by either player at any
time.
The player who wins more tricks scores 10 for the cards, or 40 for capot if all 12 tricks are won. There
is no score for cards if each player wins 6 tricks. The cards can be counted towards a pique as soon as
seven tricks have been won. Capot does not count towards a pique.
Advice on Play
The most interesting and difficult part of the game is choosing what to discard. Elder hand, with 5 cards
available and the lead is in a much stronger position than younger and should normally go all-out for the
best possible hand, ignoring any thought of defence. Younger hand however will want to try and preserve
(or pick up) a holding such as Kx or Qxx in what looks likely to be elder hand's longest suit.

It is very rarely correct for elder hand not to take 5 cards; beginners will often exchange only 4 in order
to retain a side suit ace or king, but it is better to take the extra card and increase the chance of winning
one of the categories or of scoring pique or repique. Also, leaving 4 cards gives younger hand an extra
card to exchange. For younger hand it is more frequently correct not to take the maximum, but still rare.
It is normally correct to retain all of your longest suit. It is valuable both for the point and to try and take
the cards, as well as the possibility of a sequence. If there are two of equal length, keep the one with the
better potential in play, or sometimes the one which is most likely to make a run of five or more. In
addition you will normally keep aces and the cards most likely to form a Quatorze or trio. For elder hand,
this will often determine all 7 cards to keep.
When deciding what to exchange consider what, from the cards you can see, is the best possible
combination your opponent can have. For example, if you have a Quatorze of 10s then if you have, in
various suits, at least one A, K, Q and J you know it cannot be beaten ("good against the cards"), and
should keep it. If however you have neither an ace nor a king it is unlikely to win, particularly if you are
younger hand and only get 3 cards. Similarly, 7 8 9 10 is probably worth keeping as younger hand if you
have cards in each suit which prove your opponent cannot have a run of 4, particularly if you think there
is a danger of a repique or pique.
As younger hand, while you should still keep your longest suit you should also try to retain a "stop" in
each suit (eg Qxx), or to keep cards that might help towards a stop. Often the best discard is a from a suit
consisting of three or four small cards: it is no use on its own in the declaration or play, and if you pick
more then your opponent's suit cannot be long and is not a great threat. Sometimes it is best to throw a
moderately strong 3 card suit such a K J 7: your opponent may avoid leading it, expecting this to set up
tricks for you.
Be alert for situations where a particular card up would give you a repique (whatever else your opponent
holds) - it is always worth discarding for this to happen.
Note that having a better trio than your opponent is really worth 6 not 3, as you deprive your opponent of
the score, but a second trio is only worth 3 points. Similarly, winning the cards rather than your opponent
is worth 20 points not 10.
The odds of elder hand picking up one of two particular cards are about 5 to 4 against, so saving an open
sequence of 4 (ie one which you can add a card at either end) is usually worth doing provided it would be
good against the cards. For younger hand the odds are 5 to 2 against, much less attractive.
Some care is needed in making declarations. For example, younger hand should not automatically say
equal to the point because she holds the same number of cards when she can tell it cannot be good.
Occasionally you might declare a shorter point than you hold (provided the shorter is good against the
cards) to mislead your opponent. You might sink an additional trio or tierce if the three points gained
would cause you to fail to win the cards.
With experience, the play of the cards can be near perfect since you know almost all the cards in your
opponent's hand. However, beginners will lose many tricks to an experienced player, and with it 10
points for taking the cards. You must be alert to the possibilities of a throw-in, e.g. to give your opponent
the lead in a suit where you have no chance of a winner, so that your opponent eventually has to lead to
your A-Q in another suit, giving you two tricks in that suit. The beginner leads the ace in the faint hope
that the king will fall. It is very important to keep careful note of what cards your opponent discards and

what is left, taking into account what he has declared (and failed to declare). When playing cards, always
play a card you have declared in preference to an equivalent card your opponent does not know about.
A common mistake by beginners is that when your best suit proves to be blocked by the opponent to
switch and try each other suit in turn. Unless there is another suit which has a good chance of running, it
is normally best to continue the first suit.
On the last hand, if the losing player has scored less than 100 this affects the game. The leading player
should try to discard to minimise the loser's score. In the play, each time the lead changes hand this in
adds one to the score so the loser might try to cause this to happen if it will get his score to 100.
However, if the loser has no chance of making 100 each time the lead changes hand it adds one the total
score and so it is to the loser's advantage to avoid lead changes. Similarly, the loser who cannot reach
100 wants to have equal declarations (by deliberately declaring a shorter sequence than held, for
example) so that no points are scored, and to split the cards if possible.
Illustrative Hand
Ann is playing Bill. In the first hand of the partie she deals him:
A
K Q 10 9 8
K 10 7
A 10 8
This is a fairly straightforward discard. The long suit, spades, should be kept. The 7 and 8 can be
discarded, as they are of little use. There is little point in keeping the other two 10s. The odds are about 3
to 1 against picking up the fourth, and even if you do your opponent may well have four jacks, and they
will be of little use in the play. In order to discard 5 cards then one of the two aces and K must be
thrown. The king is best: it might be a loser, the hand only has one other king so it is unlikely to form a
Quatorze, and as two hearts have already been discarded it is less likely to be Ann's suit (and in any case,
it is rarely correct for elder hand to be defensive).
Bill picks up some poor cards from the talon: A J 8, 7, J. The resulting hand is:
A7
K Q 10 9 8
AJ8
AJ
Ann has:
K Q 10 9 8
J7
9
KQ98
This is a much more difficult discard than Bill's. The clubs should be kept to try to gain the point, also
they only need the jack to form a sixime which is good against the cards. The 9 8 are obvious

discards as you are not saving this suit (and nor is Bill likely to be) and the K Q form a stop.
The choice of the third card is more difficult, although you must throw three to maximise your chances
of picking up a club (preferably the jack) and also to try and get a stop in hearts or spades. You could
find players who would choose any of the suits. The 9 should be kept as part of a possible stop in what
seems most likely to be Bill's suit. You might discard the 8 on the grounds that if you pick up the jack
the quint is still good against the cards, but this reduces both your chances of the point and the playing
strength of the hand and should not be done. The discard of the seven of spades is attractive as you still
have the jack towards a possible block.
However, discarding a third diamond is slightly better. It is unlikely that this is Bill's suit, and he will not
expect it to run so is unlikely to lead it. Being able to keep both two kings and queens is unlikely to score
for a trio since you are missing all 4 aces. Similarly, even if you pick up two kings or queens your
quatorze is likely to be beaten by a quatorze of Aces. However, the two spades will form a stop if you
pick up the queen, and a double stop if you pick up the ace or king. The latter might help you win or split
the cards. Ann discards the Q, although the K is equally good, possibly better since Bill is less
likely to continue diamonds in the play if the Ace drops the Queen rather than the King. In practice,
when choosing between two equal cards, in discarding or in play, you should vary your choice in order to
avoid revealing too much to an alert opponent.
Ann is lucky and picks up A, Q and J giving:

K Q J 10 9 8
AJ7
Q9
K
The declarations go as follows:
Bill: Point of 5
Ann: Not good
Bill: Trio of aces
There is no point in Bill mentioning the sequence of 3, as he knows Ann has a sequence of six in clubs
and it just gives Ann additional information
Ann: Good
Bill: 3, [leads K] 4
Ann: Point of 6, 6, Sixime for 16, 22, [plays A] 23, [leads K], 24
Bill: [ A] 5, [leads Q] 6
Ann: [ 7]
Bill thinks Ann may have J, but there seems no better play than continuing spades.
Bill: [ 10] 7
Ann: [ J] 25

Ann now cashes five clubs on which Bill discards down to the two aces and the 9
Ann: 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, [leads any card, confident Bill has only winners left] 31
Bill: [playing three remaining cards] 8, 9, 10, 11 (for last trick)
Ann has won seven tricks and hence the cards, so she scores a total of 41 for the hand. Bill scores 11.
This is a very good result for younger hand, as on average elder hand scores about 14 points more than
younger.
Saving both spades worked out very well for Ann because Bill saved spades rather than hearts. If she had
discarded the 7 and kept the Q, Bill would have taken 9 tricks and the scores would have been Ann:
27, Bill: 23. If she had discarded 8 the cards would have been split, for a score of Ann: 30 Bill: 12.
This illustrates the importance of winning the cards, which represents a swing of at least 22 points.
Other Piquet WWW Pages

The Picket page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games site has a reconstruction of an early form of
Piquet, using 36 cards.
Gretchen Miller's Piquet page also has a summary of the early 36 card game.


Rules of Card Games: Pishti
Piti
Introduction
Cut and First Deal
The Play
Scoring
Variations
Other piti WWW pages
Introduction
Piti (pronounced "pishti") is a popular Turkish card game, using a standard 52 card pack. It is normally
played by four people in partnerships, partners sitting opposite. The direction of play is anticlockwise.
Cards are played to a central pile, which can be captured by matching the previous card played or playing
a jack. Points are scored for certain captured cards. The word "piti", which means "cooked", describes a
capture of a pile containing only one card, for which extra points are scored.
Cut and First Deal

The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's left cuts the pack by lifting off a part of it and looks at the
bottom card of the lifted part of the pack (which will become the bottom card of the pack when the cut is
completed). If this card is a jack, the cutter looks at the next card and continues until a card is reached
that is not a jack, and places that card where it will be the bottom card of the pack.
The dealer completes the cut, deals the top four cards face down to the centre of the table, and then a
packet of four cards to each player, beginning to dealer's right and ending with the dealer. The remaining
stock of (undealt) cards is placed face down to one side; the bottom card (the one the cutter looked at,
which is not a jack) is placed face up at right angles under the stock, so that its value can be seen by all.
The dealer turns one card of the four in the centre of the table face up, to start the discard pile. If it is a
jack, further cards are turned up until one is found that is not a jack. In the unlikely event that all four of
the centre cards were jacks, there would have to be a redeal.
The Play
The player to dealer's right begins, and the turn to play passes anticlockwise. A turn consists of playing
one card from your hand face up on top of the discard pile.
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If rank of the played card matches the rank of the previous card on the pile, the playing team captures the
whole pile. The captured cards are stored face down in front of one member of the team. The next player
will then start a new discard pile by playing a card face up to the empty table.
Playing a jack also captures the whole pile, no matter what card is on top of it.
If the played card is not a jack and is not equal to the previous top card of the pile, the played card is
simply added to the top of the pile.
The team which makes the first capture also gets the cards which were dealt to the centre of the table.
Both members of the capturing team can look at these cards, but the other team are not allowed to see
them.
Further Deals
When all the players have played their four cards, the dealer deals another batch of four cards to each
player from the stock (but no more to the centre of the table) and play continues. When these cards are
played, the dealer deals a further batch of four cards each. With four players, this third deal exhausts the
stock (the dealer will get the exposed card from the bottom of the pack). When everyone has played their
last four cards, any cards remaining in the discard pile are given to the last team that made a capture. The
play of the hand is now over, and the teams score for the cards they have captured (see below).
Piti
If the pile consists of just one card and the next player captures it by playing a matching card (not a jack),
the capturing team scores a 10 point bonus for a piti. The capturing card is placed face up in the team's
capture pile as a way of remembering the 10 points when scoring. If the pile consists of just a single jack
and you capture it with another jack, this counts as a double piti, worth 20 points. A piti can happen at
any stage of the game, except that you cannot score a piti for the very first card played by the player to
dealer's right (capturing the original centre cards) nor for the very last card played by the dealer (just
before the hand is scored).
Scoring
Points are scored for particular cards, for the majority of cards, and for each piti as follows:
Each jack . . . 1 point
Each ace . . . 1 point
2 . . . 2 points
10 . . . 3 points
Majority of cards . . . 3 points
Each piti . . . 10 points
Normally there will be 16 points to be divided between

the teams, plus the pitis. However, if both teams take

exactly 26 cards, the 3 points for the majority of cards

is not awarded.
After the hand has been scored, the turn to deal passes
to the right. The winners are the first team to have a
cumulative score of 151 or more points at the end of a
hand, or the team which has more points if both reach
151 on the same hand.
Traditionally the score is kept on paper using tally
marks for tens, grouping them into fifties. The first ten
is a horizontal stoke: , to which vertical tallies
are added to make twenty: , thirty: and
forty: . Fifty is indicated by closing off tallies
to form a gate: .
On the score sheet each team has a column. The tally of tens is kept at the top, and odd units are written
at the bottom of each column. The illustration shows a score of 64 to 38 for a game in progress. When a
team collects more than ten units at the bottom of the sheet, tens can be transferred to the tallies at the
top, and the number of odd units revised accordingly.
Variations
Piti is also commonly played by two players or by four playing as individuals. The rules are exactly the
same as given above. It is also feasible for three people to play, each keeping an individual score.
A popular variation is to play with bluffing. When there is a single card on the table, the next player can
play a single card on top of it face down, claiming a piti. If the player of the first card believes this, it
counts as a piti for 10 points, and the card played is not shown. If the player of the first card does not
believe it, the second card is turned face up. If it really matches the first card, then the piti scores double
- 20 points. If the second card was a bluff, and does not match the first card, the team which played the
first card scores 20 points for exposing the bluff; in that case the two cards remain on the table and play
continues. If you bluff when the face up card is a jack, then you will score 20 for a double piti if you are
believed, and if not the score will be doubled to 40.
Some descriptions do not mention the possibility of scoring double for a piti made with a jack. It is
possible that some players do not count this as a piti at all, or only score it as a single piti.
Other piti WWW pages

Ecmel Ecran's Piti program can be obtained from the Avrora Software page.



Rules of Card Games: Zheng Shangyou
Zheng Shangyou
This page is partly based on a contribution from Jonathan Norris.

Introduction
Equipment and Objective

The Deal
The Play
Playable Combinations
Scoring
Second and Subsequent Deals
The Partnership Game (San jia xi or Huojian)
Variations
Hints on Play
Introduction
Zheng Shangyou is a Chinese card game whose name can be roughly translated as Struggling
Upstream. For some Chinese people this name is reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution - it has been
suggested that it is a quotation from the writings of Mao, though no one has yet been able to tell me the
exact reference. The game exists in several variations, and has various alternative names. According to
Zhang Shutai, the most interesting version is the partnership game for six players, also known as San jia
xi (family of three) or Huojian (rocket). For simplicity, however, the first version described here is the
individual game. This is a skilful and light-hearted card game for four or more players, probably best
with 5 or 6.
In the form set out here Zheng Shangyou was brought to the UK by John McLeod, who learned it during
a visit to China by some British Go players in 1979 from our interpreter Zhang Chuansheng. In Britain
we gave it the name Pits, which is easier to pronounce, and refers to the predicament of the losing
players, who find themselves in a pit which is hard to escape from. A couple to whom Jonathan Norris
taught it report that they call it "Unto him..." [see Matthew 25:29-30].
It is closely related to several other games - the Japanese Dai Hin Min (or Dai Fugo), Vietnamese Tien
Len, Chinese Big Two and the Western derivative usually called Asshole or President. In fact you could
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argue that these are really all versions of the same game. I have classified them as a climbing games.
Equipment and Objective

Zheng Shangyou uses a 54-card pack consisting of the standard 52 cards as for bridge or poker, with the
addition of two distinguishable jokers, referred to here as Red and Black. The object of each hand is to be
the first to play out all one's cards and thereby gain 2 points, or second and gain 1, towards a
rubber-winning total of (usually) 11.
The Deal
The initial dealer is chosen at random. The cards are dealt to the players singly, anticlockwise, starting
with the dealer. Depending on the number of players, some may have more cards than others - this does
not matter.
The Chinese method of dealing is as follows. The dealer shuffles the cards, places the cards face down in
the centre of the table and helps herself to the top one, followed by the player to her right, and so on. The
players take single cards in counter-clockwise rotation until the pack is exhausted. Western players may
prefer to have the dealer distribute all the cards as in most Western card games - this will not affect the
rest of the game.
The Play
The dealer begins by leading any playable combination.
The opportunity to play proceeds anti-clockwise, and at each turn a player chooses to pass or to play. A
player who has passed is not debarred from playing if the chance comes round again. After the lead, all
plays must:
contain the same number of cards as the lead
form the same type of pattern
be higher-ranking than the previous play
Play continues until all but one of the players pass in turn, whereupon all the played cards are gathered
up and put aside. Whoever played last (and therefore highest) starts again by leading any playable
combination.
By this means, the players will eventually run out of cards. The first player to do so wins the hand, the
second comes second, and so on. The hand is played to the bitter end, until only one player has cards left,
for reasons explained below.
If the player due to lead has no cards, the turn to lead passes to the right.

Playable combinations
There are four types of playable combination, as follows:
(i) Single card
The rank from low to high is 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, black joker, red joker. Suit is
irrelevant.
(ii) Set of 2 or more cards of the same rank
These rank in the same way as single cards, suit being irrelevant. Twos or jokers can be used as
wild cards to stand for any lower card. A set containing wild cards is beaten by an equal ranked
'pure' set.
(iii) Single sequence of three or more cards of consecutive rank
The rank from low to high is 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A. Twos cannot be used in single
sequences - neither as wild cards, nor as natural cards in their own right. Jokers can be used as
wild cards to stand for any card from three to ace. Any single suited sequence is better than any
mixed suited sequence of the same length.
When comparing two mixed suited sequences, the one containing higher ranking cards is better.
Between equal ranking mixed suited sequences a 'pure' sequence beats an 'impure' sequence
containing one or more jokers.
In the same way a higher single suited sequence beats a lower one, and if the ranks are equal a
'pure' sequence beats an 'impure' one.
(iv) Multiple sequence
This consists of equal numbers of cards (two or more) of each of three or more consecutive ranks
(such as 9-9-10-10-J-J). The cards rank as for single sequences with 3 low and Ace high. Suit is
irrelevant. Jokers can be used as wild cards to stand for any other card. Twos can also be used as
wild cards, with the limitation that you cannot use twos to stand for all the cards of a particular
rank - at least one card of each rank must be natural or a joker. A multiple sequence can only be
beaten by a better multiple sequence containing the same number of ranks and the same number of
cards of each rank. A multiple sequence containing higher ranks is better than a lower one, and if
the ranks are equal, a 'natural' multiple sequence beats one with wild cards.
Examples of sets
7-2-2 can be played as three sevens. This can be beaten by 7-7-7 (natural sevens), which can be
beaten by 8-8-joker.
9-2-2, 9-2-joker, 9-9-2 and 9-9-joker are all equal; none of them can be played to beat the others,
as they all contain wild cards.
2-joker can be played as a pair of twos; this is beaten by 2-2, a natural pair of twos.
Examples of single sequences

Please note: twos cannot be used in single sequences. The following are not valid sequences:
2-3-4, Q-K-A-2, 5-6-2-8.
Please note: a sequence must contain at least three cards. 6-7 is not a valid sequence.

Q- K- A is beaten by 3- 4- 5, which can then only be beaten by a higher sequence in

a single suit.
The presence of 'impurities' in the form of wild cards is only used as a deciding factor between
otherwise equal-ranking plays, e.g. 6-Joker- 8 beats 7- 8- 9, because the Joker is
deemed to represent the 7. This Heart sequence would be beaten by 6- 7- 8 on account of
purity, or by a higher single suited sequence, pure or impure.
Examples of multiple sequences
Multiple sequences must have at least three consecutive ranks. The following are not valid:
6-6-6-7-7-7 (only two ranks)
5-5-7-7-8-8 (not consecutive)
7-7-8-8-8-9-9 (each rank must have same number of cards)
7-7-2-2-9-9 (illegal to substitute twos for both eights)
5-5-6-2-7-joker (impure) can be beaten by 5-5-6-6-7-7 (pure), which is beaten by 6-joker-7-2-8-8

(higher).
K-K-A-A-2-joker is valid only if you regard the 2 and joker as substitutes for queens. Twos
cannot be used as a natural rank in a multiple sequence. Q-Q-K-K-A-A is therefore higher.
This is very unlikely to come up, but 10-10-10-J-J-J-Q-Q-Q-K-K-K does not beat
4-4-4-4-5-5-5-5-6-6-6-6, because although they are both 12 cards, they are different shapes of
multiple sequence.
Scoring
The first player to run out of cards gains 2 points.
The second player to be out of cards gains 1 point.
The third player to get rid of her cards can begin to shuffle the cards, as she will be the next dealer,
and therefore start the play of the next hand.
The last and second to last players are penalised in the next hand by having to give up their best
cards to the winners - see below. These are the pit dwellers.
If there are only four players, the player who was third is also second to last, so that player both deals
next and has to give up a card.
If there are six players, the player who comes fourth gets no score and suffers no penalty.
Second and subsequent deals

Immediately the cards have been shuffled and distributed, the players who came last and next-to-last
must each throw their highest-ranking card face-up on the table. If they have several equal highest cards
they can choose which to throw. The player who came first takes whichever of these she prefers and adds
it to her hand, leaving the other for the runner-up. These top two players then each discard face-up an
unwanted card of their choice; the next-to-last player of the previous hand chooses one of these and adds

it to her hand, leaving the other unwanted card to the lower pit-dweller who must add it to her hand. Play
then begins as before, with the dealer making the first lead.
Partnership Game
With 4 or 6 players it is usual to play as two teams. The six player partnership game is said to be the most
interesting version of Zheng Shangyou, and the following description of it is based on information from
Zhang Shutai. In Beijing this six player game is also called San jia xi ( ) which means
something like "happy family of three". In Chengdu, in Sijuan province it is called Huojian ( )
which means rocket.
There are two teams of three, each player sitting between two opponents. Before the cards are shuffled
prior to the first deal a card is drawn from the pack and then replaced. Whoever draws this card in the
first deal will start the first hand.
The rules of play are as usual, and the order in which the players run out of cards determines the scores
for the teams. If the players who finish first and second are on opposite teams, the scores are as follows:
The team of the player who finishes first adds 3 points to its score.
The team of the player who finishes second adds 2 points to its score.
The team which does not contain the player who finished last adds 2 extra points to its score.
So for example if a team takes 2nd, 3rd and 5th place, they score 4 (2 for coming second and 2 for not
coming last) and their opponents score 3 (for their first place).
If the first and second places are taken by members of the same team, the scoring is different, and
depends on the position of the third member of that team:
If the third team member takes third place, the team has all of the top three places and scores 10
points for this; the other team scores nothing.
If the third team member comes fourth or fifth, the team scores just 5 points for the top two places;
the other team scores nothing.
If the third team member comes last, the team with first and second place scores 5 points and the
other team scores 2 for not having last place.
In the second and subsequent hands the fifth and sixth players from the previous hand must give up their
highest cards to the first and second players (the first player has first choice), and these players give any
unwanted card in exchange (fifth player has first choice). In fact if you are first or second and your
partner is fifth, you might well choose to return a good card to help your partner.
In the second and subsequent hands the play is started by the player who finished fifth in the previous
hand.
The object of the game is to reach a score of 50 points or more, and the first team to do so are the
winners. If both teams reach 50 on the same deal the team with the higher score wins. If it is a tie another
hand is played.

Four players with partnerships

Four people can also play a partnership game, with partners sitting opposite. The rules of play and
scoring are exactly as in the individual game, but partners combine their scores. If you are first or second,
and your partner is third, you may choose to throw away a high card - maybe a wild card - to help your
partner, who gets first choice of the discards.
Variations
Some allow twos as valid natural cards in sequences, so for example K- A- 2 would be a valid
single suited sequence, beating Q- K- A.
Hints on play
The appeal of the game, particularly for pit-dwellers, is to discover how skilful play and some luck with
the cards dealt can enable one to 'struggle upstream' and end up on top. One should try to keep plans
flexible, and be ready to re-assess the hand according to the play of others.
The most urgent priority is to get rid of your low cards. The only way you can ever play an isolated 3 is
by leading it, so if you are fortunate enough to have the lead, take advantage of it to get rid of such a
card. The same applies to low combinations, such as 3-4-5-6. If your hand contained 3-3-4-5-6, you
might lead the 3-4-5-6 in the hope that no one else had a sequence of 4, and then follow up with your 3.
Do not lead high cards, unless you can see a safe way to get rid of all your cards by doing so. High cards
are best used for gaining the lead. Use the lead to get rid of low cards. With 4-4-7-2-2 as your last five
cards, lead the 4-4, take back the lead with the 2-2, and then play the 7. Do not lead 4-4-2-2 as a set of
four fours; if someone has four sixes, you will probably left holding your 7 after everyone else has
finished.
If you have a group of cards like 3-4-5-5-6-7 it will often be best to play this as two sequences: 3-4-5 and
5-6-7, especially if one of them is single suited. If you had the lead you might lead the five card sequence
3-4-5-6-7 if you were fairly sure no one could beat it (or if you were desperate), and if no one else plays
a 5 card sequence you could then go out by leading the 5. It will almost never be right to play the two
fives as a pair. That would leave you with four low cards (3, 4, 6, 7) which can only be played singly.
It is unwise to store up a rock-crushing 9-card sequence while repeatedly passing, if one has no 'entry' to
the lead with a probable winner (e.g. Joker or Q-K-A sequence). Consider splitting it into shorter
sequences - for example you might take the lead with the upper four cards and then play the lower five.
Try to avoid being trapped with too few cards to follow a lead late in the hand (or conversely exploit this
problem in someone else's hand!). Don't be surprised if derisive fingers are pointed when you're left with
3s at the end!
Some attention to what cards are out, particularly wild cards, will obviously help to ensure the success of
one's winning strategy.



Rules of Card Games: Pitty Pat
Pitty Pat
Pitty Pat is the national card game of Belize. It is played by from two to four players with a standard 52
card pack. Though it may not be apparent at first sight, Pitty Pat is essentially a rummy game with a
similar mechanism to conquian, in which the objective is to make three pairs starting from a five card
hand. Details can be found on the Pitty Pat page of the Belizeans.com web site.

http://www.pagat.com/rummy/pittypat.html [04/05/2001 9:55:12]

Rules of Card Games: La Podrida
La Podrida
This game is the Spanish equivalent of Oh Hell!. There is a difference in the play of the cards: in La
Podrida players who cannot follow suit are obliged to play a trump. The name of the game means
"putrid" or "rotten". It refers to the strategy of spoiling other players' contracts by giving them too many
or too few tricks.
Javier Garca's site gives rules in Spanish as well as a computer version of the game. An English
translation of the site is in preparation.
Rules in Spanish can also be found on the page of the Federacin Internacional de Podrida.

http://www.pagat.com/exact/podrida.html [04/05/2001 9:55:13]

Card Games: Link to Poker Bull
Poker Bull
This is a game of bluff, similar to the Latin American game of Liars Dice, but played with poker hands.
It is described on Nicholas Cheung's Poker Bull page.

http://www.pagat.com/misc/pokbull.html [04/05/2001 9:55:14]

Rules of Card Games: Poker Menteur
Poker Menteur
This page is based on a contribution from Jean-Pierre Coulon
Poker Menteur (= Liar Poker in English) is the card equivalent of a dice game known in Britain as Liar
Dice.
Cards
One regular 52 card deck, plus 2 jokers acting as wild cards.
Although this game is not really a poker variation, it uses the usual poker hands with the same ranking. If
you are not familiar with these, refer to the Poker Hand Ranking page.
Players
2 to 8, or even more players, but the game is best for 3 to 5.
The Play
Play proceeds clockwise. One player volunteers to start the first round and five cards are dealt to this
player only. The player examines his hand without showing it, and declares a poker hand (see below for
details of the possible declarations). The second player (the player to the left of the first player) has two
options:
1. he may accept it, saying "OK", or "yes", or "I'll take it", etc.
2. he may challenge it, saying "liar!", or " I doubt it!", or "bullshit!", or "go to hell! " etc.
(Most often he will accept at this early stage of the game)
If the second player challenges, there are two cases:
1. The first player's declaration was genuine in the sense that his hand contains the combination he
declared. He proves it by showing sufficient of his cards to everybody to prove that he has what he
claimed. The doubter loses one point.
2. The first player's declaration was fake, in the sense that his hand does not contain the cards he
claimed, so he surrenders by giving his hand back to the dealer, and loses a point. Like a player
who "folds" at real poker, he is not required to show his hand.
If the second player accepts the declaration, the first player passes the hand to him, of course without
showing it to the other players. The second player examines the hand, and may try to improve it by
exchanging from 0 to 4 cards, just as in Draw Poker, by discarding that number of cards, and receiving
replacement cards from the dealer. Then he must declare a poker hand higher than that previously
declared, whether it was genuine or not (see below for details of what counts as higher). The third player
(the next player in rotation) may either accept this declaration by saying "OK", or challenge it by saying
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"liar".
The round continues clockwise as long as players say "OK", with the cards being passed around the table
and the declarations going always up and up. When a round is interrupted by a player doubting, the
player who loses the point has the advantage of starting the next round; the cards are shuffled and a new
five card hand is dealt to this player. The player who starts a round may not draw cards at his first turn -
he must immediately declare a hand.
The game continues until one player has reached an agreed number of penalty points, and loses.
Shuffling
After each challenge, the whole deck should be shuffled before a new five card hand is dealt, rather than
continuing to deal new hands from the deck until it is exhausted. In any case, it is not considered a fair
practice to memorize cards shown in previous rounds to help you guess if a declaration is genuine or not
(as with card counting at Blackjack). Shuffling after each challenge prevents this.
Declaration and ranking of hands

When announcing a poker hand you must say which of the eleven types of hand you are claiming (see
the poker hand ranking page for an explanation of the types - five of a kind is highest, beating a royal
flush, because there are wild cards). You may in addition specify the rank of the combination, and if you
do this you may also specify the rank of some of the other cards. Examples of possible declarations are:
a pair
a pair of nines
a pair of nines and a six
a pair of nines, a six and a four
When deciding what announcements are legal for the next player (who must go higher), a higher poker
hand beats a lower one, and a more specific declaration beats a less specific declaration of which it is an
example. For example:
"a pair of nines and a six" beats "a pair of nines and a four" (higher hand);
"a pair of nines, a six and a two" beats "a pair of nines and a six" (more specific).
Note that if you are challenged, you have to produce the actual cards you declared. For the following
examples, suppose that your real hand is 9-9-9-4-4, and you are challenged:
if you announced a pair, you can show two fours or two nines and you win the challenge;
if you announced a pair of nines and a four, you can show these cards and you win;
if you announced a pair of fives, you do not have any fives to show - you are a liar and you lose;
if you announced two pairs, you show two fours and two nines and you win.
Newcomers to this game who are unfamiliar with regular poker should note how the hand ranking is
affected by the side cards that go with a combination such as a pair or three of a kind. For example:

9-9-9-A-2 is higher than 9-9-9-K-Q, because the Ace beats the King.
Note also that there is no ranking of suits - all suits are equal.
Variations
Some play that a Flush beats a Full House. Some players do not count straights or flushes at all in this
game. These variations must be agreed before the game starts.
There are several alternative ways of determining the end of the game, and the result:
1. continue until one player has reached an agreed number of penalty points, and loses;
2. continue until the sum of all penalty points has reached an agreed total;
3. continue until all players present agree to stop playing for any reason.
The second method can be used as a friendly way to share the price of drinks between the players, in
proportion to the number of penalty points scored.
In the Guide Marabout de Tous les Jeux de Cartes, Frans Gerver gives an alternative method of scoring
which leads to a single winner. Each player starts with an equal number of positive points and loses one
point for each lost challenge. When a player has no points left he drops out of the game. This continues
until there is only one player left in - the winner.
Maxime Boisset reports yet another way of counting points. At the beginning of the game, each player
gets 50 chips. After each challenge, the loser gives n-1 chips to the player that made him lose and one
chip each to the other players (n being the number of players). For example, if there are 5 players, the
loser gives 4 chips to the player that made him lose and 1 chip each of the 3 other players. With this
scoring scheme, there is a premium for the player who is good at deceiving other players.
Strategy of Poker Menteur / Liar Poker

This advice was written by Jean-Pierre Coulon.
General Principles
Pay full attention to the declarations of the other players, not only those of your right hand neighbour, to
help you guess until which moment declarations are genuine. Also pay attention to the number of cards
exchanged. Do not lose track of the progression simply because a player suggested opening the window.
As we shall see, the strategy often needs be adapted to the number of players involved in the game.
The card exchange strategy may be somewhat different from that of regular Draw Poker. For example, if
you have just accepted two pairs and a pretty high card, it is wiser to exchange three cards to try to get
Three of a Kind, rather than exchanging one card to get a Full House. Needless to say that once you have
accepted a fake Three of a Kind, you won't exchange more than two cards (except in a game for two
players).
Do not take the risk of saying "liar" simply because you think a declaration is likely to be fake (except

with two players); you must also evaluate the likelihood of getting a genuine, higher hand after the draw.
Does your left hand neighbour have good reasons for also suspecting the declaration? Saying "liar" is a
sort of sacrifice for the community at this game, so leave it to others when possible.
Which player should you cause to lose the round when possible?
There is an important strategy point that will dictate the next few ones: assuming the game is played
clockwise, choose your declarations so as to cause one of your closest right hand neighbours to lose the
round, rather than your left hand neighbours. The loser will start the next round, and if the loser is to
your right, when the cards reach you, they will be relatively fresh, and your left neighbour will have few
clues about that hand. The more a hand has been played before it reaches you, the more difficult to play it
will be for you.
With a large number of players, do not lie more that necessary. There will be enough times where you
are forced to. You are not there to give penalty points to your left hand neighbour, but to any other
player.
How precisely should you declare your hand?

Consider that adding some precision to the last declaration is a valid declaration. Examples: "Three
Eights" following "Three of a kind" is valid, so is "Three Eights, and a Queen" following " Three
Eights", or "Three Eights, Queen, Seven" following "Three Eights, Queen". So if you want to allow your
left side neighbour to stay pat (i.e. exchange no cards), and add some precision to your declaration it is
your problem.
When to declare a hand much lower than that present?

This is a tremendous favour to your left hand neighbour, but it helps to create confusion between the
subsequent players when someone will drastically raises his declaration. But beware of the following:
your left hand neighbour may say "liar" even for the small declaration. If the small declaration is not
actually present in the hand, you will be considered a liar. Example : "two Queens" when there are
actually four Queens is not a lie, but "two Queens" when there are actually four Kings is a lie, unless the
fifth card is a Queen and there is wild card involved in the four Kings.
Sabotaging a hand
For example assume Three Aces have been around for a while, with both side cards slowly going up and
up. When it is your play, discard two aces instead of the two side cards, and declare something likely. If
the hand continues around as far as your right side neighbour, you will have a tremendous advantage. But
beware that is not unfair for other players to memorize card positions in the hand, and observe which
ones you are discarding. Shuffling the hand before discarding, or hiding it under the table obviously
betrays your plans.
When you start a round after having lost the previous one, resist to the temptation of having your revenge
by starting with a gross lie like "Three Aces" : experienced players have notions about Poker hand odds.
There is nothing dishonorable in declaring just a single high card.

Players acting as partners and ethics

If you have agreed to finish the game when one player has reached a fixed number of points, it is the
common interest of the other players to give penalty points to that player, by using underdeclaring and
lack of precision. Beware that this may fail if this player is skilled, and you may be the victim. Are you
sure that the other players understand the plan?
It is possible for a group of players sitting together to help each other from the beginning of the game.
Such an alliance is definitely considered unethical in Poker Menteur.
Courtesy at Poker Menteur

1. Do not speak when not involved in the current hand transaction.
2. Declare side cards that go with a Pair or Three of a Kind in decreasing order, to facilitate
comparisons.
3. When you declare, do not pause between the words; it is unethical to trap your left neighbour into
saying "OK" before you have finished declaring.
4. Announce the number of cards you wish to exchange aloud, when you lay them face down on the
table.
5. When you get caught after having declared a fake, high hand, do not irritate the other players by
laying the first three or four genuine cards of the declaration face up one by one, to create some
"suspense".
6. When a round finishes, do not reveal information about what was in the hand when you held it.


Rules of Card Games: Pontoon
Pontoon
Pontoon is the British version of the internationally popular banking game Twenty-one, perhaps now
best known in the form of the American Casino version Blackjack. The game Pontoon and its name are
derived from the French Vingt-et-un (21). The variation Shoot Pontoon makes the betting more
interesting, by incorporating the betting mechanism of Shoot.

Pontoon can be played by any number of players from two upwards - it works well with 5 to 8 players -
using a standard 52 card pack. For a large number of players, say 8 or more, two 52 packs can be mixed
together. The players also need a supply of money or chips for betting.
The cards have values: ace is worth 1 or 11 at the holder's choice, kings, queens, jacks and tens are worth
ten, and the remaining cards are worth their pip value. Each player's basic aim is to form a hand whose
total value is as near as possible to 21, without going above 21.
One player is designated as the banker. The banker has an advantage, so the first banker is chosen at
random (whoever cuts the highest card). In each hand, each of the other players bets on having a better
hand than the banker.
The best hand of all is a Pontoon, which is 21 points in two cards - this can only consist of ace
plus a picture card or ten.
Next best after a Pontoon is a Five Card Trick, which is a hand of five cards totalling 21 or less.
A hand of three or four cards worth 21 points beats everything else except a Pontoon or Five Card
Trick.
Hands with 20 or fewer points and fewer than five cards rank in order of their point value - the
nearer to 21 the better.
Hands with more than 21 points are bust and are worthless.
If the banker and a player have equal valued hands, then the banker wins.
Example: A-J (Pontoon) beats 7-3-4-2-2 (Five Card Trick) which beats 9-8-4 (21) which beats 9-A (20)
which beats 9-6-A (17)
http://www.pagat.com/banking/pontoon.html (1 de 5) [04/05/2001 9:55:21]

The Deal and Initial Stakes

The banker deals one card face down to each player, starting with the player to dealer's left, going round
the table and ending with the dealer. All the players except the banker may look at their card.
Now starting again with the player to dealer's left and going around clockwise, the players other than the
banker place their initial bets in front of them. A minimum and maximum for initial bets must be agreed
before the start of the game, and each player may bet any amount within these limits, but must bet at least
the minimum.
The dealer now deals a second card face down to each player, and all the players look at their two cards.
If the banker has a Pontoon this is immediately exposed, and the banker collects double the amount
staked from each of the players.
The Players' Turns

If the banker does not have a pontoon then, beginning with the player to dealer's left and continuing
clockwise, the players each have a turn to try to improve their hand if they wish by acquiring extra cards.
When it is your turn, you have the following possibilities:
Declare a Pontoon
If your two cards are an ace and a ten point card, you declare it by putting them on the table with
the ten point card face down and the ace face up on top of it.
Split your cards
If your two cards are equal in rank, you may split them into two hands by putting them face up on
the table and placing another bet equal to your initial bet. The banker immediately deals another
card face down to each of your hands, and you then play the hands one at a time, as separate hands
with separate stakes. If either of the new cards dealt is equal to the first two you may choose to
split again, creating three or even (theoretically) four separate hands, each with its own stake. Note
that you cannot split two ten point cards unless they are actually equal - two queens can be split
but a queen and a jack cannot.
Buy a card
If the total value of your cards is less than 21, you may say "I'll buy one". You must increase your
stake by adding an amount at least equal to and not more than twice your initial stake (so for
example if you had bet 6 initially you could add to it any amount from 6 to 12, making a maximum
of 18 in total). The dealer then deals you another card face down. If your total is still less than 21
you may buy a fourth card; this time you may add to your stake any amount between your initial
stake and the amount you added previously. So if your initial bet was 6 and you bought a third
card for 10, you may buy a fourth for any amount from 6 to 10. If your four cards still total less
than 21 you may buy a fifth card in the same way.
Twist
If the total value of your cards is less than 21 you may say "Twist me one". Your stake is
unaffected, and the dealer deals you one card face up to add to your hand. If your total remains
below 21 you may ask for a fourth card to be twisted and then a fifth, in the same way.

Stick
If the total value of your cards is at least 15 you may say "stick". You stay with the cards you have,
your stake stays as it is and it is the next hand's turn to play.
If at any time buying or twisting a card causes the total value of your hand to be more than 21 you are
bust; you must immediately throw in your hand face up, and the banker takes your stake and adds your
cards to the bottom of the pack.
You can begin by buying one or more cards and continue by twisting, but once you have asked for a card
to be twisted you can no longer buy cards - any further cards you want can only be twisted.
When your hand reaches five cards without going over 21 you have a Five Card Trick, and you are not
allowed any more cards.
At any time when your total hand value is at least 15 and not more than 21 you can choose to stick,
keeping your cards and stake as they are, and the turn passes to the next hand.
When you have split your hand, you play the two hands one after the other - once you have stuck or gone
bust on the first hand you play the second one.
The Banker's Turn

When all the players except the banker have had their turns the banker's two cards are turned face up.
The other players' cards will not be visible at this point, except where they have split, twisted, declared
pontoons or gone bust.
The banker may add more cards to the initial two by dealing them face up one at a time. At any point,
when satisfied with the hand the banker can stay - i.e. stop dealing and play with the cards as dealt. The
possible outcomes are:
The dealer goes bust
If a card is dealt that takes the dealer's hand over 21, the dealer loses and pays out an amount equal
to their stake to all the players who have not gone bust, paying a double stake to any hand that was
a Pontoon or Five Card Trick.
The dealer stays on 21 or less, with four or fewer cards
The dealer pays an amount equal to their stake to any player who has a higher value hand than the
dealer, and collects from those who have equal or less. Pontoons and Five Card Tricks are paid
double. For example a dealer who stays on 18 will say "paying 19". Everyone then exposes their
cards and those who have 19 or more win, those with Pontoons and Five Card Tricks win double
and the rest lose. A dealer who makes 21 will be paying Five Card Tricks and Pontoons only.
The dealer makes a Five Card Trick
The dealer pays Pontoons only. Any player with a Pontoon receives double their stake from the
dealer. Everyone else (including anyone who had a Five Card Trick) loses double their stake to the
dealer.

The New Deal

If no one had a Pontoon, the dealer adds all the used cards to the bottom of the pack and without
shuffling deals a new hand. This makes it possible to improve one's chances by remembering which
cards are out of play. If there was a Pontoon, the cards are shuffled and cut before the next deal.
If a player other than the banker achieves a Pontoon without splitting their hand, and the banker did not
have a Pontoon, then that player becomes the new banker from the next deal. If there are two or more
such players, the one nearest to the dealer's left takes over the bank.
The bank can also change hands after any hand if the existing banker wishes to sell the bank to another
player at a mutually agreed price.
Variations
For a relatively simple game, Pontoon has surprisingly many variations. Here is a selection:
Some play that only aces can be split, not other pairs of cards.
Some play that you must have at least 16 points (rather than 15) to stick.
Some play that after everyone else has made their initial bet, the banker looks at his own first card
and can choose to double the bets. This is sometimes indicated by the banker putting out a stake
equal to double the highest of the other players' bets. The effect is that the final payments are
doubled, but this doubling does not affect the payments for Pontoon or Five Card Trick - these
remain at double the amount staked, not four times.
The payout for a pontoon varies - some agree to pay a single or a treble stake, rather than double.
If you have 4 cards totalling 11 or less, you are certain to make a five card trick. In this case some
play that you cannot buy a fifth card, only twist one.
Some play that a hand of three sevens held by a player (not the banker) is a Royal Pontoon, which
beats everything and is paid treble stakes.
Some play that a Pontoon consisting of an ace and a picture beats a Pontoon which is an ace and a
ten. Some play that A-10 is not a pontoon at all, but just an ordinary 21.
Shoot Pontoon
The following description is based on information supplied by Jeffrey Burton.
Shoot Pontoon is Pontoon modified by incorporating the betting mechanism of Shoot in addition to the
normal betting. Both Shoot and Shoot Pontoon were popular in Britain in the mid 1950's.
At the start of the game, the dealer forms a kitty by putting in any amount of money, between agreed
minmum and maximum limits.
After all the players have bet on their first card, then starting again with the player to dealer's left, they
each have a turn to make a shoot bet. Shoot bets are kept separate from the players' normal bets, and are
placed between the player and the kitty. You are never forced to make a shoot bet but if you do, it can be

any amount you choose, provided that the total of all the shoot bets is not more than what is in the kitty.
Thus if the first player shoots half the kitty, the second player can shoot any amount up to half the kitty;
if the first player decides to shoot the whole kitty, the remaining players cannot for the time being place
any shoot bets at all.
After the shoot bets have been placed, the dealer deals everyone a second card face down. If the dealer
has a Pontoon, all the shoot bets are added to the pot and the players each pay double their stake to the
dealer. Otherwise each player has the same options as in normal pontoon, but with some extra betting
opportunities:
The fourth card
Buying or twisting a third card is the same as in normal pontoon - no extra bets are allowed. If a
player has a three card hand totalling less than 21 and wishes to ask for a fourth card, either by
twisting it or (if the third card was bought) by buying it, then before receiving the card, the player
is allowed to place a shoot bet. As before, this bet can be any amount which does not make the
total of shoot bets greater than what is currently in the kitty. You can place a shoot bet before
receiving your fourth card even if you did not shoot at your previous opportunity; conversely,
shooting before your second card does not compel you to shoot before your fourth card. There is
no further oppotunity to shoot after you see your fourth card, even if you decide to take a fifth.
Splitting
When a player splits having made a shoot bet, the shoot bet remains on the hand containing the
first card, and the player has the option to place a new shoot bet (not necessarily of the same
amount) on the other hand, subject to the usual limitation that the total of all shoot bets must not be
more than the kitty.
Going bust
If a hand goes bust, that hand's shoot bet, if any, is immediately added to the kitty - thus increasing
the amount that subsequent hands can shoot.
At the end of the hand, after the dealer has played, all outstanding shoot bets are settled at the same time
as the normal pontoon bets. Players who have a better hand than the dealer are paid an amount equal to
their shoot bets out of the kitty, and players whose hands are equal to or worse than the dealer's have
their shoot bets added to the kitty.
Before each new deal the dealer has the option to add more money to the kitty, but must not take
anything out of it. If there is nothing in the kitty at the end of a hand the dealer must either put up a new
kitty or offer the bank for sale to the highest bidder. When the deal passes to a new player, either because
they had a Pontoon or because it was sold, the old dealer retrieves anything that was left in the kitty, and
the new dealer puts up a new kitty.


Rules of Card Games: Russian Preference
Russian Preference
Preference is one of the most widespread card games among serious card players in Russia. There are
four main varieties: Sochi Preference, Leningrad Preference, Classic Preference and Rostov (or Moscow)
Preference, and many smaller variations within these. The rules for all of these types will eventually be
given on this page.
Meanwhile, here are some links to other Preference pages. Note that some of these pages are in Russian,
mostly using KOI8-R encoding. You may need to adjust your browser to see the Cyrillic text correctly:
Stefan Mashkevich's PrefPage
Elena Teverovski's Preference page
The Marriage Official WWW Server - home page of Marriage, the best known Russian
Preference computer program. Currently the server supports only Russian text in Win1251
encoding.
Marriage Cup - home page of a tournament based on the above computer game. Russian language
text.
Joe Lauer's Preference homepage
Some Preference problems (in Russian)
Net Preference, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a
The Furry Joker page (in Russian) includes a Preference program.
Preference is also played, in rather different forms, in other European countries. For examples, see the
pages on:
Austrian Preference
Croatian Preference

http://www.pagat.com/rams/ruspref.html [04/05/2001 9:55:24]

Rules of Card Games: Preferansz
Preferansz
The game of Preference is played in somewhat different forms in many central and eastern European
countries, including Russia, Austria and Croatia. The Hungarian form is called Preferansz.
A version of Preferansz played by the Donauschwaben - the German settlers on the banks of the Danube
- in 18th and 19th century Hungary is described on Rick Heli's Card Games of the Donauschwaben page.

http://www.pagat.com/rams/preferansz.html [04/05/2001 9:55:25]

Card Games: Austrian Preference
Preference (Austrian rules)

This description was contributed by Anthony Smith and revised by John Mcleod.
Preference is basically a game for three players but is very often played by four, with dealer sitting out of
each hand. Preference is played in different versions across a wide area of Central Europe and Russia.
Here the Austrian version is described - first the basic game and then some variations.
Other main types of preference are
the version played in Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste (see the Croatian Preference) page.
the versions played in Russia, in which the declarer can contract to win more than 6 tricks (see the
Russian Preference page).
The equipment
A 32 card pack is used - either German or French suited. The ranking of the cards in each suit, from
highest to lowest is:
French German
Ace Ace (strictly Deuce)
King King
Queen Ober
Jack Unter
10 X
9 IX
8 VIII
7 VII
and the ranking of the suits themselves is:
French Bid German
Hearts 4 Hearts
Diamonds 3 Bells
Spades 2 Leaves
Clubs 1 Acorns
In the bidding, each suit is represented by a number, as shown in the above table.
Throughout the rest of this description, we will assume French suits.
Although it is possible to score on paper or with chips, in Austria it is normal to use money. Dishes are
used to hold the stakes, a larger one for the pot, and three (or four) smaller ones to hold the coins
belonging to the players.
Before starting the players need to agree the stake - in what follows we assume the stake is 1 - this might
represent one penny, one dime, 10 Groschen, or whatever is appropriate in the currency being used.
http://www.pagat.com/rams/austpref.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:55:31]

Idea of the Game

In each hand, one player (the declarer) chooses the trump suit and tries to make six of the ten possible
tricks. The other two (the defenders) try to prevent the declarer from winning, but also have an objective
to make two tricks each. A defender who thinks he cannot make his quota of tricks is allowed to drop
out.
At the beginning of each hand there is an auction to decide who will be declarer. As the contract is
always 6 tricks, the different bids relate to the different trump suits, and whether the declarer wants to
make use of the two undealt cards.
Players and Deal

There are 3 active players at a time; if 4 wish to play the dealer sits out of each hand. The game is played
clockwise.
After shuffling and after the dealer's right hand neighbour has cut, the cards are dealt clockwise 3 to each
player, 2 face down to the table to form the talon, 4 to each player and then 3 to each player, so that each
player has 10 cards. The turn to deal rotates clockwise.
The Pot
At the start of the game, each player contributes an equal sum to the pot. This amount should be divisible
by ten. If the pot later becomes empty and the players wish to continue the game, each must contribute a
further stake.
The Bidding
The player on the Dealer's left has first opportunity to bid, and the turn to bid passes clockwise. If all pass
then the next dealer deals.
The possible bids are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 representing the suits, "game", meaning that the player
wishes to be declarer without using the talon cards, and "hearts", which is a game bid in hearts. A player
who has bid a number does not necessarily have to play with the trump suit corresponding to that number
- having seen the talon he may choose a higher suit. When bidding numbers, only the minimum legal bid
can be made at any time.
Thus the first player to bid can only pass or say "one", "game" or "hearts". Saying "one" expresses the
intention to exchange with the talon and then take 6 or more tricks in his choice of trumps. Saying
"game" expresses the intention to choose trumps (not hearts) and take 6 or more tricks without
exchanging cards. Saying "hearts" is an undertaking to win at least 6 tricks with hearts as trumps and
without exchanging cards. A bid of "hearts" immediately ends the auction.
Once a player has bid "one", a subsequent player has the option of biding "two" or "game" or "hearts" or
passing. Over a bid of "two", "three" can be bid, and so on. Numerical jump bids are not allowed.

No player who has passed may reenter the bidding and a player who has made a "number" bid cannot
later increase his bid to "game" or "hearts". Therefore if you want to bid a game (or hearts) at all you
must do it at your first opportunity to speak.
Once "game" has been bid only another bid of "game" or a bid of "hearts" can outbid it. If two players
bid "game", they must each reveal their proposed trumps and the higher suit wins. In the unlikely event
that two players claim the same suit then the first player (counting clockwise starting from the player on
the dealer's left) has precedence.
When the bidding reaches a player who bid a number on the first round and has been outbid by a higher
number, the first bidder can either pass or say "hold". Holding is equivalent to bidding the same number
as the second bidder, which is sufficient to allow the first bidder to be declarer. If the second bidder
wants to continue, he must go on to the next number, which the first bidder may "hold" again, and so on.
Some examples of legal bidding sequences:
A B C
Pass One Two
Hold Three
Hold Pass - B is declarer in three
A B C
One Two Three
Pass Hold Four
Pass - C is declarer in four
The Exchange
If the contract is a number, declarer now picks up the talon without exposing it, adds the two cards to his
hand, and then discards any two cards face down.
The Defenders' Decisions

After the exchange (if any) declarer announces the trump suit, which must be at least as high as the bid.
Now each of the defenders must decide whether to play. Playing is a commitment to win at least two
tricks, and there is a penalty for failing to do so. A defender who does not think he can make two tricks
can drop out, but dropping out makes it easier for declarer to win the pool.
First the defender on declarer's left announces whether he will play, followed by the other defender. If
neither wishes to play then declarer has (by default) made 10 tricks. If only one defender wishes to play
then he can choose to invite his partner to defend with him. This invitation cannot be refused, but the
guest is not penalised if he fails to make two tricks - instead the host defender takes on the responsibility
for the defending team making at least four tricks. A defender who does not wish to play and is not
invited to do so lays his cards face down and takes no further part in the hand.

The Play
If both defenders have conceded there is of course no play - the declarer just wins.
If one or both defenders is playing, the declarer leads to the first trick. It is necessary
to follow suit if able
when holding no card of the led suit, to play a trump if possible
subject to the above rules, to play, if possible, a card beating those already in the trick
when declarer leads and both other players are defending then if the first defender can beat
declarer's lead he must do so with the lowest card he possesses satisfying the above rules
The Pay-off from the Pot

When ten tricks have been played, the players are paid from the pot according to the tricks that they took.
This is the procedure:
First the declarer takes ten units from the pot (that is ten times the stake - one Schilling if the stake
is 10 Groschen), and pays any defender who did not drop out one unit for each trick taken. A
defender who wanted to drop out but was invited to play is not paid for any tricks he takes - in this
case the host defender is paid for all tricks taken by the defence.
Next, if declarer has taken fewer than 6 tricks he pays a penalty of 20 units to the pot.
Third, in the absence of an invitation, any defender who chose to play but took less than 2 tricks
pays 10 units to the pot.
If one defender wished to concede but was invited back in, and the two defenders have taken fewer
than 4 tricks together, then the host pays 10 units to the pot.
Bonuses
These are paid by each opponent to the declarer or by the declarer to each opponent, irrespective of
whether the opponents stayed in or dropped out.
Hearts Bonus
The declarer in a Hearts game (where the talon was not used) is paid an extra 10 units by each
opponent if he wins at least 6 tricks, and pays 10 to each opponent if he fails.
Ace Bonus
If the declarer holds four aces he is paid an extra 10 units by each opponent if he wins his 6 tricks.
There is no payment if he fails. The Ace Bonus is claimed at the end of the play.
No Ace Bonus
If the declarer has no aces and chooses to declare this before leading to the first trick, he is paid an
extra 10 units by each opponent if he wins his 6 tricks, and pays them each 10 units if he fails. It is
not compulsory to declare no aces - if an aceless declarer is not confident of winning he will keep

quiet. It is illegal to discard aces into the talon in order to announce No Aces.
Variations
Other ways of handling the pot
1. Unlimited Pot. This is probably the original method, but it is somewhat unsatisfactory and
possibly dangerous, as the stakes can fluctuate rapidly, and some hands can be very expensive. The
pot is initially empty, and each dealer adds 10 units as he deals. The declarer takes the whole pot
and pays out one tenth of it for each trick won by the defence. A declarer who failed to take 6
tricks must put in double the amount of the pot which was being played for, and a defender must
put in an amount equal to the pot being played for. For example if the pot contains 40, declarer
wins 5 tricks, one defender 4 and the other defender 1, all having played voluntarily, then the
declarer takes the 40 and pays 16 to one defender and 4 to the other. The declarer then pays 80 to
the pot, the defender with only one trick pays 40, and the new dealer adds 10, so the next hand is
paid for a pot of 130.
2. Limited Pot. This is similar to unlimited pot, except that there is a limit to the amount at stake on
each hand. This limit may by agreement be 5, 10 or 20 times the size of the basic pot (that is 50,
100 or 200 units). Should the pot grow beyond the limit, only the limit amount is played for. For
example if the limit is 10 times the basic pot (100 units), after the example above, where the pot
contains 130 units, the next hand would be played for 100. If the tricks split 6 for declarer and 1
and 3 for the defenders, the declarer would take 100 from the pot and pay 10 and 30 to the
defenders. The losing defender then puts 100 in the pot and the new dealer adds 10 making 140. If
on the next hand no one loses, the pot will reduce to 50.
3. Styrian Version. The pot is initially filled, by each player contributing the same multiple of ten
units. When the pot is empty a decision must be taken whether to refill it the same way or to end
play. The amount of the pot which is played for depends on the trump suit - for example 20 (and 2
per trick) when clubs are trumps, 30 for spades, 40 for diamonds and 50 for hearts.
Bonus variations
There are several variations in whether and how the bonuses for four aces and no aces are played. For
example:
they may not be played at all;
they may only be allowed in "games", not in number contracts;
four aces may be announced before, rather than after the play;
the four aces bonus may allowed but not the no ace bonus;
there are various ideas of what happens to the bonuses when declarer loses.

Illustrated Preference - extra bids

Some players allow extra bids of 5, 6, 7 and 8 (or just some of these, for example some bid only up to 5
or up to 6. The game with these extra bids is called Illustrated Preference. The bidding mechanism is
the same as in the basic game, except that the bidding can continue above 4. The declarer who has bid a
number can play any contract which is at least as high as the winning bid.
The meanings of the extra bids are as follows:
Five - also called Bettel.
The declarer undertakes to exchange the talon and then take no tricks. There are no trumps, but the
obligation to beat cards already played to the trick still holds for all players. Value 10 units.
Six - also called Durchmarsch.
The declarer undertakes to exchange the talon and win every trick. There are no trumps. Value 20
units.
Seven - also called Plauderer or Bettel Ouvert or Offener Bettel
As in a Bettel, the declarer exchanges the talon and must lose every trick. There are no trumps, but
the obligation to beat cards already played to the trick still holds for all players. After the first lead,
the declarer's cards are laid face up on the table, and the defenders are allowed to discuss how to
defeat the contract. Value 30 units.
Eight - also called Offener Durchmarsch
The declarer exchanges the talon and must win every trick. There are no trumps. After the first
lead the declarer's cards are exposed. Value 40 units.
In these extra contracts there is no opportunity for the defenders to drop out. The declarer receives or
pays the value of the game directly from or to each defender. There are no bonuses for no ace or four
aces.
These four extra contracts can also be played as games, that is, without exchanging the talon. In this case
the payment for them is doubled. In the bidding they outrank the suit games.
Kontra and Rekontra

In Illustrated Preference, if the declarer plays one of the no trump contracts (Bettel, Durchmarsch,
Plauderer, Offener Durchmarsch), with or without exchanging the talon, each opponent in turn has the
opportunity to say "Kontra", which doubles the payment between that defender and the declarer (but does
not affect the other defender). After both defenders have had their turn to speak, declarer may then say
"Rekontra", which doubles the payment again to or from any defender who said "Kontra".
It is important that this is done in turn. If the first opponent says "Kontra" this may encourage the second
to say "Kontra" as well. However, if the first opponent passes and the second says "Kontra", it is then too
late for the first opponent to change his mind and say "Kontra" as well.

Nachgehen
This is a common variation in Illustrated Preference. It occurs when the declarer has bid a number and at
least one of the defenders also took part in the bidding (i.e. did not just say "pass"). After the declarer has
discarded the talon but before he announces a trump suit or other contract he says "ich liege" ("I have
discarded"). A defender who has bid may then take over the right to be declarer by picking up the
discarded cards, adding them to his own hand, discarding two cards, and announcing his contract, which
must be at least 5 (Bettel). It is then possible for either the original declarer, or the third player if he too
has bid, may take the contract away from from the new declarer by the same method, and announce a
still higher contract, and so on.
For example it might happen that A bids one, B bids two and A passes. B picks up the talon, and discards
(intending to play in diamonds). But A picks up the low cards that B discarded, and discards two cards. A
will now be declarer in a Bettel (B's contract is cancelled), unless B decides to pick up the cards that A
discarded (hoping they are high ones). If A does pick up B's discards, he becomes declarer again and will
have to play a still higher contract, probably Durchmarsch. This will stand unless B decides to use A's
discards to bid a Plauderer.
Sans Atout
When Illustrated Preference is played with bidding up to 6 only, some players, instead of Durchmarsch,
play 6 as a contract called Sans Atout. The declarer exchanges the talon, and there are no trumps. The
player to declarer's right leads to the first trick and declarer's object is to win any 6 consecutive tricks.
References
Preference: Fritz Beck, Verlag Perlen-Reihe 643, 1972
20 verschieden Kartenspiele: Hans Lw, Verlag Perlen-Reihe 648, 1972
Hraci, Karty, Karetni Hry: Vojtech Omasta & Slavomir Ravik, Prague, 1969
Meister Preference: Fritz Babsch, Piatnik 1971
Die beliebtesten Kartenspiele: Johannes Bamberger, Verlag Perlen-Reihe 648/I

Last updated 23rd February 1996

Rules of Card Games: Croatian Preference
Croatian Preference
This description was contributed by Davorin Fundak, and is partly based on the work of Anthony Smith and
John Mcleod.
Preference is played across a wide area of Eastern Europe and Russia. Here the Croatian version as played in
the Medjimurje region (Northwest Croatia) is described. A very similar form of Preference is played in
Slovenia and in Trieste.
There are two other major varieties of Preference (each of which has variations within it):
Russian Preference, in which a number of tricks higher than 6 can be bid
Austrian Preference
Contents
The Equipment
The Players and Deal
The Bidding
The Exchange
The Contract
Kontra
The Play
Scoring
Refa
Ending the Game
Example of Scoring
Variations
The equipment
A German suited 32 card pack is used. The cards normally used have representations of the four seasons on
the aces, and the picture cards show characters from the William Tell legend. The aces and picture cards
have no indices. They are identified by the pictures and the position of the suit marks. The ranking of the
cards in each suit, from highest to lowest is as follows (the Croatian names of the cards are given in
brackets):
The ace (As) is highest. It has suit symbols
at an angle in all four corners and seasonal
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scenes.
The King (Kralj) has upright suit symbols at

the top left, wears a crown and rides a horse.
The Over (Kraljica / Iber) also has upright

suit symbols at the top left, but the figure has
no crown or horse.
The Under (Decko) looks somewhat similar

to the over, except that the suit symbol is
lower down the left hand side of the card.
The Ten (X). Numeral cards have roman

numbers and can also be recognnised by
counting the pips.
The Nine (IX).

The Eight (VIII).
The Seven (VII).
The ranking of the suits themselves, from low to high is:

Bid / Value Contract
2 Leaves trump
3 Bells trump
4 Hearts trump
5 Acorns trump
In the bidding, each suit is represented by a number, as shown in the above table. There are two additional
bids:
Value Contract
6 Bettel (no tricks)
7 Sanac (no trump)
It would also be possible to play with a standard (international) pack, taking out the cards 2 - 6 in each suit,
and using spades for leaves, diamonds for bells and clubs for acorns.
Idea of the Game

In each hand, one player (the declarer) chooses the contract and tries to make at least six of the ten possible
tricks. The other two (the defenders) try to prevent the declarer from winning, but also have an objective to
make a total of at least four tricks. A defender who thinks he cannot contribute his share is allowed to drop

out, leaving the other defender with a quota of only two tricks.
At the beginning of each hand there is an auction to decide who will be declarer. As the contract is always 6
tricks, the different bids relate to the different trump suits, and whether the declarer wants to make use of the
two undealt cards.
Players and Deal

There are 3 players; the game is played clockwise.
After shuffling and after the dealer's right hand neighbour has cut, the cards are dealt clockwise: a batch of 5
to each player, 2 face down on the table to form the talon, and then 5 more to each player, so that each
player has 10 cards. The turn to deal rotates clockwise.
The Bidding
The player on the Dealer's left has first opportunity to bid or pass, and the turn to bid passes clockwise. If all
pass, a Refa is given to each player, causing the score next time they are declarer to be doubled; the deck
then passes to the next player who becomes dealer.
The possible bids are the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and game or igra. Two through five represent the
suits, six represents Bettel, and seven represents Sanac (pronounced "Sah-natz"). When bidding numbers,
only the minimum legal bid can be made at any time (the bids must increase by one). The bid Game or Igra
means that the player wishes to be declarer without using the talon cards. This bid is automatically higher
than a numerical bid.
The player who has bid the highest number does not necessarily have to play the contract corresponding to
that number - he may choose a higher contract.
Thus the first player to bid can only pass or say "two", or "game". Saying "two" expresses the intention to
exchange with the talon and then take 6 or more tricks in his choice of trumps. Saying "game" expresses the
intention to choose trumps and take 6 or more tricks without exchanging cards. Once a player has bid
"game", no more numerical bids can be made.
Once a player has bid "two", a subsequent player has the option of bidding "three" or "game" or passing.
Over a bid of "three", "four" or "game" can be bid, and so on. Numerical jump bids are not allowed.
No player who has passed may reenter the bidding and a player who has made a number bid cannot later
increase his bid to "game". Therefore if you want to bid a game at all you must do it at your first opportunity
to speak.
Once "game" has been bid only another bid of "game" can outbid it. If two players bid "game", they must
each reveal their proposed contracts in turn and the higher contract wins. (If the first player has a higher bid,
the second player may remain silent and not reveal his bid). In the unlikely event that two players claim the
same suit then the first player (counting clockwise starting from the player on the dealer's left) has
precedence. "Game" bids of six or seven are announced as "Bettel" or "Sanac".
When the bidding reaches a player who bid a number on the first round and has been outbid by a higher
number, the first bidder can either pass or say "same" or "me too" ("i ja"). "Same" is equivalent to bidding

the same number as the second bidder, which is sufficient to allow the first bidder to be declarer. If the
second bidder wants to continue, he must go on to the next number, for which the first bidder may again say
"same", and so on.
Some examples of legal bidding sequences (A is the first bidder (to dealer's left), B is the second bidder, and
C is the dealer):
A B C
Two Three Four
Pass Pass - C is declarer, talon is exchanged,
contract must be 4, 5, Bettel, or Sanac
A B C
Pass Two Three
Same Four
Same Pass - B is declarer, talon is exchanged,
contract must be 4, 5, Bettel, or Sanac
A B C
Two Three Four
Pass Same Five
Pass - C is declarer, talon is exchanged,
contract must be 5, Bettel, or Sanac
A B C
Two Game Game
Four Five - C is declarer, talon is not exchanged,
contract must be 5
A B C
Game Pass Pass - A is declarer, talon is not exchanged,
contract must be 2, 3, 4, 5, Bettel, or Sanac
A B C
Two Bettel Pass - B is declarer, talon is not exchanged,
contract must be Bettel
A B C
Two Bettel Sanac - C is declarer, talon is not exchanged,
contract must be Sanac
Note that if all players pass during the bidding, a doubling (Refa) of the scoring for each player's next
contract occurs. This is indicated by a horizontal line in the 'declarer column' of each player (see scoring).

The Exchange
Once the bidding ends with a non-game number, the declarer now picks up the talon, exposing it for all to
see, adds it to his hand, and then discards any two cards face down. If a game is bid, the talon is not used.
The Contract
After the bidding and the exchange (if any), the declarer announces the contract number, which must be at
least as high as the winning bid.
Two through five - indicates the suit which is trump.
The declarer undertakes to take six tricks.
Bettel.
The declarer undertakes to take no tricks. There are no trumps, and the defenders may not drop out. If
the declarer succeeds in taking no tricks, the defenders are not penalized.
Sanac.
The declarer undertakes to take six tricks. There are no trumps, and he never leads to the first trick.
All of the contracts can also be played as games, that is, without exchanging the talon. In this case the value
for them in the scoring is increased by one. If a player wishes to bid "game" six or seven, he says "Bettel" or
"Sanac", rather than the numbers.

Now each of the defenders must decide whether to play. Playing is a commitment to win at least two tricks,
and there is a penalty for failing to do so. A defender who does not think he can make two tricks can drop
out. This means that he does not wish to take part in the play, and he cannot be penalised for failing to take
his quota of tricks, but on the other hand dropping out makes it easier for declarer to win. If both defenders
decide to play, they play as a team, needing four tricks in combination.
First the defender on the declarer's left announces whether he will play, followed by the other defender. If
neither wishes to play then declarer has (by default) won 10 tricks.
If only one defender wishes to play, he may invite his partner to defend with him. This invitation cannot be
refused, but the guest is not penalized if he fails to make two tricks - instead the host defender takes on the
responsibility for the defending team making at least four tricks. A defender who does not wish to play and is
not invited to do so lays his cards face down and takes no further part in the hand.
If one defender plays and wins two or more tricks, he is safe.
If both defenders play voluntarily and they win four or more tricks, they are both safe. If they win three
tricks, the defender with two or three tricks is safe, and the defender with one or none pays a penalty. If they
win two tricks, only a defender with both tricks is safe and the other pays the penalty. If they win one trick
each, or only one or zero tricks in total, both defenders pay the penalty.
If one defender invited the other, and they win four or more tricks, the host is safe. If they win three or fewer
tricks the host pays a penalty. The invited player is always safe.

The defenders' scoring is limited to a total of five tricks only. When the defenders have taken five tricks play
ends, the declarer has failed to make the contract, and the defenders score for the tricks they have taken.
Kontra
Once the declarer selects the contract, with or without exchanging the talon, and the defenders have
determined who will defend, one of the defenders may say "Kontra", which is an undertaking that the
defenders will win at least 5 tricks, thus defeating the contract. The defender to declarer's left has the first
option to Kontra, and if he does not, then the other defender may Kontra. Saying Kontra doubles all the
scores for the hand and automatically "invites" the other defender (only the host scores). If the defenders take
4 or fewer tricks, the host pays a penalty.
Once a Kontra is declared, if the declarer is confident of winning at least six tricks he may say "Rekontra",
which doubles the score again. The defender who said Kontra is still responsible for the defence making at
least 5 tricks. This defender may then say "Sukontra", doubling again. The declarer may then continue with
"Mortkontra", doubling yet again, and so on ad infinitum.
If the contract is a plain "two" (without "game" and without refa), one of the defenders must say Kontra if
they want the hand to be played. If neither is willing to do so, there is no play and the declarer wins ten tricks
by default.
The Play
If both defenders have conceded there is of course no play - the declarer just wins.
If one or both defenders play, the player to the dealer's left normally leads to the first trick. If the player to
dealer's left is a defender who has dropped out and not been invited to play, the next player in rotation leads.
If the contract is a Sanac the declarer is not allowed to lead to the first trick, so if it would have been his
lead, the lead passes to the next player in rotation.
It is necessary:
1. to follow suit if able
2. when holding no card of the led suit, to play a trump if possible
A player who holds no card of the led suit and no trumps may play any card. It is not necessary to play a card
beating those already in the trick.
The winner of a trick is determined as follows:
If any trumps were played, the highest trump card.
If a trump card was not played, the highest card in the suit that was led.

Note that although in some situations, the scoring appears to create a slight conflict of interest between the
defenders, their priority is to play as a team to take five tricks and defeat the declarer.

Scoring
Each player keeps his own score on paper in three columns, as shown in the illustration below. The center
column is the player's "declarer" or main score, the left column is his defender column when his left hand
opponent is declarer, and the right column is his defender column when his right hand opponent is declarer.
These left and right columns are called juha (pronounced "yoo-ha", and meaning soup, or gravy). The
declarer column starts as a negative number, and in the final reckoning points in the declarer column are
worth ten times as much as points in the other two columns.
The players agree beforehand which number to begin playing from and enter it into their declarer column.
Typical starting levels are 30, 50, or more. Although this represents a negative number, it is not written with
a minus sign. Therefore amounts won are subtracted from this number (to make it less negative) and amounts
lost are added. When a player has won enough so that the score in his declarer column crosses zero this is
indicated by putting a hat in the column. This player is then under the hat: his score is positive, so
winnings are added and losings are subtracted. It may happen that the declarer then loses so that his score
becomes negative again; at this point he draws an inverted hat in his declarer column, and ceases to be
under the hat.
The basic score for a non-game contract is double the value of the contract, i.e. double the number of the bid.
A "game" contract has one added to the value of the contract before it is doubled. So for example an ordinary
contract of acorns scores 10 (2x5) but game in acorns scores 12 (2x(5+1)).
The declarer scores in the declarer column only. If he has won six or more tricks (zero tricks for Bettel), he
wins the basic score (double the value of the contract). If he failed to make the contract he loses the same
basic score (this is the penalty).
Each defender scores for any tricks he won in the appropriate defender column. Each trick won is worth the
basic score (double the value of the contract). The defenders do not score more than five tricks total, as the
declarer has failed to make the contract at that point. A defender who was invited does not score; the inviting
defender scores all tricks and pays any penalty. The defender columns carry a running total through the
game; scores are only added there - never subtracted.
If a defender has failed to make his quota of tricks, he subtracts the basic score (double the value of the
contract) from his declarer column (this is the penalty). He still scores any tricks won in the defender column
in the normal way.
If the defenders succeeded in making the declarer win a trick during a non-game "Bettel", each scores 60 in
the corresponding defender column, and the declarer is penalized 12 (double the value of the contract). In a
game Bettel, the declarer is penalised 14 and each defender scores 70 in the appropriate column.
In the event of a kontra, all the scores mentioned above are doubled, in the event of rekontra they are
quadrupled, and so on. A refa also has the effect of doubling the scores; if there is a kontra of a contract
where the declarer also has a refa, both doubles take effect simultaneously, for a net factor of four, a
simulatneous rekontra and refa would multiply all scores by 8, and so on.

Refa
If all players pass during the bidding, a doubling (Refa) of the scoring for each player's next contract occurs.
This is indicated by a horizontal line (like this: )in the declarer column of each player.
Whenever a declarer has a Refa in his declarer column, all scoring counts double for that hand. Once the
scoring has taken place, that player's Refa is deleted by a short diagonal line (like this ), and the value of
the contract is written alongside. If there were no further Refas in his column, the next time he is declarer the
scoring is normal.
If a player is above zero (under the hat) in the declarer column, a refa is not declared when all players pass -
the deal simply passes to the next player without further effect.
There is a maximum number of refas in a game, which depends on the starting score. Starting from 50, a
maximum of three refas are allowed. Starting from 30, just one refa is allowed. After the maximum number
of refas have been declared, if all players pass, there is no effect.
Ending the Game

The game ends when the sum of all declarer columns is zero. Note that the declarer column scoring is
allowed to go through zero, from negative to positive, and on occasion back again from positive to negative.
If the value of a successful contract should exceed the amount needed to achieve a zero sum of the declarer
columns, the value of that contract is reduced so as to make the sum exactly zero, thus ending the game. This
same reduction applies to the defenders' trick score as well as the declarer's score for the contract. (If
however the declarer were to play that same contract and fail, or if a defender were to fail and be penalized,
this would not take the sum of declarer scores to zero, so the contract would be scored in full and the game
would continue.)
The final calculation of each player's score is done as follows:
If the declarer column is above zero:
Sum of juha (defender columns)
minus juhas owed (defender columns owed to each other player)
plus ten times the value of the declarer column.
If the declarer column is below zero,
Sum of juha (defender columns)
minus juhas owed (defender columns owed to each other player)
minus ten times the value of the declarer column.
The three scores should add up to zero, and they represent the amount won or lost by each player.
Example of Scoring
Here is an example of how the scoresheets might look at the end of a game. The players, in clockwise
rotation, are A, B and C. Each player has his juha column against his left-hand opponent on the left, and
against his right-hand opponent on the right. The letters in red refer to the notes below:

Notes:
(a) This is the starting score - in this game the players agreed to start from 30.
(b) C played bells and won 6 tricks, scoring 6 (2x3) in his declarer column, improving his score to
minus 24. A and B both played and won 2 tricks each, so they each score 12 against A.
(c) B played in acorns and won; C played and took 3 tricks; A decided not to play. So B gains 10 and
C scores 30 against B.
(d) Everyone passed, so a refa was declared. A horizontal line is drawn in each declarer's column.
(e) A played in acorns taking 7 tricks. B dropped out and C took 3 tricks. The scores are doubled, as
this is A's refa, so A wins 20 and C scores 60 against A. A's refa is cancelled and 20 written beside it.
(f) C played "game" in hearts. A defended, B wanted to drop out but A invited him to play. A and B
won 4 tricks. This is C's refa, so again the scores are double. C's refa is cancelled and 20 is written by
it.
(g) A plays in leaves. B says Kontra, but B and C only win 3 tricks. The value of the game is 4, but
because of the Kontra, A scores 8. Also B loses 8 in his declarer column because the defence failed to
win their quota of 4 tricks, but scores 24 against A in his juha for the 3 tricks. There is no further
double for refa because A's refa was already used (e).
(h) B plays a Bettel and loses. This is B's refa so he loses double (24). A and C each score 120 against
B (equivalent of 5 tricks). B's refa is cancelled and 24 is written beside it.
(i) C plays a Bettel and succeeds in losing every trick. The 12 he wins makes his score positive - he is
now under the hat.
(j) C plays acorns. A and B both defend: A takes 4 tricks and B takes 1. C's loss of 10 points makes his
score negative again - he is no longer under the hat.

(k) A plays in hearts. C says Kontra, but A says Rekontra and wins 6 tricks. A scores 32 (4x8) and C
scores 128 against A for the 4 tricks taken by the defence. A is now under the hat. As the defence has
failed to take 5 tricks, C is penalised 32 in his declarer column.
(l) C plays game sanac, scoring 16. B defends and takes two tricks.
(m) B plays in acorns. C wants to drop out but A invites C to play and the defenders win 4 tricks.
(n) B plays "game" in acorns. Neither A nor C wishes to defend, so there is no play and B scores 12.
(o) A plays and wins a Bettel for 12 points.
(p) B plays acorns. A and C both defend, A winning 1 trick and C 3 tricks. As they won their quota of
4 tricks between them neither defender incurs a penalty. B has won a contract whose value would
normally be 10, but as this would make the sum of declarer columns positive, its value is reduced to 6
which makes them add up to zero. The tricks won by A and C are therefore also only worth 6 each.
The final scores can now be calculated as follows:
Player A scores 166 + 132 - 24 - 188 + 420 = +506
Player B scores 54 + 24 - 166 - 168 - 240 = -496
Player C scores 188 + 168 - 132 - 54 - 180 = -10
The scores add up to zero as they should; player A wins 506 units: 496 from B and 10 from C.
Variations
The following variations are played in Slovenia:
Bettel is called Berac (with a hook accent over the c - pronounced 'beh-rach')
In Sanac (which is there called sans atout), the first lead is made by the player to the right of the
declarer.
A refa is called a radlc (pronounced 'rahdlts').
If the contract is leaves (2) and no one says Kontra, the hand is thrown in without score, and if no one
is under the hat, everyone gets a radlc.
Some people play that the declarer does not expose the two talon cards before adding them to his
hand.

Rules of Card Games: Primero
Primero
This is an old Italian card game which became popular throughout Europe in the 16th century and
perhaps earlier. It is a showdown game in which players are dealt four cards. The combination which
gives its name to the game is the prime, which consists of one card of each suit. This same combination
appears in the Italian games Scopa and Scopone, and the card values (seven = 21, six = 18, ace = 16, five
= 15, four = 14, three = 13, two = 12, pictures = 10) appear in several modern Italian games. For example
in Tressette players refer to combinations of 3-2, 2-ace and 3-ace in a suit as a 25, a 28 and a 29
respectively - even though these point values have no other significance in Tressette.
For details see Jeff Suzuki's Primero page.

http://www.pagat.com/vying/primero.html [04/05/2001 9:55:51]

Rules of Card Games: Prostoy Durak
Prostoy Durak
This page is based on information from Alexey Lobashev
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The play
The endgame
Introduction
This Russian game is now much less widely played than its relative Podkidnoy Durak, but is still known
by many people who learned it from their parents. Prostoy durak means "simple fool". As in all forms
of Durak, the objective is to get rid of all your cards, and the "fool" is the last person left with cards after
everyone else has run out.
Players and cards

Two, three or four people can play. There are no partnerships. A 36 card French suited pack is used, the
cards in each suit ranking from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6.
The deal
Anyone can deal the first hand; thereafter the loser of each hand deals the next. The work of dealing is
regarded as the fool's punishment for having lost the previous hand. If any other player touches the cards
before the deal is complete, they take over the role of fool and the job of dealing. The dealer shuffles the
cards, but there is no cut.
The dealer deals five cards to each player, one at a time, clockwise. The next card is placed face up on
the table; its suit is trumps. The remaining stock of undealt cards is placed face down, crosswise on top
of the face up card, so that the rank and value of the face up trump remain visible.
The play
The play is clockwise. At any moment during the game, there is an attacker and a defender, who is the
player to the left of the attacker. The player to the left of the dealer attacks first.
The attacker must play one, three or five cards face up on the table, side by side. The cards played must
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conform to one of the following patterns:

any single card can be played
when three cards are played, they must be a pair of cards of equal rank, accompanied by any third
card (for example 6- 6- 9; the third card could also be another six)
when five cards are played, they must be two pairs of cards accompanied by any fifth card (for
example 7- 7- Q- Q- ; the fifth card could also be a 7 or a queen) or four cards of the
same rank accompanied by any fifth card.
The defender may beat some or all of the cards played by the attacker, by placing better cards on top of
them. Any card can be beaten by a higher card of the same suit, and any non-trump card can be beaten by
any card of the trump suit. Each attack card is beaten separately, and the cards used for beating do not
have to form any particular combination. For example if hearts are trumps and the attacker plays 9-
9- Q, these cards could be beaten by the K, 6 and A respectively. Any cards not beaten by
the defender must be picked up and added to the defender's hand.
There are three possibilities.
1. The defender beats all the cards played by the attacker. All the attack and defense cards are set
aside face down in a discard heap, and not used again until the next deal. The defender becomes
the new attacker, and the next player in turn is the new defender.
2. The defender beats some but not all of the cards played by the attacker. The beaten cards and the
cards used to beat them are put aside face down in the discard heap, and the unbeaten cards are
taken into the defender's hand. Having picked up cards, the defender does not have the right to
attack; the player to the defender's left becomes the next attacker and the person to this player's left
is the new defender.
3. The defender beats none of the attack cards, but picks them all up. The turn to attack passes to the
player to the old defender's left, and the new defender is the player to the left of the new attacker as
usual.
Example: There are three players - A, B and C - and diamonds are trumps. A leads J, J, 9; B
beats the 9 with the Q, trumps the J with the 6 and picks up the J. Because B did not beat
all three cards it is now C's turn to attack, and A will be the new defender.
If after playing the attack cards, the attacker has fewer than five cards in hand, the attacker must draw
sufficient cards from the top of the stock so as to hold five cards again. In the same way, if after beating
some or all of the attack cards and picking up any unbeaten cards the defender has fewer than five cards,
the defender's hand must be replenished from the stock after the attacker has done so. Until the stock is
exhausted, all players must hold at least five cards. The trump card is drawn as the last card from the
stock.
A player who holds the trump six, either having been dealt it or having picked it up from the stock, can
exchange it for the face up trump card at any time before the stock is exhausted.

The endgame
The object of the game is to get rid of all one's cards. When there are no cards left in the stock, players no
longer replenish their hands after attacking or defending, so may have fewer than five cards. A player
who has no cards left in hand when there are no cards left in the stack drops out of the game, and the
other players play on.
An attacker is never allowed to lead more cards than than the defender holds, so for example if the
defender has four cards, the attacker can lead one card or three, but not five. Some play that a defender
who has fewer than five cards must announce the number of cards held, to warn the attacker not to play
too many cards
If as a defender you use all of your cards to beat an equal number of cards played as an attack against
you, and there are no cards in the stock, you drop out of the play, and the turn to attack passes to the
player to your left.
When all players but one have run out of cards, the last player holding cards is the loser. Sometimes the
game is played for matchsticks, the loser of each game taking a matchstick. The object is then to collect
as few matchsticks as possible over a series of deals. The loser must also shuffle the cards and deal the
next hand.
A draw is possible if there are just two players left in the game, and they hold an equal number of cards
each (one, three or five). If the first player attacks with all their cards, and the second is able to beat all of
these cards, so that nether has any cards left, the game is a draw. In this case the loser of the previous
game remains the loser and deals the cards for the next game. In Russia they say: "One old fool is a
bigger fool then two new fools".

Rules of Card Games: Proter
Proter
This is a Rummy game played in Sri Lanka. A game consists of 13 deals, for each of which there is a
different wild card - ace for the first deal, two for the second, and so on.
Rules can be found on Thushara Wickramasinghe's "Card Games popular in Sri Lanka" page, which
exists in three places:
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/3298/my_card_games.html
http://marina.fortunecity.com/bowcreek/283/my_card_games.html
http://members.xoom.com/thush2/my_card_games.html

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Rules of Card Games: Pkk
Pkk
This description was contributed by Robert Kissel.
Pkk is the Icelandic reflex of the Poch family of games, which are of some antiquity. It is suitable for a
relaxing evening of conversation with friends and family, and is best played by five, six or seven players.
Equipment
A pack of 40 cards is used, consisting of four suits: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades. The cards in
each suit rank: 5 (low), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace (high). In addition, one needs a Pkk
betting layout. This consists of a mat or set of dishes or "pools" to contain bets, and a set of chips, if one
prefers not to play for money (the game is really only suitable for very small stakes, anyway). In this
description, I will refer to chips, rather than coins, as a scoring medium.
The Pkk layout looks something like this:
It has a large central compartment marked Pkk, surrounded by six compartments marked:
s (Ace), Kongur (King), Drottning (Queen), Gosi (Jack), Ta (Ten), Pamfll (Jack of Clubs).
The term "Pamfll" is from the earlier "Pamphilius", i.e. "beloved of all." Cf. also "Mighty Pam" as
mentioned by Alexander Pope in the game of Ombre played by Belinda in his poem, The Rape of the
Lock.)
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Dressing the Board

Each play begins with all participating players "dressing the board" (a kla in Icelandic). Each player
is required to place a single chip in each of the seven compartments. The way that players actually
perform this ante, in practice, is to place as many chips as there are players in the compartment closest to
him, and to place one chip in the central compartment, which is a bit faster. It often happens that one or
more compartments have chips left in them from the previous game, in which case, chips are added
anyway. Compartments will always contain a multiple of the number of players (6, 12, 18, etc.) at the
beginning of a game.
The Deal
The dealer serves five cards, face down, to each player. He first serves three cards all around the table,
and then the remaining two cards. Deal and play are to the left, and the deal passes to the left after each
game.
When all players have received their five cards, the next card of the pack is turned face up for all to see,
and designates a priviledged suit, called "trump" (tromp in Icelandic) even though Pkk is not a
trick-taking game.
A player holding the 7 of the "trump" suit (a card called bsefa in Icelandic), may, if he wishes, exchange
it for the turned-up "trump" designator.
Collecting the Ante

The player who holds the Ace, King, Queen, Jack or Ten of the "trump" suit now displays it to the others
and collects the ante in the corresponding pool. The player holding Pamfll (the Jack of Clubs) collects
the ante placed in that pool. (And, if clubs are "trump" receives both the ante for Pamfll and that for the
Jack of the "trump" suit.
A Pkka
Next comes a portion of the game which reveals its kinship with the game of Poker.
Each players must decide, in turn, beginning with the player seated to the left of the dealer, if he wishes
to participate in a contest for the best "Pkk" or card combination. If he does wish to participate, he adds
a single chip to the Pkk compartment and says, "g pkka", ("I pook!" Gentlemen, even American ones,
carefully avoid making this sound vulgar if there are ladies present, and they also bear in mind that since
this is a family game, children may be listening, too.)
For the purpose of forming a combination or pkk, the Pamfll (the Jack of Clubs) is a
wild card, and ranks higher than the "natural" card it replaces. It is also possible to have
five cards of the same rank, as a pkk, if one holds Pamfll along with four of a kind.

The possible pkk hands are, from highest to lowest:

Five cards of the same rank;
Four cards of the same rank;
Three cards of the same rank;
A pair of the same rank.
Within each category, Sixes beat Aces, Aces beat Kings, Kings beat Queens, and so on. Note that for the
purposes of this portion of the game, a pair of Sixes is better than a pair of Aces, but other than this
anomaly, the cards rank in their "usual" order.
A combination employing Pamfll beats a "natural" combination. Thus, Pamfll together with four cards
of the same rank cannot be beaten; and a pair of 5's can only win if no one else has a pkk. However,
three 5's beat an Ace paired with Pamfll.
In turn, each player either puts a chip in the Pkk pool or declines to participate. It is illegal to "bluff;"
you must have at least a pair of 5's to pkk. Each of the players who are "in" may then continue
wagering, one chip at a time, until either no one wishes to raise the stakes any further, or until there are
only two players still participating in the pkk, at which point, either may demand a showdown at any
time, whether or not he has matched the other's betting level.
All players still participating in the pkk now display their combination holdings to all players, and the
player holding the highest-ranking one takes the contents of the Pkk compartment.
Playing out the Hand

The third and final stage of the game has, as its object, getting rid of all ones cards first. In this stage,
Pamfll enjoys no special properties.
The player seated to the left of the dealer begins by placing a card face up before him. That player
holding a card of the same suit, but one rank higher than the card just played, lays this card down.
Players continue laying down cards of this suit, in sequence, until either the ace of the suit is played, or
else until the next card is not in any player's hand.
For example, Uggi plays the 7 of Spades. Ingrid plays the 8 of Spades, and, since she also holds the 9 of
Spades, she plays this as well. rsteinn holds the 10 of Spades, and plays it, but no one holds the Jack of
Spades, since it happens to be one of the cards that wasn't dealt out at all, this time.
The player who plays the last card of the sequence, whether it is an Ace or a "stop" card which no one
can follow, is permitted to play any card in his hand to start the next sequence. In the example above,
rsteinn could play his 6 of Spades, for instance, and, since the 7 of Spades has already been played on
the previous sequence, this too will be a "stop" card, allowing him to play out yet a third card in his hand.
Play continues in this manner until one player has played out all of his five cards. The other players now
each pay him one chip for each of the cards they still hold. A player who has not had an opportunity to
play off even one of his cards pays the winner of this portion of the game five chips; a player having only

two cards left in his hand pays two chips, and so on.
Variations
Some require that a player hold a combination no lower than a pair of 6's to pkk.
Some players do not permit Pamfll to substitute for a Six.
Pkk layouts
The author obtained his plastic Pkk layout mat (spilabor) from: Frmerkjamistin
Sklavrustg 21A
IS-101 Reykjavk
ICELAND
Telephone: +354-1-21170
In 1993, the author of this description purchased it for 450 Icelandic Crowns (at the time, about 6 to 7
U.S. Dollars).
Pstarnir or Sixes
This unusual feature of the game comes from the prevalance of two Karnffel games in Iceland, Alkort
and Treikort, q.v. Ultimately, the word pstar comes from the German Pabst, meaning "Pope", the
nickname given to these cards in many northern European descendants of this antique game family. The
term bsefa for the 7 of "trumps" also comes from German nicknames for the sevens in Karnffl, in this
case, die bse Sieben "the evil seven".

Rules of Card Games: Push
Push
This page is based on a contribution from Paul Welty.
Push is related to Contract Rummy, but there are some important differences: Push is a partnership game,
and the draw and discard mechanism is different.
Players and Cards
Outline of the Game

Melds
Initial Meld Requirement
Deal
Play
Scoring
Players and Cards

Push is for four players, two against two in fixed partnerships; as usual, partners sit facing each other.
Two standard packs of cards are used, including 4 jokers, making 108 cards in all. The jokers and twos
are wild cards.
Outline of the Game

There are 5 deals. The first deal is 6 cards to each player, the second 7, the third 8, the fourth 9, and the
fifth 10 cards. During each hand, the object is to get rid of as many cards as possible from your hand by
playing them to the table as melds. When one player gets rid of all their cards, the cards remaining in the
other team's hands score penalty points. The team with the lower total of penalty points after the fifth
hand wins.
Melds
As in most rummy games, the possible melds are sets of equal cards and runs of consecutive cards in the
same suit. Wild cards can be used as substitute for any number of cards in a set or run. The minimum
size of sets and runs is three cards, but a longer run is required for the initial meld in some deals.
Sets
A set consists of three or more cards of equal rank - for example three sevens or four queens. Since
a double pack of cards is used there are two of each card, but a set cannot contain two cards of the
same suit. Therefore a set cannot contain more than four cards. However, a player can meld two
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separate sets of the same rank, for example 8- 8- 8 and 8- 8- 8

Runs
A run consists of three or more cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 3-4-5-6 of spades, or
9-10-J of diamonds. Ace can count as high (as in J-Q-K-A) or low (as in A-2-3-4), but not both
(K-A-2-3 is not allowed). A player can meld two separate runs in the same suit, for example
4-5-6-7 and 8-9-10-J, or these eight cards could be melded as a single run: 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J, but
once melded, runs cannot be split up or joined together, only extended.
Wild cards
Twos and jokers are wild and can be used in any set or run to represent any desired card. If a
meld consists entirely of wild cards or has just one natural card and the remainder wild, the player
must specify whether it is meant to be a set or a run. In the case of a run, the player must specify
exactly what any wild card represents; in the case of a set it is only necessary to specify the rank of
the set.
For example, if you put down 6- 2-joker you must say whether it is a set of sixes or a run in
diamonds, and if it is a run you must specify whether it is 4-5-6, 5-6-7 or 6-7-8.
A two can also be used as a natural card (i.e. representing itself) in a run such as A-2-3-4.
Initial Meld Requirements

In each deal, there is a minimum requirement for each player's initial meld, as follows:
Deal No. Cards dealt Initial meld
1 6 2 sets of three
2 7 1 set of three, 1 run of four
3 8 2 runs of four
4 9 3 sets of three
5 10 2 runs of five
The deal
The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes clockwise. The dealer deals the
appropriate number of cards (see above table) to each player, one at a time. The next card is placed face
up to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards are placed face down beside it to form the
stock. The first face-up card is not allowed to be a wild card; if the card turned up is a two or joker, the
dealer buries it in the stock and turns up a new card to start the discard pile.

The play
The player to dealer's left begins, and the turn to play continues clockwise. A turn consists of drawing,
melding and discarding.
Drawing
There are two options:
1. If you want the top card of the discard pile, take it and add it to your hand.
2. If you do not want the top card of the discard pile, take a face-down card off the top of the
undealt stock cards, put it on top of the card from the discard pile, and push these two cards
to the opponent on your left (hence the name of the game). The opponent must add these
two cards to their hand, and you then draw the next card from the stock and add it to your
own hand. Because of the pushing, players can sometimes accumulate quite a large number
of cards in their hands.
Melding
Having drawn, you may if you wish meld cards from by placing them face up on the table. Your
first meld of each deal must meet the initial meld requirements for that deal. Each player must
meet these requirements before they are allowed to do any other melding. If your partner has
already melded, this does not entitle you to meld, until you have met the initial meld requirements
yourself.
Having met the initial requirements you can, in the same or subsequent turns, put down any further
melds you wish to, or add ("lay off") cards onto any melds that are already on the table. You can
lay off cards on your own melds, and on those of your partner and opponents.
While melding, if you have in your hand the natural card that is represented by some wild card on
the table, you can substitute the natural card from your hand for the wild card, and then use the
wild card as part of a meld you are making. Note that the wild card you replace must be used
immediately in a meld - you cannot take it into your hand. Note also that a two used as a natural
card in a run such as A-2-3-4 cannot be claimed and reused in this way.
Discarding
The final part of each player's turn is to discard one card from hand face up onto the discard pile
The objective is to meld or discard all of one's cards, and the play continues until one of the players
manages to "go out" by getting rid of all the cards from their hand. It is possible to go out in the melding
part of a turn, by melding all of your cards, or to meld all but one of your cards, and go out by discarding
your last card.
The scoring
As soon as a player goes out, the hand is scored. The team of the player who went out counts nothing for
this hand (the cards belonging to the partner of the player who went out do not count). The two
opponents count the total value of cards remaining in their hands. The values of the individual cards is as
follows:

each 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 5 points
each 10, J, Q. K 10 points
each ace 15 points
each two or joker 20 points
The value of the losing team's cards is added to their running total. The score is kept like this:
WE THEY
6 --- 40
7 120 40
8 120 100
9 300 100
10 300 280
In this example, "THEY" win after the last round.


Rules of Card Games: Truc
Truc / Put
This page is based on a contribution from Enric Capo, with additional material by John McLeod.
Introduction
Truc in Spain
The players, cards and card ranking
The deal
The play
Communication and Signals
The betting
Truc in France
Put
Introduction
Truc is a fairly simple game played in Valencia and Catalonia, in the north-eastern part of Spain. It is
closely related to the old English game of Put, which was described by Cotton in "The Compleat
Gamester" (1674). Truc is also played, with slight differences, in some places in the South of France, and
it is the basis of the more elaborate game Truco which is popular in several South American countries.
Truc in Catalonia
The players, cards and card ranking
Truc is a game for four players in fixed partnerships; it can also be played by two, but the two player
game is considerably less interesting. As usual you sit opposite your partner. It's played anticlockwise to
a final score of twelve points and each hand is worth from 1 to 3 points, depending on the bets.
Truc is played with a standard Spanish 40 card deck of four suits:
coins (oros) cups (copes) swords (espases) batons (bastons)
The cards in each suit run from 1 to 7 and 10 to 12 with the 10 called Sota (Valet), the 11 Cavall (Horse)
and the 12 Rei (King).
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The card order from highest to lowest is 3, 2, 1, 12, 11, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4. Only the rank of the cards counts,
the suits are not important.
The deal
The first is dealer is chosen randomly; the turn to deal then passes to the right after every hand. The
dealer shuffles and the player to the left of the dealer may cut. In this case the dealer deals three cards -
one at a time - to every player, beginning with the player to his right.
The player to the left of the dealer can choose not to cut, but simply tap the cards. In this case, as long as
neither team has more than 10 points, the dealer has the option to deal just one card to each player, so
that the hand will consist of only one trick, rather than three. This option does not apply when either of
the teams is within one point of the target score, having 11 points; in that case three cards each must be
dealt.
The play
The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick and the winner of each trick leads to the next. As we
shall see later, quite often the play is stopped before all the cards have been played out. In that case the
cards not played are not shown, but shuffled into the pack for the next hand.
The play of the tricks is very easy, as there are no restrictions; any card can be played when it's your turn,
regardless of suit. The highest card wins the trick. If there are two or more equal highest cards from
different teams, the trick is a draw, and nobody wins it. Note that equal cards have equal value without
regard to the order in which they are played, or the number of them (for example if both members of one
team play threes, these do not beat a single 3 played by the other team - the trick is a draw). The winner
of each trick leads the next one; if a trick is drawn, the same player who led before leads again. If the
trick is won by two partners playing equally high cards, the partner who played earlier leads to the next
trick.
The hand, and the associated bet, to be explained later, is won by the team that wins two of the three
tricks. If one trick is a draw, then the team that wins the first of the remaining two tricks wins. If two
tricks are drawn, the winners of the third trick of course win the hand. If all three tricks are drawn, the
non-dealing team wins the whole hand. The tricks are only played as far as is needed to win the hand, so
for example the third trick is only played if the first two were won by opposite teams or were both drawn.
In a hand where only one card is dealt (because the cards were not cut), the winners of the single trick
win the hand; if the trick is drawn, the non-dealers win the hand.
Communication and Signals

While the game is in progress, conversation is allowed without restriction, provided that all four players
can hear it. So partners can instruct each other about what card to play, the convenience of betting,
bluffing, try to confuse the opponents, and so on. Also, signals are allowed, by which players can
communicate to their partner what cards they hold. Naturally they will try to do this while the opponents
are not looking, but as the signals do not need to be true, you can also try to confuse the opponents by

passing misleading signals, at the risk of confusing your partner as well. The signals which are allowed
vary somewhat between players. Here is a typical set:
Close one eye: means you hold a three.
Pout your lips: means you hold a two.
Show the tip of your tongue: means you have an Ace.
The betting
Each hand is initially worth one point; this is the amount scored by the winning team in the unusual case
where the cards are played out to the end without any betting. The score for the hand can be raised to two
or three during the play in a way similar to doubling in backgammon. The first raise to two points can be
done by either team; if it is accepted, only the team that accepted it has the right to propose a new bet of
three; the bet of three can then be accepted or rejected by the first team.
Every player, as long as he has the right to do it, can bet at his turn to play, before or after playing his
card. Note that if the player immediately before you bets after playing his card, you must be careful not
to play a card without first considering whether or not to accept the bet. If you play without saying
anything, the bet is considered accepted.
A bet made outside a player's turn does not count. For example if you try to bet after the following
player has already played a card, your bet is void. Your partner (whose turn it now is) needs to repeat the
bet to make it valid (if your team still wants to bet).
The usual words for betting are truc for a bet of two and retruc for a bet of three, but any meaningful
way can be used. Bets can be accepted implicitly, buy playing a card, or explicitly, by saying something
like "yes", "I want it" or "OK". In response to a bet of two, "three if you play" - accepts the two-bet and
bets three in return. Bets can be rejected explicitly (by saying "no", etc.) or implicitly by putting your
cards face down on the table.
If a bet is accepted, play continues and the winner of the hand scores the final bet (two for truc, or three
for retruc). If the bet is not accepted, the play of the hand is abandoned and the proposing team wins the
score that was in effect before the bet (one if truc was proposed and rejected, two if retruc was proposed
and rejected).
If one team has a score of eleven points, they must decide whether or not they wish to play the hand. If
they decide not to play, the other team scores one point. If they do want to play, the hand is automatically
worth three points without the need for any betting. If both teams have eleven points, the hand is played
without betting and the winners win the game.
Tactics of signalling and betting

The dealer and the player to the dealer's left, the last two to play to the first trick, will normally act as
team captains and direct the game. Their partners should signal their cards to the captains to allow them
to judge when to bet, when to raise, what to play, and so on. There is little point in passing signals in the
other direction.
Betting is a very important part of the game. A team which is behind will tend to bet freely in order to

catch up, while the team which is ahead will be more cautious. It is rare for a hand to be played to the
end; it is more usual to play only the first trick and part of the second, and then throw in the cards
because a bet is made and rejected.
Truc in France
A game very similar to the Catalan game Truc is played in Southern France: in Rousillon (Truc) in the
Pays Basque (Truka), in Poitou (Tru) and in Sarthe (Trut). It used to be played with a 36 card pack; as
this pack lacks 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s, the seven and six took the place of the three and two as the highest
cards, giving the ranking: 7, 6, A, R, D, V, 10, 9, 8. More recently, as 36 card packs are no longer
generally available in France, Truc is played with the 32 card pack generally used for Belote. The six
takes the place of the eight, and the cards rank from high to low: 7, 8, A, K, R, D, V, 10, 9. In some
places the order the top cards has been rationalised, so that the eight beats the seven.
There is a description of the French game in E. Lanes: Nouveau Manuel Complet des Jeux de Cartes
(Paris 1912), a translation of which was published in Sid Sackson's book "A Gamut of Games". The
game can be played by two players or by four in partnerships, partners facing each other. Three cards are
dealt to each player. Instead of leading to the first trick, the player after the dealer can propose a redeal,
and if all agree, the cards are thrown in and new hands are dealt from the remainder of the pack. If
anyone insists on playing, there is no redeal and the cards must be played. The trick play is the same as in
the Catalan game, and the target score is 12 points. Usually the game is played in rubbers - the first
player to team to win two games is the overall winner.
The betting is somewhat different from the Catalan game - there is no limit on the size or number of bets,
except that the same team cannot bet twice in succession in the same hand. Initially the hand is worth one
point. A player has the right to bet if no bet has yet been made or if the previous bet was by the
opponent(s). A player who has the right can bet immediately before playing a card, and can propose to
raise the stake for the hand by any amount. The other team either accept the proposed new stake (saying
"play") or concede, in which case the betting team score the amount of the previous stake.
A player can also bet "my (our) remainder". If the other team accepts, the winner of that hand wins the
whole game. If the other team concedes, they pay the amount of the previous stake without further play.
Obviously it is particularly advantageous for a player or team that is far behind to bet the remainder - the
other team will often concede rather than risk their lead.
Lanes mentions that in some places the 8 is the lowest card rather than the second highest, the ranking
being 7, A, R, D, V, 10, 9, 8.
A description of another French version can be found on the Trut page of Jean-Franois Bustarret's card
games site, and another on the web page of the Confrrie des joueurs de Trut. In these versions 3 points
are needed to win a trut, and the only kind of bet is a proposal to play for a whole trut instead of a point.
A team that wins a trut by this method carries any odd points over to the next trut, while the losing team
loses theirs. The first team to reach the target of five (or seven) truts wins the game. Often a match (best
of three games) is played.

Put
This section is based on information in The Compleat Gamester, by Charles Cotton (London 1674).
The old English game Put was a game for two players using a full 52 card pack ranking from high to low
3, 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. The dealer dealt three cards to each player one at a time.
The non-dealer led first, and the play was as in Truc, above. The player who took two tricks, or one trick
when both the others were tied, won the hand, and scored one point. If the players won one trick each
and the other trick was tied, the hand was a draw and no points were scored - this was called "trick and
tie". The hand was also tied without score if all three tricks were tied. The game was won by the first
player to reach five points.
The only form of betting was the put. If a player said "I put", the opponent had the choice of throwing in
the cards, in which case the putter scored a point, or "seeing", in which case the hand was played out and
the winner would win the whole game.
Cotton's brief description only mentions that the non-dealer was allowed to put before leading to the first
trick. It seems quite possible that either player could in fact put before leading to any trick, or even that
either player could put before playing any card, much as in the modern game.
Cotton also says that Put could be played by three people. In this case presumably a hand was still won
by a player taking two tricks, or one trick when both the others were tied - otherwise it would be drawn.
Put was an extremely disreputable game in the 17th century. Cotton describes various common methods
of cheating by marking the cards, introducing cards from another pack, and so on. He also explains "The
High Game", in which the cards were stacked so as to deal the victim a three and two twos while the
dealer dealt himself a two and two threes. The non-dealer would put, and perhaps agree some extra
wager on the game, which the dealer would then see and win. Cotton remarks that you cannot get away
with this more than once against the same player!


Rules of Card Games: Quan Dui
Quan Dui
This description is based on observations of games between Chinese players in Amsterdam. My thanks to
Guo Juan for introducing me to the club where the game is played and for helping to translate my
questions and the player's answers.
Players and objective

Quan Dui means "complete pairs". This simple Rummy-like game can be played by up to 6 players.
Since the exact number of players is not important, it is possible for people to join and leave between
hands. The object is to collect a 16-card hand consisting of eight pairs.
The cards
The cards used are called Dong1guan3 Pai2. Dongguan is the county in Guangdong province in China
where this game is played. The pack has 120 cards. There are numeral cards from 1 to 9 in the three suits
ben, suo and wan, and three odd cards, and the complete pack contains four identical copies of each card.
Since the cards are somewhat hard to identify at first sight, the complete pack is illustrated below.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ben
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Suo
Wan
Odd cards:

da hong xiao hong ba shu
The cards of the wan suit are most easily recognised by the stylised Chinese numerals near the top right
of the card. The meanings of the names of the odd cards are "big red" (do hong), "small red" (xiao hong)
and "eight bundle" (ba shu) - though the ba shu card has nothing to do with the numeral eight, in this
game at least.
There are two types of pair that can be formed:
Dui is a pair of identical cards
Ka is a pair consisting of equal numbered cards of different suits
The three odd cards count as ones, and can thus be paired with each other or with the ones of the three
ordinary suits to make a ka. For example a ka can consist of a "1 suo" card with a "da hong".
The deal
The dealer shuffles - the technique is to divide the pack into two halves, held loosely, to push one half of
the cards through the other half at an angle, and then to square up the pack. The player to dealer's left
cuts. The top six cards are dealt to the dealer, and the deal is continued anticlockwise in fives for three
rounds, ending with the player to dealer's left. Thus the dealer has 16 cards and the other players have 15
each. The remaining cards are placed face down, slightly spread, to form a stock.
The play
The game is played anticlockwise, but in certain cases a player can take a discard out of turn, and in this
case the turn jumps to the player taking the discard and continues anticlockwise from there. The dealer
begins the game by discarding one card face-up, and thereafter each player ends their turn by discarding
a card face-up. All these discards remain visible in the centre of the table, but only the card most recently
discarded is available to be taken by another player. This discard can be taken, in order of priority, by

1. any player who wishes to use the discard to complete a hand of eight pairs, thereby winning the
game;
2. any player who has an identical card in their hand and wishes to pair it with the discard, making a
dui;
3. the player to the right of the discarder, who may pick up the discard if no one else can use it.
If you take the discard to make an identical pair (dui) you place the pair face up in front of you and then
discard another card from your hand face up. The player to your right is now the next player in turn to
play.
If two people both want to take the discard to form a dui, the player whose next turn to play would have
been sooner - i.e. the one nearer to the right of the player who just discarded - has priority and takes the
discard. The same applies if two people want the same discard to complete a hand. But a player
completing a hand of eight pairs (even if the final pair is only a ka) has priority over a player wanting the
discard for a dui.
If no one wants the discard to make a dui or complete their hand, the next player in turn (the player to the
right of the one who discarded) can choose between picking up the discard or drawing the top card of the
face-down stock. In either case, the card is added to the player's hand, and the player then discards a card
face-up.
Winning the game

The play continues in this way until someone collects a hand of eight pairs, exposes their cards and wins
the agreed stake from each other player. (In the games I saw, the stake was one Dutch Guilder). If all
eight pairs are dui, the winner collects a double stake for "quan dui".
If you have a hand of eight pairs that are a mixture of ka and dui, you do not necessarily have to claim a
win. If you wish, you can continue playing in the hope of achieving quan dui and collecting a double
stake. If you do this, of course you risk that someone else will win meanwhile. This rule does not apply if
you claimed a discard to make your final ka - in that case you would have to expose your hand, winning
just a single stake.
The winner deals the next hand.
I did not see it happen, but presumably it is possible that the stock will run out without anyone winning. I
assume that in this case the hand is a draw and the same dealer deals again.

Rules of Card Games: Quitlok
Quitlok
Introduction
The players, the cards and the deal
The players' bets
The dealer's play; settling the bets
Change of bank
Terminology
Introduction
Cards known as Quitli or Kvitlech were traditionally used by Central European Jews to avoid religious
restrictions on playing with standard cards. Instead they used cards which have no pictures, and are
identified only by numbers and in some cases by suit symbols. Several articles about such cards have
appeared in The Playing-Card (journal of the International Playing-Card Society), notably those by the
late Rudi von Leyden (Vol XI No 4, pp103-106) and by Robert Kissel (Vol XVIII No 3, pp86-100 and Vol
XVIII No 4, pp101-116). One type of these cards has continued to be available up to the present day: the
Quitli cards by Piatnik (pattern 177), which consist of 24 cards numbered 1 to 12, with two of each card,
the twos and elevens being framed.
A very brief outline of a game played with the 24 card Quitli pack was included in von Leyden's article
cited above. This page gives a more detailed description of this game, based on a contribution from
James Sorhagen, whose grandmother's family moved to the USA from Transylvania during the years
1938 to 1945. They call the game Quitlok and they play it mostly during Hanukkah. It is a form of 21
with a betting mechanism which is somewhat like that of Shoot Pontoon.
The players, the cards and the deal

Quitlok is typically played by at least 5 players, one of whom will be the banker at any time. One pack
of 24 Quitli cards is used. On the face of each card is a number - there are two cards of each number
from 1 to 12. The two twos and the two elevens have decorative borders - these are the framed cards.
The first banker is chosen by dealing a card to each player (highest banks). When the banker retires or
the bank is broken, the turn to bank passes to the right. The banker starts the bank by putting an amount
of money onto the table. A minimum is agreed for this - typically $2, but it can be as much as the banker
wishes. The banker then deals one card face down to each player. They may look at their cards (and the
banker needs to do so if looking for an opportunity to retire - see below) but must not show them to the
other players. The first hand with a new bank is played clockwise, the second hand anticlockwise, and so
on, alternating direction.
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The players' bets

The players other than the banker take turns to ask for cards and place bets. The aim is of course to get a
total that is as near as possible to 21 without going over. For this purpose the 12's can count 12 or 9 at the
player's choice, and if your first two cards are both framed, your hand counts as 21. Apart from this the
cards count face value - in particular the ones always count one (never eleven as in some other forms of
21). When it is your turn your options are as follows:
ask for a blot: the dealer gives you one card face up;
bet: stake an amount of money to receive a card face down;
stay: play with the cards you have.
You can ask for as many cards as you like, provided that your total does not go over 21. As long as you
only ask for blots you can neither lose nor win anything, and when you have finished drawing you throw
your cards in without showing them. When you bet, you place the money on the table and the banker
detaches an equal amount from the bank to match your bet. The total money staked by the players must
not be more than what is currently in the bank, but within this limit you can bet any amount you wish.
Whenever you place or increase your bet you must at the same time be given another card.
If your total goes over 21 you are bust; you throw in your cards face-down and any money you have bet
is added to the bank. If you achieve exactly 21, you "throw it" face-up at the banker and immediately
collect your money and the matching amount from the bank. If you choose to stay and you have bet
money on your hand, you keep your cards and the turn passes to the next player. There is one special rule
that applies during a player's turn. If your cards reach a total of 11 you can call "aluvun" (eleven) which
protects you from going bust with the next card. If the next card you are dealt is an 11 you can reject it
and take the following card instead. Of course you would not invoke this rule if you had a single
(framed) 11, as a second 11 would then give you 21.
If you bet the whole of the remaining money in the bank, you can continue to ask for cards, but cannot
bet any more during that turn. If you do not go bust, then at the end of your turn there will be no free
money in the bank for the next player to bet against. At this point the dealer must play, to resolve all the
outstanding bets before the game can continue.
The dealer's play; settling the bets

Dealer's turn comes after all the other player's have played, or at the end of any player's turn when the
players' outstanding bets equal the money in the bank. The dealer already has one card from the deal, and
now draws further cards. There is no fixed rule as to when to draw and when to stay - the dealer is free to
choose. The dealer's hand may be played exposed or kept concealed until it is time to settle the bets. In
either case, when the dealer does not want any more cards, and has a total of 21 or less, the dealer's cards
are shown. For those players with bets outstanding, the dealer pays those whose total is greater (nearer to
21) and takes the bets of those whose total is equal (a push) or less. If the dealer goes bust (card total
more than 21) the dealer pays all players with outstanding bets.
After the bets have been settled, if there are still people who have not had a turn to play on this hand and
there is still money in the bank (the dealer having won at least some of the bets), the dealer takes another

card and the next player who has not yet played has their turn. If everyone has played and there is money
in the bank, the banker deals a new hand in the opposite direction from the hand that has just ended.
All cards that are thrown in - for example after a player goes bust or makes 21 or after a debt is settled -
are collected by the banker and placed face-up on the bottom of the deck. When the last face-down card
is reached, that card is not dealt, but is shuffled together with all the face-up cards to make a new stock.
Play then continues as before.
Change of bank
The bank can change hands in two ways:
The banker retires. After you have completed three hands as banker, from the fourth hand
onwards, if the first card you deal to yourself is a seven or a four, you can choose to flip it face-up,
take all the money in the bank, and pass on the role of banker to the next player to the right. This
can happen at the start of a hand or when taking a new card after settling bets in the middle of a
hand, but only immediately after the dealer's card is dealt, and before any more cards are given out
or bets placed.
The bank is broken ("taken apart"). If at any time there is no money left in the bank after settling
all outstanding bets, the current hand ends and the role of banker passes to the right.
Terminology
There are a few more technical terms used in the game.
To "loaf" is to forgive part of a player's bet. This is an informal practice - a player who regrets
having bet so much can ask the banker to reduce the bet (saying for example: "Loaf for half?"
meaning "forgive half the bet?") The banker may agree to this but is under no obligation to do so.
"Ink" refers to a large numbered card, as in "I need a lot of ink".
To "build a bank" is for the banker to accumulate a large pot of money (as in: "Build me a bank!")
Robert Kissel and I had some discussion of the possible origin of the word "blot" for a single card dealt
face-up. Perhaps the most obvious derivation is from the German "Blatt", meaning a card, but Robert
proposed a connection with the term "blot" used for a single man in backgammon. The Oxford
Dictionary tells us that this usage goes back to the 16th century and suggests that it comes from a Dutch
or Scandinavian word meaning exposed or uncovered. If true, this derivation fits the term blot in Quitlok
as well.

Rules of Card Games: Ulti
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Related Games | Hungarian Games
Ulti
This page is based on a revised version of an article I wrote for "The Playing-Card" (Journal of the
International Playing-Card Society) Volume IV No 4 (May 1976), p 8-15. Gyula Zsigri has provided
corrections and additional information on recent developments of the game, and further variations were
contributed by Tams Korinek.
Introduction
Players and Cards

The Deal
Rank and Values of Cards
The Auction
The Play
Possible Contracts and Bonuses
Ranking of Bids
Summary of Scores
Variations
Ulti - Historical Data
Suit-bid Ulti
Half-hand ulti
References
Introduction
Although ulti the most popular card game in Hungary, it is almost unknown outside its native land. The
version of ulti described here is also known as rablulti (robber ulti) because of the process of "robbing"
the talon which occurs at each bid. It is related to the Czech game Mari, and in Hungary the precursor
of Ulti, without bidding, is known as Talonmris. These games all ultimately derive from the old
French game Mariage. The name Ulti comes from a bid in the game by which the declarer undertakes to
win the last trick with the lowest trump, in this case the 7. This kind of bid is found in several games
played in the former Austro-Hungarian empire, notably Tarokk and A1ss, and in former times also in
Trappola.
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Players and Cards

Ulti is a trick-taking game for three players. In each hand one player, the winner of the bidding, chooses
trumps (or no trumps) and plays alone against the other two players in partnership.
The 32 card Tell pattern pack is used. These are the standard cards used in Hungary for most games. The
cards look like this:
Makk Zld Piros Tk
Acorns Leaves Hearts Bells
The aces depict seasons of

sz the year and can be
identified from the fact that
Ace they have a rotated suit
symbol in all four corners.
The kings are crowned, ride

Kirly horses and have a suit
King symbol at the top left of the
card.
The overs (over-knaves)

have a suit symbol at the top
left, but can be distiguished
from the kings because they
have no crown and no horse.
The over- and under-knaves
are named and show
characters from the William
Tell legend. It might seem
odd to find these Swiss
Fels people depicted on
Over Hungarian cards (cards of
this type have never been
used in Switzerland itself).
The explanation is probably
that in the nineteenth
century, when this design of
cards became popular in

Hungary, the Tell legend

was seen as a symbol of
resistance against Austrian
domination.
The unders (under-knaves)
can be distinguished by the
fact that the suit symbol is
not in the corner, but further
down the side of the card. In
Als the days when cards were
single-ended, the suit
Under symbol on the under was at
the bottom of the card, but in
double-ended cards, so that
it does not disappear
entirely, it is placed the
"bottom" of each end.
Tzes
Ten
Kilences
Nine
The numeral cards are
clearly marked with Roman
numbers, as well as having
the appropriate number of
suit symbols at each end.
Nyolcas
Eight

Hetes
Seven
The Deal; Beginning and Ending the Session

To begin a session, each player draws a card from the shuffled pack, and whoever draws the lowest card
(using the ranking order A-K-O-U-10-9-8-7) deals first. The turn to deal passes to the right after each
hand.
Deal and play are anticlockwise. The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's left may either cut or
knock on the cards. If the cards were cut, a batch of seven cards is dealt to the player to dealer's right and
the rest of the cards are dealt anticlockwise in fives, so that the player to dealer's right has twelve cards
and the others have ten each. If the cutter knocked, each player's cards must be dealt in a single batch, the
first 12 to dealer's right hand opponent, then 10 to the player to dealer's left and the last 10 to the dealer.
The traditional way to end a session is for one of the players to say "The ace of hearts deals and does not
deal" ("Piros sz oszt, nem oszt"). The meaning of this is as follows. At the end of the following hand it
is noted who held the ace of hearts at the end of the auction. Play continues until it is next the "ace of
hearts" player's turn to deal. Beginning with this deal, three further hands are played, and then when the
"ace of hearts" would have been about to deal again, the session ends.
Rank and value of cards

When there is a trump suit, the rank of cards in every suit from high to low is A, 10, K, O, U, 9, 8, 7 (the
ten beats the king). The basic aim is to win tricks containing aces and tens, each ace and each ten being
worth 10 card points. In addition, 10 card points go to the side which wins the last trick, so a total of 90
card points are at stake. A player who holds both the king and the over of one suit at the start of the play
can score additional card points by declaring them when playing to the first trick. The king and over of
trumps are worth 40 card points; the king and over of a non-trump suit are worth 20 card points. The
holder simply announces "20" or "40" when playing a card to the first trick. The cards do not have to be
shown, nor does the suit have to be specified unless it is trumps. A player who has more than one
combination announces "two 20s", "three 20s", "40 and 20" etc. when playing to the first trick. It is
possible for more than one player to declare - all declared combinations score. It does not matter who
ultimately wins the declared cards in tricks. Note that king-over in two non-trump suits must be
announced as "two 20s" - not as "40", which would be a declaration of the king-over of trumps.
When there are no trumps, the cards in each suit rank from high to low: A, K, O, U, 10, 9, 8, 7 - the 10
ranks between the under and nine instead of above the king. When there are no trumps the object is

always either to win every trick or to lose every trick; there are no card points or 20s or 40s.
The Auction
In each hand one player is the declarer and the other two players form a temporary partnership. Whoever
bids the highest contract in the auction becomes the declarer and plays this contract against the other two.
The auction begins with the player to the dealer's right, who discards any two cards face down to form a
talon and then names any contract.
The bidding then continues anticlockwise around the table. Each subsequent player who wishes to bid
may first pick up the two talon cards (without showing them to the other players), then discard any two
cards face down in their place to form a new talon (these may include cards just picked up) and then
name a contract, which must be higher than the one named by the previous bidder. A list and
explanations of the possible contracts and their ranking are given below. It is also legal, though unusual,
to bid by simply naming a contract, without looking at the talon cards.
A player who does not want to bid simply passes on the talon cards to the next player without looking at
them. Passing on the talon in this way does not prevent you from bidding at a later turn in the same
auction.
The auction continues around the table as many times as necessary until all three players in succession
choose not to look at the talon. The last bidder then becomes the declarer in the last contract bid. Since
the player to dealer's right is obliged to begin the auction by naming a contract, it is not possible for a
hand to be "passed out".
Because the talon is exchanged every time a bid is made, players participating in the auction get to see
and use each other's discards. If the opponents' discards are helpful it may be possible to "collect" a very
powerful hand over a few rounds of bidding; therefore players are usually careful to discard cards that
are unlikely to help their opponents. However, it is entirely legal to try to mislead the opponents about
your intentions by bluffing in the bidding, naming a contract completely different from the one you really
want to play. If both the other players pass you can always take the talon again and change to a different
contract, provided that it is higher than what you said before. Of course this then gives the other players
yet another opportunity to bid, using your new discards.
The Play
The declarer names the trump suit, if not already specified in the bid, and leads to the first trick.
Thereafter the winner of each trick leads to the next. It is compulsory to follow suit, and a player with no
card of the suit led must play a trump if possible. A player who has no trumps and no card of the suit led
may play any card. Subject to these rules, players are obliged to beat the highest card already played to
the trick whenever they can.
In no-trump contracts it is still obligatory to follow suit and to beat all cards already played to the trick
whenever possible.

Possible contracts and bonuses and their scores

The contracts are made up by combining components, each of which can be won or lost independently.
For won components the declarer is paid by both opponents. For lost components the declarer has to pay
both opponents. This is normally done by passing money across the table, but it is also possible to keep
score on paper. If you are writing down the score, it is necessary to record both wins and losses; for
example if the declarer wins a contract which scores 4 game points, you must add 8 to the declarer's
score and subtract 4 from each opponent's score.
In this section is a description of each component, what it is worth, and some information on how the
components can be combined into contracts that you can bid. A list of all the possible contracts that can
be made from the components, together with their ranking and scores, is given in the bids and scores
section.
There are some bonuses that can occur during the play even if they were not bid as part of the contract.
These unbid bonuses result in further payments from each opponent to the declarer or vice versa, and are
also explained below.
For the contracts with trumps, the scores given below apply if the trump suit is acorns, leaves or bells.
These are the "minor suits". If hearts are trumps, all scores are doubled. When bidding a contract with
a minor suit as trumps, the suit is not mentioned. If you are bidding in hearts you say so.
Simple game (parti)
In a simple game, the declarer's object is to take more card points than the opponents. A simple
game must be played with a trump suit. It can be bid by itself, in which case it is announced
(somewhat confusingly) by saying "Pass", or "Pass Hearts" if you want to play with hearts as
trumps. A simple game can also be combined with an Ulti, in which case the bid would be "Ulti"
or "Heart Ulti". If no twenties or forties are announced, there are 90 card points in the game, so 50
points are enough for declarer to win. With twenties and forties, the card point total can reach
190.There can never be a tie between the declarer and the opponents because of the odd 10 points
for the last trick. Aces and tens in the talon count against the declarer. The score for a simple
game is 1 game point.
Note: It is necessary to take at least one trick to win the game: if one team declares a 40 and three
20's (100 points) but the other team wins all the tricks (90 points), the team that takes all the tricks
wins the game (in fact they would also win a bonus for durchmars - see below).
Ulti
The declarer undertakes to win the last trick with the 7 of trumps. If this succeeds, the declarer
wins 4 game points. If it fails, either because the 7 is beaten in the last trick or because it is forced
out before the last trick, the declarer loses 4 game points plus an additional penalty of 4 game
points. If the ulti was kontra'd (see below) and lost, the doubling applies to the basic score for the
ulti but not to the additional 4 point penalty for losing it. Ulti cannot be bid alone, but may be
combined with any contract where there are trumps. Having bid ulti, the declarer is obliged to keep
the 7 of trumps as long as is legally possible, subject to the rules of following suit and trumping
when void. It is of course legal to bid ulti when you do not hold the 7 of trumps, either as a bluff or
as a sacrifice; in this case the ulti will automatically fail if the contract is played.

Unbid Ulti (csendes ulti)

A declarer who wins the last trick with the 7 of trumps without having bid Ulti receives a bonus of
2 game points from each opponent for unbid ulti. If, however, the declarer plays the 7 of trumps to
the last trick and it does not win, the declarer loses 4 game points. Similarly, if an opponent ever
plays the 7 of trumps to the last trick, then the opponents get a bonus of 2 game points if it wins, or
are penalised 4 game points if it is beaten. This penalty applies even if the trick is won by the
partner of the opponent who played the 7.
40-l00 (negyven-szz)
40-100 is a contract to take at least 100 card points, including 40 for the king and over of trumps,
which you must have in your hand for this bid to succeed. 40-100 in any of the four suits can be
bid alone or combined with an Ulti, a trump Durchmars (closed or open), or both. There is no
score for the "simple game" when 40-100 is bid. A declarer who has bid 40-100 is not allowed to
score any twenties - only the forty, aces, tens and the last trick can be counted. Therefore the
declarer can only afford to let the opponents take at most three aces or tens (two if they win the last
trick). If a player who bids 40-100 does not hold the king and over of trumps, the 40-100 is
automatically lost, but the declarer can still win other components of the contract. The score for
40-100 is 4 game points.
20-100 (hsz-szz)
This is a contract to take at least 100 card points including 20 for the king and over of some
non-trump suit. Like 40-100 it can be combined with an ulti, a durchmars or both, and replaces the
simple game. The declarer is not allowed to count any other 20 or 40 towards the 100 points, so in
order to win the declarer can only afford to lose a single ace or ten, or the last trick. 20-100 scores
8 game points.
Unbid 100 (csendes szz)
If either side takes 100 card points in a trump contract without having bid 20-100 or 40-100, then
(provided they take at least one trick) score for the simple game is doubled. For example if you
score 100 in a simple game in acorns it is worth 2 game points instead of 1. For an unbid 100,
more than one twenty or forty may be included in the 100 points.
Betli
The declarer undertakes to lose every trick. There are no trumps, so the cards rank A, K, O, U, 10,
9, 8, 7. Betli cannot be combined with any other bid. The obligation to beat all cards already
played to the trick still applies. There are three forms of Betli:
Betli scores 5 game points
Heart betli (piros betli) scores 10 game points. There are no trumps - the reference to hearts
is simply to indicate that the score is doubled compared to an ordinary betli.
Open betli (tertett betli) scores 20 game points.
Between betli and heart betli there is no difference except the score. Nevertheless it can be
advantageous to bid the cheaper betli - for example as an inexpensive option if one has found poor
cards in the talon, or in the hope of improving one's hand further in the next round of bidding if
someone is able to overcall. In open betli all three players must lay their cards face up on the table
after the first trick is complete, and play the remaining tricks with their hands exposed. Even
though all the cards can be seen, the declarer's opponents are not allowed to confer about what

cards to play - they must each play from their own cards, without talking or making any sign to
each other.
Durchmars
By bidding durchmars, the declarer undertakes to win every trick. Durchmars can be played with
or without trumps. Durchmars without trumps cannot be combined with any other bid. On the
other hand durchmars with trumps must be combined with at least one of ulti, 40-100 and 20-100.
Durchmars scores 6 game points; it can be played without trumps, or in any trump suit
other than hearts if combined with another bid.
Heart durchmars (piros durchmars) can be played without trumps, or with hearts as
trumps if combined with another bid. It scores 12 points (this already includes the double for
hearts being trumps).
Open Durchmars (tertett durchmars) scores 24. It can be played without trumps or, if
combined with another bid, can be played with any suit as trumps. If hearts are trumps, the
score remains 24, though the scores of the other contract components are doubled.
If there are no trumps, there is no difference between durchmars and heart durchmars except for
the score. In any open durchmars, all players must expose their cards after the first trick is
complete. The declarer's opponents are not allowed to confer.
Unbid durchmars
If a side wins all the tricks in a trump contract without having bid durchmars, it scores 3 points.
This replaces the score for the simple game, if any. If the simple game was kontra'd, rekontra'd,
etc., the doubles are applied to the unbid durchmars score.
Kontra
An opponent who believes that some or all components of the contract will fail can double the
appropriate scores by saying Kontra against those parts of the bid he expects to be defeated, as he
plays his card to the first trick. One must specify what one is kontraing, saying for example:
"kontra the game", "kontra the ulti", "kontra the game and the ulti", etc. In a contract with trumps,
a kontra binds both opponents, so both pay or receive double for the kontra'd components. In a
no-trump contract (betli or no-trump durchmars), each opponent kontras for himself alone. The
second opponent therefore has the slight advantage of hearing whether or not his partner wishes to
kontra before having to decide for himself. On the other hand the first opponent cannot change his
decision in the light of his partner's choice. If only one opponent kontras when betli or durchmars
has been bid, that player pays or receives double while his partner pays or receives singly.
Rekontra, Szubkontra
If the declarer is confident of winning some parts of his contract which have been Kontra'd, he can
Rekontra those parts, doubling the scores for them again. This is done at the end of the first trick,
before the lead to the second trick. If there has been a kontra, the winner of the first trick should
pause before leading to the second trick to give the declarer an opportunity to rekontra. Rekontra'd
parts of the contract can then be szubkontra'd by the opponents, doubling the stake to eight times
the basic score; this must also take place before the lead to the second trick.
Scoring Ulti with Kontra
A kontra (rekontra, szubkontra) of an ulti doubles what would be scored for the ulti if it was won,
but if the ulti is lost, the additional bonus for defeating a bid ulti is unaffected by the kontra

(rekontra, szubkontra). Example: A player bids heart ulti; this is worth 2 for the game and 8 for
the ulti. If the game is won but the ulti is lost the declarer will lose 14 - winning 2 for the game but
losing 8 plus an additional 8 for the failed bid ulti. If an opponent says kontra to the ulti, and the
declarer wins everything, the score will be 2 for the game plus 16 for the ulti. If the declarer wins
the game and loses the ulti, the payment is 22 to each opponent: the declarer wins 2 for the game
but loses 16 for the kontra'd ulti plus an additional 8 for a failed bid ulti in hearts.
Giving up
A player who has bid a simple game without ulti in a minor suit (not hearts) is allowed to give up
before leading to the first trick, and lose just 2 game points. The point of doing this is that the
opponents do not have the opportunity to score for unbid 100, unbid ulti, etc.
Ranking of bids
Bids rank in order of their total score in game points. For this purpose the score for a simple game is
ignored except to break ties. For example, a Heart Betli (10) beats a Heart Ulti (2 + 8) which beats a
Heart 40-100 (8). Certain bids have the same rank - for example Acorn 20-100 Ulti (8 + 4) and Heart
Durchmars (12). To overcall another player it is necessary to make a higher bid, so each of these "equal"
bids shuts out the other.
Here is a complete list of the possible bids in ascending order, and their scores. The term "minor suit"
means acorns, leaves or bells. Where the score for a contract is written as (say) 4 + 8, there are two
separate components, worth 4 and 8, each of which can be won or lost independently of the other. Bids
which are shown within the same cell of the table are equal to each other.
Bid Trump suit Score
Pass Minor suit 1
Pass hearts Hearts 2
40-100 Minor suit 4
Ulti Minor suit 1+4
Betli No trumps 5
Durchmars No trumps 6
40-100 ulti Minor suit 4+4
Heart 40-100 Hearts 8
20-100 Minor suit 8
Heart ulti Hearts 2+8
40-100 durchmars Minor suit 4+6
Ulti durchmars Minor suit 4+6
Heart betli No trumps 10
20-100 ulti Minor suit 8+4
Heart durchmars No trumps 12
40-100 ulti durchmars Minor suit 4+4+6
20-100 durchmars Minor suit 8+6

Heart 40-100 ulti Hearts 8+8

Heart 20-100 Hearts 16
20-100 ulti durchmars Minor suit 8+4+6
Heart 40-100 durchmars Hearts 8 + 12
Heart ulti durchmars Hearts 8 + 12
Open betli No trumps 20
Heart 20-100 ulti Hearts 16 + 8
Open durchmars No trumps 24
Heart 40-100 ulti durchmars Hearts 8 + 8 + 12
Heart 20-100 durchmars Hearts 16 + 12
40-100 open durchmars Minor suit 4 + 24
Ulti open durchmars Minor suit 4 + 24
40-100 ulti open durchmars Minor suit 4 + 4 + 24
Heart 40-100 open durchmars Hearts 8 + 24
Heart ulti open durchmars Hearts 8 + 24
20-100 open durchmars Minor suit 8 + 24
Heart 20-100 ulti durchmars Hearts 16 + 8 + 12
20-100 ulti open durchmars Minor suit 8 + 4 + 24
Heart 40-100 ulti open durchmars Hearts 8 + 8 + 24
Heart 20-100 open durchmars Hearts 16 + 24
Heart 20-100 ulti open durchmars Hearts 16 + 8 + 24
Summary of scores
Here is a summary table of all the scores for bids and bonuses. Note that when the declarer wins, each
opponent pays to the declarer the number of game points specified; when the declarer loses, the declarer
pays each opponent. The only case in which the opponents win or lose different amounts is when a betli
or durchmars has been kontra'd or szubkontra'd by just one opponent.
Bid Unbid
Item Minor Minor Notes
Hearts Hearts
suit No trumps suit
trump trump
trump trump
Game 1 2 - - -
Game given up
2 - - - -
without play

If the game was

kontra'd, rekontra'd,
etc, any bonus for
100 - - - 1 2
unbid 100 is also
doubled, redoubled,
etc.
Only one 40 can be
40-100 4 8 - - - counted towards the
100.
Only one 20 can be
20-100 8 16 - - - counted towards the
100.
When a bid ulti is
kontra'd, rekontra'd or
Ulti (won) 4 8 - 2 4
szubkontra'd and lost,
the doubling applies
only to the first 4 (8 in
hearts); the extra 4 (8)
Ulti (lost) 4+4 8+8 - 4 8
points for losing a bid
ulti is not doubled.
Betli - - 5 - -
Heart betli - - 10 - -
Open betli - - 20 - -
Unbid durchmars
replaces the score for
Durchmars 6 - 6 3 - simple game, if any. If
the simple game was
kontra'd, rekontra'd,
etc, any bonus for
Heart durchmars - 12 12 - 6 unbid durchmars is
also doubled,
redoubled, etc.
Open durchmars 24 24 24 - -
The doubling applies
independently to each
Kontra, Rekontra,
double double double - - specific component of
Szubkontra
the contract to which
Kontra is said.

Variations
It is more than 20 years since the first version of this article was published in "The Playing-Card". With
help from Gyula Zsigri it has been corrected and revised to reflect recent changes in the way the game is
normally played. Nevertheless it is likely that there are still many people who play older versions of the
rules. The main differences in the older version were:
The player to dealer's right was only dealt 10 cards and two were dealt to the talon between the
two rounds of five. (If the pack was knocked instead of cutting, the talon was dealt after the first or
second batch of 10 cards). For the first bid, the player to dealer's right named a suit before picking
up the talon. After discarding, this player had to name a contract in the nominated suit or in no
trumps. On subsequent turns to bid, the player was free to bid contracts in other suits as well.
When bidding, a player named the intended trump suit, even if it was a minor suit.
If two players in succession passed on the talon without bidding, the auction ended and the last
contract bid was played. "Self-robbing" (picking up your own discards and increasing your bid)
after the other players both passed was not permitted. See self-robbing in the historical data section
for further information.
A declarer who had discarded any aces or tens into the talon had to announce that this was so when
leading to the first trick, but did not need to specify what cards were involved.
The combination of a king and over in a suit was sometimes known as a bla - this term is
borrowed from the older game of Alss.
The score for 20-100 was only 4 (or 8 in hearts) - the same as a 40-100.
In an open betli or open durchmars, only the declarer's hand was exposed on the table after the first
trick.
An popular alternative method of dealing is: 5 cards to each player in the first round, then 7 to the first
player and 5 each to the other players. Unusually, some people deal 6 to the first player in both rounds.
Many people play that a bid whose score is a single component beats an equal scoring bid made up of
two or more parts. In this case, for example, a minor suit 20-100 beats a minor suit 40-100 ulti and a
heart betli beats a minor suit durchmars with ulti. There are some problems with increasing the number
of unequal bids in this way: it tends to make the auction go on for longer, and increases the scope for two
unscrupulous players to help each other against the third by passing talon cards back and forth while
making meaningless bids.
In the the annual Ulti Tournaments held in Sifok in spring and in Kecskemt in autumn or early winter,
the treatment and scoring of durchmars is different from that described in the main rules above:
1. A minor suit open durchmars is worth only 12 rather than 24. This is logical in that it makes the
rule that scores are doubled when hearts are trumps universal.
2. A suit durchmars does not need to be combined with an ulti or 100, but can be played by itself.
3. There is no 6 point no trump durchmars - no trump durchmars is always worth 12 if played with
concealed cards; 24 if played with open cards.
Some people play only the first or the first and second of the above durchmars variations. On the other
hand, some players do not allow a suit durchmars at all - durchmars, like betli, can only be played

without trumps. Further discussion of the history of betli and durchmars scoring can be found in the
historical data section.
If you allow a suit durchmars to be played on its own, without ulti, 20-100 or 40-100, then a player who
wants to bid a no trump durchmars must expicitly say so in the bid. The 6 point variety (if allowed)
should be bid as "no trump durchmars" (szn nlkli durchmars) and the 12 point variety as "no trump
heart durchmars" (szn nlkli piros durchmars).
Some play that the extra score for unbid 100 (1 in a minor suit or 2 in hearts) is unaffected by kontras.
Further historical data about unbid 100 is given in the historical data section.
Some play that only betli is doubled individually. A kontra of a no trump durchmars applies to both
partners.
Some play with additional levels of kontra - typical names for the successive doubles are kontra,
rekontra, szubkontra, hirskontra, mordkontra, fedksri. The last of these is named after the famous
actress Fedk Sri.
Some play with an additional bonus: four aces (ngy sz), which is a bonus for winning all four aces in
your tricks in a trump contract. If a minor suit is trumps, it scores 2 points unbid or 4 points if bid; these
scores are doubled if hearts are trumps. Four aces can be combined with other bids in the usual way: an
ulti with four aces in a minor suit is worth 1+4+4 (9); 40-100 with four aces in hearts is worth 8+8 (16).
However, many play that four aces can only be bid along with another bonus - so a simple game with
four aces cannot be bid. Even with this restriction, the four aces bonus seems rather too easy to make if
you are lucky enough to have the four aces in your hand. Unlike the ulti bid, a bid of four aces does not
incur an extra penalty if it is defeated - the amount lost is the same as what would have been won if it had
been successful.
When four people play Ulti, the dealer gives cards to the other three players and sits out of the play.
Normally the dealer either does not take part in the payments or scores equally with the opponents of the
declarer. There also a version, rarely played, in which the dealer scores equally with the declarer.
Suit-bid ulti (sznlicites ulti) is a version of the game in which contracts with acorns as trumps are scored
normally; when leaves are trumps all scores are doubled; when bells are trumps they are trebled, and
when hearts are trumps they are quadrupled. This variation suffers even more severely from the problems
mentioned above associated with increasing the number of unequal bids. It is described fully on a
separate page.
Half-hand Ulti
Half-hand Ulti (flkz-ulti) is a variation in which only five cards are dealt to each player initially. There
is then a first phase of bidding based only on these 5-card hands; any bids at this stage are worth double
points. Any player can pass at the half-hand stage if they do not want to play a contract. A half-hand
simple game is bid by naming the trump suit (even if it is a minor suit). After the highest bidder is
established, the other two having passed, either opponent can kontra, the high bidder can rekontra, and so
on. All kontras made with only 5 cards in hand multiply the score by 4 rather than 2.

After the half-hand bidding, the dealer gives seven more cards to the player who bid highest and five to
each of the others. The bidding then continues in the normal way, starting with the high bidder from the
half-hand phase. In the full-hand bidding, bids are worth only the normal number points, but to be valid
they must score more than the final half-hand bid (including any kontras). For example, suppose that in
the first phase you bid a simple game in hearts, which was kontra'd. This is worth 16 (4*4). In the second
phase, you could increase this to a heart 20-100 ulti (24), but you could not bid a heart ulti (10). Another
player could overcall with an open betli (20) but not with a heart betli (10).
If all pass in the half-hand phase, the dealer gives seven cards to the player to dealer's right and five to
each of the others, and the bidding proceeds normally, starting with the player to dealer's right. If all pass
in the full-hand phase as well, the player to dealer's right is the declarer in a simple minor suit game as
usual.
If a half-hand contract is not outbid in the full-hand phase, kontras can be continued. For example,
half-hand kontra'd 40-100 in bells rekontra'd full-hand is worth 64 points (8*4*2). Half-hand rekontra'd
40-100 szubkontra'd full-hand is worth 256 points (8*4*4*2).
There is another variation of half-hand ulti in which a half-hand simple game scores double, but other
half-hand bids are quadruple. For example, half-hand heart ulti is 36 points altogether (4+32). Half-hand
kontras quadruple the score. If you win the half-hand bidding you can continue to count the half-hand
value of any bid components that you retain when increasing your own bid. For example you can
increase your own half-hand heart ulti to full-hand heart 40-100 ulti, for a total of 40 points (8+32).
Go to Ulti supplement page: historical data; Suit-bid ulti; References.


Rules of Card Games: Rummy
Rummy
This page is partly based on a contribution from Magnus
Types of Rummy
Basic Rummy
Optional House Rules
Other Rummy WWW sites
Types of Rummy
Rummy games first appeared in the early twentieth century, and are probably derived from the Mexican
game Conquian. This page describes basic rummy. For other types of rummy, and related games, see the
rummy index page.
Basic Rummy
The game is best played with two to four players, but up to six can take part. Either a fixed number of
deals are played, or the game is played to a target score. The number of deals or the target score needs to
be agreed before beginning to play.
The Deck
One standard deck of 52 cards is used. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high:
Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen King
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal alternates if there are two players, and rotates
clockwise if there are more than two. In a two player game, each player is dealt a hand of ten cards.
Seven cards each are dealt if there are three or four players, and when five or six play each player gets six
cards. The cards are dealt one at a time, and after the deal, the next card is placed face up on the table to
start the discard pile, and the remainder of the deck is placed face down beside it to form the stock. The
players look at and sort their cards.
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Object of the Game

The object of the game is to dispose of all the cards in your hand. There are three ways to get rid of
cards: melding, laying off, and discarding.
Melding is taking a combination of cards from your hand, and placing it face up in front of you on
the table, where it stays. There are two kinds of combination which can be melded: sequences (also
known as runs) and groups (also known as sets or books).
a sequence or run consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order,
such as 4, 5, 6 or 8, 9, 10, J.
a group, set or book is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.
Laying off is adding a card or cards from your hand to a meld already on the table. The cards
added to a meld must make another valid meld. For example to the 4, 5, 6 you could add
the 3 or the 7. You are not permitted to rearrange the melds in the process. For example, 2,
2, 2, 2 and 3, 4, 5 have been melded, you are not permitted to move the 2 from
the group to the sequence, so as to lay off the A.
Discarding is playing a card from your hand on top of the discard pile. You get rid of one card this
way at the end of each turn.
Play
If there are two players, they take alternate turns starting with the non dealer. If there are more than two
players, they take turns in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player to dealer's left.
Each turn consists of the following parts:
1. The Draw. You must begin by taking one card from either the top of the Stock pile or the top card
on the discard pile, and adding it to your hand. The discard pile is face up, so you can see in
advance what you are getting. The stock is face down, so if you choose to draw from the stock you
do not see the card until after you have committed yourself to take it. If you draw from the stock,
you add the card to your hand without showing it to the other players.
2. Melding. If you have a valid group or sequence in your hand, you may lay one such combination
face up on the table in front of you. You cannot meld more than one combination in a turn (but see
House Rules). Melding is optional; you are not obliged to meld just because you can.
3. Laying off. This is also optional. If you wish, you may add cards to groups or sequences
previously melded by yourself of others. There is no limit to the number of cards a player may lay
off in one turn.
4. The Discard At the end of your turn, one card must be discarded from your hand and placed on
top of the discard pile face up. If you began your turn by picking up the top card of the discard pile
you are not allowed to and that turn by discarding the same card, leaving the pile unchanged - you
must discard a different card. You may however discard the card you picked up at a later turn. If
you draw a card from the stock, it can be discarded on the same turn if you wish.
If the stock pile has run out and the next player does not want to take the discard, the discard pile is
turned over, without shuffling, to form a new stock, and play continues.

A player wins an individual hand by either melding, laying off, or discarding all of his or her cards.
Getting rid of your last card in one of these ways is called going out. As soon as someone goes out, play
ceases. There can be no further melding or laying off, even if the other players have valid combinations
in their hands.
Scoring
When a player goes out, the other players add up the value of all the cards still remaining in their hands,
as follows:
Face cards (K,Q,J) 10 points each
Ace 1 point
Number Cards are worth their spot (index) value.
The total value of all the cards in the hands of the other players is added to the winner's cumulative score.
The game continues with further deals until a player reaches the points target that was decided before the
game began, or until the agreed number of deals has been played.
Optional House Rules.

These optional rules should be discussed and decided by the players before the beginning of the first
deal.
Multiple Melds
1. Some people play that you can lay down as many melds as you desire in each turn.
2. Most people allow a player who has not previously melded or laid off any cards to earn a special
bonus if they can go out in a single turn by melding or laying off their entire hand. This is called
going rummy, and the score for the hand is doubled, or in some versions the winner gets a bonus
of 10 points.
Last discard
Some people play that in order to go out, you must end your turn by discarding your last card. You are
not allowed to meld all your cards, leaving nothing to discard.
Block Rummy
Some people play that if the stock has run out and the next player does not want to take the discard, the
game ends at that point. Everyone counts the value of the cards remaining in their hands and the player
with the lowest total wins, each other player paying the winner the difference between their scores. If two
or more players tie for lowest, they share the winnings equally.

Scoring
Some play that instead of the winner scoring points, each of the losers score penalty points according to
the cards left in their hand. When someone reaches 100 or more, the player with the lowest score wins.
Some play that each loser pays the winner according to the number of points in their hand. This method
is appropriate when playing for money. The session would last for a set number of hands rather than be
played to a target score.
Other Rummy WWW pages

There are rules in French on Jean-Franois Bustarret's Rami page.


Rules of Card Games: Schieberamsch
Schieberamsch
This is a point trick game for 3 players. It occurs as a variation within Skat, but also makes a good game
in its own right. As it is (mostly) a negative game, it looks like a cross between Skat and Hearts, but in
practice it feels significantly different from either.
Cards
A 32 card pack is used, French or German suited, containing the cards AKQJT987 (AKOUT987) in each
suit. If German suits are used the correspondence is acorns=clubs, leaves=spades, hearts=hearts,
bells=diamonds.
The trump suit consists of just the four jacks ranking in the order CJ (highest), SJ, HJ, DJ (lowest). The
remaining cards comprise 4 plain suits, in each of which the cards rank A (highest), T, K, Q, 9, 8, 7
(lowest).
The cards have point values as follows:
each jack 2
each ace 11
each ten 10
each king 4
each queen 3
each 9, 8, 7 nothing
Total 120 card points
The objective is normally to avoid taking card points in tricks.
Deal
Deal and play are clockwise. Dealer shuffles, dealer's right hand opponent cuts, then the cards are dealt
face down as follows: a batch of 3 to each player; 2 face down in the middle (skat); 4 to each; 3 to each.
Use of the Skat

First each player in turn, starting with the player to dealer's left (known as Forehand), has the chance to
announce Grand Hand (the same game as in Skat - see below). If anyone does this the Grand Hand is
played and then the same dealer deals again.
If non one wants to play Grand Hand, the Schieberamsch begins. Forehand may pick up the two cards of
the skat, and discard any two cards (possibly the same ones) to form a new skat. The next player may
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then pick up these cards and discard two, and finally the dealer may do the same. Instead of picking up
the skat, any player may pass the skat on unseen. This doubles the score for the hand each time it
happens (so if all three players pass on, the score is multiplied by 8).
Play
After dealer has discarded (or passed on), Forehand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit when
possible (when a jack is led, jacks must be followed). A player with no card of the suit led is free to
trump or discard. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, unless it contains a trump, in which
case the highest trump wins. The winner of a trick leads to the next. The cards in the skat are given to the
winner of the last trick.
Scoring
The scores are penalty points. The object is to have as low a score as possible.
If all three players took tricks, then whoever took the most card points scores that number.
If one player took no tricks, then whichever of the others took more card points scores double that
number.
But if two players took no tricks, the player who managed to take all the tricks scores minus 120. Yes,
minus 120 - taking all the tricks is good.
If two players tie for most card points, they both score the penalty.
If at the start of the hand anyone passed on the skat without looking, the above mentioned score is
doubled once for each time that happened.
In writing down the score, all scores are divided by 10 with fractions rounded down (i.e. the units digit is
omitted).
Example: A and B pass on; C looks. A takes no tricks; B takes 7 points, C takes 113. C scores +90,
calculated as follows: two doubles for passing on and one double for no tricks makes 8; 8 times 113 is
904, scored as 90.
If C had taken all the tricks, C would have scored -48 (that is 4 x 120 = 480 divided by ten).
Play continues for any number of deals. At the end each pair of players settle up in money, according to
the differences between their scores.
Grand Hand
If a player announces Grand Hand, the skat is not used, and that player becomes the soloist for that hand,
with the other two forming a partnership. The rules of play are the same as in a normal Schieberamsch,
but in Grand Hand the value of the two skat cards counts for the soloist (not the winner of the last trick).
The soloist has to take more than half the card points (i.e. at least 61) in tricks to win, thereby getting a

negative score. Otherwise, with 60 or fewer points, the soloist gets a positive score.
Before playing to the first trick, either opponent can say Kontra, which doubles the score for the game. If
this happens the soloist can reply Rekontra, which doubles it again.
The scoring of Grand Hand (which is derived from the game Skat) is slightly elaborate. The "base value"
is 24 and this is multiplied by a multiplier consisting of the following elements:
1 for each matador (with or against)
2 for game* (always counted)
1 for schneider (if either side takes 90 or more card points)
1 for schwarz (if either side takes all the tricks)
*The 2 for game is (strictly speaking) 1 for game and 1 for hand.
Matadors are the number of jacks in sequence, starting from the CJ, which were in the soloist's original
hand plus the skat ("with") or were in the opponents' combined original hands ("against").
Examples: soloist (including skat) started with:
CJ only with 1
SJ only against 1
HJ only against 2
CJ, SJ with 2
CJ, SJ, DJ with 2
SJ, HJ, DJ against 1
The base value of 24 is multiplied by the total applicable multiplier, doubled or redoubled for Kontra or
Rekontra if applicable, and then divided by 10 and rounded down as before. The result is subtracted from
the soloist's score if the soloist won (took at least 61 card points) but added if the soloist lost (took 60 or
fewer).
Example: soloist plays with 2 matadors and takes 62 card points. The multiplier is 4 (2 matadors +
game), which is multiplied by 24 to give 96, so the soloist scores -9. If the soloist had taken only 58,
thereby losing the game, the score would be +9. If an opponents had said Kontra, it would be +19 (192
divided by 10). If the soloist only managed to take 25 card points the multiplier would be 5 (2 matadors +
game + schneider) and the score would be +12 without Kontra or +24 with Kontra.
It is not uncommon for a player with a particularly unsuitable hand for Ramsch to announce Grand Hand
even with little chance of winning, as it may prove cheaper than the Ramsch.
Variations
It is common to forbid players to pass on or discard jacks. In fact this is probably the usual rule in
Germany, but I prefer the version where you are free to pass anything.
Some players allow Kontras in the Schieberamsch (as well as in Grand Hand). In this case any player can
say Kontra before playing to the first trick and each Kontra doubles the score. This can make certain

hands very expensive for the loser - in principle there could be 7 doubles (3 x kontra, 3 x passed on, and
1 x no tricks) which would give a multiple of 128. Even if you don't cooperate in your own demise, the
other two players can gang up to give you 5 doubles (x 32).
In Ramsch, some players give the card points in the skat to the player with most card points in tricks
(thus increasing the loss) rather than to the winner of the last trick.


Rules of Card Games: Ramsli
Ramsli
A Hungarian game related to the French game Rams. The Croatian game Raub is also similar.
A version of Ramsli played by the Donauschwaben - the German settlers on the banks of the Danube - in
18th and 19th century Hungary is described on Rick Heli's Card Games of the Donauschwaben page.

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Rules of Card Games: Raub
Raub
Raub is played by Croatians in the United States, though the actual origin of the game is uncertain. This description was
contributed by Davorin Fundak, who learned the game in Oregon, from a relative in Ohio.
Raub is a game for two to four players. Best with four players, it is a fast paced game that can sometimes last surprisingly long.
The equipment
A 32 card pack is used, with German suits (hearts, bells, acorns and leaves). If such a pack is not available, it is possible to
play with a standard 52 card pack from which the 2 - 6 of each suit are removed. The ranking of the cards in each suit, from
highest to lowest is as follows (English equivalents and subsitutes from the international pack in brackets):
As (Ace)
Kralj (King)
Iber / Kraljica (Over. Substitute: Queen)
Decko (Under. Substitute: Jack)
X (10)
IX (9)
VIII (8)
VII (7)
Scoring is done on paper with one player being the score keeper. Each player starts at 21.
Idea of the Game

In each hand, one player (the declarer) tries to make at least two of the four possible tricks. The other players (the defenders)
have an objective to make at least one trick each, but may also try to prevent the declarer from winning. A defender who thinks
he cannot make one trick is allowed to drop out.
After the declarer and defenders are determined, players may draw new cards to improve their hand.
Players and Deal

There are from two to four active players at a time. The game is played clockwise.
After the dealer has shuffled and his right hand neighbour has cut, the cards are dealt clockwise: 2 to each player, 1 face up on
the table to decide the trump suit, and then 2 to each player, so that each player has 4 cards. The turn to deal rotates clockwise.
Dealer's Options
At any time after the dealer has dealt the face up trump card and before he has seen his own hand, he has the option of saying
"Raub" which makes him declarer and allows him to take the face up card. He must make at least two tricks. This is typically
done with a higher strength turned up card, though it may be done with any card.
If the dealer has turned face up a seven and before he has seen his own hand, he may say "Trick" or "Stih" (pronounced
"Shteeh") which makes him declarer and allows him to keep the face up card. He must make at least one trick.
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The Bidding
If the dealer has not said Raub or Trick (Stih), then everyone looks at their four cards and player on the dealer's left has first
opportunity to become declarer (by saying "I lead") or to pass. The declarer will have the opportunity to exchange up to 4 of
his cards, and must then take 2 or more tricks with the suit of the turned up card as trump. If the first player passes, the
opportunity to become declarer passes to the second player, and so on clockwise around the table. As soon as anyone says "I
lead", that player becomes the declarer and the bidding phase ends.
If the turn reaches the dealer, the other three players having passed, he has three options:
1. he may say "I lead", becoming the declarer;
2. he may pass, in which case the cards are thrown in, the deck is passed to the next player to deal, and the scoring for the
next hand is doubled (this is called a Refa);
3. he may turn face up a second card from the top of the undealt part of the deck for a new trump suit.
If the dealer turns up a second card and it is the same suit as the first, he must turn up a third card. If this is also the same suit
the deal passes to the next player and there is a Refa.
If the second or third card turned up is a different suit from the first, there is a second round of bidding, similar to the first,
again beginning with the player to dealer's left. At the end of this second round, dealer does not have the option of turning
another card. If all pass, the deal passes to the next player and there is a Refa.
Once two or three cards are face up, the dealer can no longer gain the face up card by saying "Raub" or "Shtih".

Once a player has become declarer, each player, beginning clockwise from the declarer, has the option of playing, "Idem", or
not playing, "Nejdem". First the player on declarer's left announces whether he will play, followed by the other players in
turn. If none wishes to play then declarer has (by default) made 4 tricks. A player may say "Forpass", indicating his intention
to play should all of the remaining players choose not to play. Saying "Surpass" supersedes a preceding "Forpass", and
indicates this player will play should the remaining players choose not to play.
Playing is a commitment to win at least one trick, and there is a penalty for failing to do so. A defender who does not think he
can make one trick can drop out, but dropping out makes it easier for declarer to win two tricks. A player who drops out lays
his cards face down on the table and stay out of the game until the next hand.
Example Bidding
Some examples of legal bidding sequences:
Dealer A B C
Pass Pass I Declare
Play Pass Play --C is declarer and must make at least two tricks.
--Dealer and B must make at least one trick each.
Dealer A B C
Raub Pass Play Play --Dealer is declarer and must make at least two
tricks.
--Dealer gets face up card.
--B and C play and must make at least one trick each.
Dealer A B C
Raub Forpass Pass Play --Dealer is declarer and must make at least two
tricks.
--C plays and must make at least one trick.

Dealer A B C
Shtih Play Forpass Pass --Dealer is declarer and must make at least one trick.
--A and B play and must make at least one trick each.
Dealer A B C
Pass Pass Pass
Pass (and Pass Pass Pass
flip new
card)
I Declare Pass Play Play --Dealer is declarer and must make at least two
tricks.
--B and C must make at least one trick each.
The Draw
After the declarer and defenders are determined, each has the opportunity to discard and receive new cards. Beginning with the
first participating player to the dealer's left, each player may discard from 0 to 4 cards and receive the same number of cards
from the deck.
If the declarer said "Raub", "Shtih", or "Muss", he then picks up the bonus face up card and discards a card in return.
The Play
If all defenders have conceded there is of course no play - the declarer just wins.
If one or more defenders is playing, the declarer leads to the first trick. It is necessary:
1. to follow suit if able;
2. when holding no card of the led suit, to play a trump if possible;
3. subject to the above rules, to play, if possible, a card beating those already in the trick.
If a non-trump suit is led and is trumped, subsequent players who hold cards of the suit led may play any such card. A player
who has no cards of the suit led and no trumps cannot win the trick and is free to play any card.
A trick is won by the highest trump card in it, or if no trump was played, by the highest card in the led suit. The winner of a
Scoring
When four tricks have been played, the players score according to the tricks that they took. This is the procedure:
Scoring begins at 21 for each player, and the aim is to reach zero. Normally, if the declarer made two or more tricks, he
subtracts one point from his score for each trick taken. If the declarer made one or no tricks, he adds four points (the penalty).
If the dealer became declarer by saying "Shtih" he deducts a point per trick taken if he wins at least one trick; if he takes none,
he adds four penalty points.
If a defender made one or more tricks, he subtracts one point for each trick. If a defender made no tricks, he adds two points
(the penalty).
A non participating player does not score.

Refa
If all players pass, scoring is doubled for the next hand. A "Refa" is indicted by drawing a horizontal line under the players'
scores. There may be multiple Refas, in which case they are played out one by one sequentially.
Muss
Once any player's score is under 10, the dealer may announce "Muss". He does this before turning face up the trump card. If
he says "Muss", the dealer receives the face up card, must make two tricks, and all other players must participate as defenders.
"Muss" is typically declared in an attempt to force a leading player to participate and hopefully not make any tricks, thereby
increasing his score.
Passing the Deck

Before a dealer deals, he has the option of just passing the deck to the next player instead of dealing. This creates an automatic
Refa, doubling the score for the next hand.
Misdeal
If a player misdeals, the deck passes to the next player, and a Refa is declared. If the misdeal is intentional, an additional
penalty of four points is assessed.
Variations
Some play that after the participating players are determined and have drawn new cards, a player holding the seven of the
trump suit may exchange it for the face up trump card. He may do this only if it is the sole card face up.
Game End
When a player reaches or passes zero, the game ends. Each of the other players pays him the number of units indicated by his
score. If two or more players pass zero on the same deal, the others pay the amount of their scores, and the winners share the
winnings equally.


Rules of Card Games: Rikken
Rikken
This page is based mostly on a contribution from Bart Kampers.
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The bidding
The play
Scoring
Variations
Other Rikken WWW pages and Software
Introduction
Rikken is a plain trick game with trumps and bidding. It has some similarities with Solo Whist. Rikken is
played in the southern Netherlands mainly in the province of Noord Brabant. The game is also played in
competitions.
Players and cards

There are four players, each ultimately playing for themselves, though they form temporary alliances -
one against three or two against two - for each hand.
A standard 52 card pack is used, the cards in each suit ranking from high to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
3 2.
The deal
The deal, bidding and play are clockwise. The cards are cut by the player to dealer's right. Cards must
never be shuffled. The dealer then deals out all the cards so that everyone has 13. The cards are usually
dealt in two packets of six and seven cards or three packets of four and five cards. The turn to deal passes
to the left after each hand.
http://www.pagat.com/boston/rik.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:56:41]

The bidding
Beginning with the player to dealer's left, each player may pass or bid a contract. The possible bids in
ascending order are as follows:
Contract Description Basic score Overtricks
The bidder undertakes to win at least 8
tricks, playing in partnership with another
Rik 1 1
player yet to be determined by calling an
ace. Trump suit is chosen by the bidder.
The same contract as Rik, but with hearts as
Rik beter 1 1
trumps.
8 alleen
tricks, playing alone. Trump suit is chosen 1 1
(Solo 8)
by the bidder.
The bidder undertakes to lose every trick,
Misre 5 -
playing alone with no trumps.
The bidder undertakes to win exactly one
Piek 5 -
trick, playing alone with no trumps.
9 alleen
tricks, playing alone. The trump suit is 1 1
(Solo 9)
chosen by the bidder.
10 alleen
tricks playing alone. The trump suit is 1 1
(Solo 10)
11 alleen
(Solo 11)
12 alleen
(Solo 12)
playing alone with no trumps. The bidder's
Open misre 15 -
hand is placed face up on the table after the
first trick is complete.
trick, playing alone with no trumps. The
Open piek 15 -
bidder's hand is placed face up on the table
after the first trick is complete.

The bidder has got three aces and undertakes

to win at least 8 tricks, playing in
Troela
partnership with the player who has got the 2 1
(triple ace)
fourth ace. The trump suit is chosen by the
player with the single ace.
playing alone with no trumps. All player's
Open misre met een praatje
cards are placed face up on the table after the 15 -
(with discussion)
first trick is complete. Opponents are
allowed to discuss which cards to play.
trick, playing alone with no trumps. All
Open piek met een praatje
player's cards are placed face up on the table 15 -
(with discussion)
after the first trick is complete. Opponents
are allowed to discuss which cards to play.
The bidder undertakes to win all 13 tricks
13 alleen
playing alone. The trump suit is chosen by 15 -
(Solo 13)
the bidder.
The bidder undertakes to win all 13 tricks,
playing alone. The trump suit is chosen by
Open 13 alleen
the bidder. The bidder's hand is placed face 20 -
(Open solo 13)
up on the table after the first trick is
complete.
If all four players pass, then the cards are thrown in and next dealer deals.
If someone bids, then subsequent players can either pass or bid higher. A player who has passed is not
allowed to bid again in the auction. The bidding continues around the table as many times as necessary
for all players who have not yet passed. The contract is settled when three players have passed. This
makes the player with the last and highest bid the declarer.
Misre and piek are equal bids. It is possible for two or more players undertake one of these bids in the
same deal. For instance two players bid piek or one bids misre and another bids piek. This is therefore
an exception to the rule that the bidding only finishes when three players have passed. If the most recent
bids by all the players who have not yet passed are equal, the bidding ends and all the equal contracts are
played simultaneously.
In the same way open misre and open piek are equal bids and open misre + praatje and open piek +
praatje are equal.
The trump suit, if any, is not included as part of the bid (except implicitly, when rik beter is bid) but is
announced by the declarer immediately before the first lead. Any of the four suits can be chosen as
trumps except that
in rik beter hearts must be trumps

in rik and rik beter the trump suit cannot be the same as the suit of the called ace
in troela the trump suit cannot be the same as the suit of the single ace.
Calling an ace
In a rik or rik beter contract the partnerships are determined by the declarer calling an ace, the holder of
which becomes declarer's partner. The ace is called before the first lead, at the same time that trumps are
announced - for example the declarer says "hearts are trumps and the ace of spades is my partner". The
player who hold of the called ace must not say anything to give away who they are - the partnerships will
become clear only during the play - for example when the called ace is played to a trick.
The called ace must if possible be in a suit of which the declarer holds at least one card. If the declarer
has no suit without the ace, then the declarer can call the ace of a void suit, but must announce that the
ace is being called "blind".
The called ace cannot be the ace of trumps.
If the bidder of rik or rik beter holds four aces, a king can be called. All rules referring to the called ace
also apply to the called king.
If you hold three aces you must bid troela or higher if no one has already bid higher before your first
turn to bid. Before the first lead the declarer announces the suit of the missing ace, and the holder of this
single ace announces the trump suit.
The play
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. Any card may be led to a trick. The other three
players must follow suit if possible. A player with no card of the led suit may play any card.
If any trumps are played to a trick, it is won by the highest trump played. If there are no trumps in a trick,
it is won by the highest card played in the suit that was led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The holder of the called ace must not be announced until the suit of the called ace is led. To this trick the
called ace must be played even if another player has already trumped it. The player who holds the called
ace is allowed to lead a different card of this suit. In this case, since the called ace will not appear on the
trick, it is clear that the player who led holds the called ace and is the declarer's partner. The same
restrictions apply to the play of the single ace in a troela contract.
If an ace was called "blind", the declarer can, when leading the trick, play a card face down. The other
players must then follow with the suit of the called ace if possible, and the called ace must be played to
the trick. When the trick is complete, the led card is placed face up. This trick is won by the called ace, or
by the highest trump if any are played. The declarer can lead in this way only once, and only if the single
ace has not yet been played.

Scoring
Players generally settle up in money after each hand.
In rik or rik beter if the bidder and partner make the 8 tricks or more, each receives 1 unit plus 1 unit for
each overtrick. Each of the opponents pays this same amount to one of the players of the winning team.
If the bidder and partner fail they each pay 1 unit plus 1 per undertrick. Each opponent then receives this
amount. For example: when bidder and partner make 8 tricks they each receive 1 unit. They receive 2
units when they make 9 tricks but each pay 2 units when they make only 7 tricks. In troela the payment
is one unit more, so 2 units for eight tricks, 3 for nine etc., and you pay 3 units when you only make
seven tricks.
In a solo contract, except for solo 13, the bidder receives 1 unit plus 1 per overtrick from each of the
opponents when making the number of tricks in the contract. The bidder pays 1 unit plus 1 per undertrick
to each of the opponents when failing. This means that there is no advantage in bidding solo 9, 10, 11 or
12 except to overcall another bidder. You win less or lose more than you would by playing solo 8 and
making the same number of tricks.
In all contracts with partners and solo contracts up to 12, you win an extra point if your team takes all 13
tricks. So winning all the tricks in a rik is worth 7 units (1 for the game plus 5 for overtricks plus an extra
one); in solo 12 it would be worth 3 units from each opponent.
In an misre or piek contract, the bidder receives 5 units from each opponent for making the contract
and pays 5 units to each opponent when failing. If more than one of these contracts are played, all the
payments are made. For example if one player plays misre and another plays piek, both succeeding,
they will each receive 10 units (15-5) and the other players will each pay 10 (5+5). If one succeeds and
the other fails the loser will pay the winner 20, and the other players neither pay nor receive anything.
The payments for the higher contracts are given in the bidding table above. In each case the declarer pays
or receives a fixed amount to or from each of the three opponents. In the case of simultaneous contracts,
both are paid for.
Variations
Rules above are the most common basis of the game but there are lots of variations and additional rules.
Rules can differ in the order of the contracts and amounts scored for them. In fact each family or club has
its own house rules.
Here are some variations that are frequently played.
Some play that the "better" trump suit for the rik beter contract is determined by cutting a card before
each deal, rather than having hearts as the better suit all the time. Many play that all the solo bids can
also be played in the "better" trump suit, so "solo 8 beter" is a bid ranking just above "solo 8" but
scoring the same. Some, on the other hand, do not allow any of the "beter" bids.
Many players do not allow any of the piek bids.

Some play that the partner of a rik bidder does not have to pay if the contract fails. The declarer pays
double instead. However, the partner does get paid when the contract succeeds. Some play that if the
contract fails, the partner has to pay if he or she wins fewer than two tricks, but if the partner wins two or
more tricks and the contract fails the declarer pays both opponents.
Some play that solo bids cannot be the first bid in a hand. This means that rik, one the misre variants,
one of the piek variants or triple ace must have been bid before anyone is allowed to bid a solo contract.
Some play that if everyone passes a special game is played. Some possibilities are listed below. They are
all played without trumps.
Schuppen mie (queen of spades)
The object is to avoid taking the queen of spades in a trick and to avoid winning the last trick. The
two losers each pay 10 units and the other players each receive 10. If one player takes the queen of
spades and loses the last trick, that player pays for 30 and the others receive 10 each.
Mie-en (queens)
The object is to avoid winning tricks containing queens, or to try to win all four queens in tricks.
The losers have to pay 5 units for each queen taken and the 20 units are given to the player or
divided between the two players who took no queens.
1-5-11
try to win exactly 1, exactly 5 or exactly 11 tricks. Anyone who wins 1, 5 or 11 tricks wins; the
other players lose. If there are two losers each pays 10 units to one of the winners. If there are three
losers (or winners) they each pay 10 to (or receive 10 from) the fourth player. If everyone loses
there are no payements. Another version of this game is 1-3-5, with similar rules.
Some play that if the first three players pass, the dealer is not allowed to pass, but must bid.
Some play with an additional bid of solo 7, which is a bid higher than rik beter and lower than solo 8.
There are several variations regarding the troela (triple ace) bid:
Some play that a player who has three aces is not forced to bid troela .
Some players do not allow the troela bid at all.
Some play that when troela is bid, the suit of the single ace is allowed to be chosen for trump.
Some play that the bidder chooses trumps in troela.
Some play that the partner of the bidder does not announce trumps until the single ace is played.
Up to this point there are no trumps and the partnerships are not known.
There are numerous alternative bidding and scoring schedules. Many of these have different positions for
piek, misre and troela in the ranking of bids. It is also common for the scores to increase for higher
solos. In some schedules a solo is worth more if you bid it over a previous call of misre or piek.
Rikken for five players: The dealer cuts and deals but gets no cards and sits out for one hand, taking no
part in the play or payments.
Rikken for three players: Cards are dealt as if there are four players. The fourth player, who is not
present, is "the blind man". The three players bid as normal and after the contract is settled, the cards of
the blind man are placed face up on the table. The playing continues as normal but the partner(s) of the

blind man have to choose which card the blind man plays to each trick.
Other Rikken WWW pages and Software

Here is a link to the computer program Rikken on the Rockx, which allows Rikken to be played over the
Internet.
You can play Rikken on line at the Games Square site.


Rules of Card Games: Romanian Whist
Romanian Whist
This game is similar to the English or American game Oh Hell! It is currently popular in Romania, and
there it is called Whist. This description was first contributed by Werner Hintze, and Dan Vasilesu and
Paul Cretu supplied additions and corrections.
The Players
This is a game for 3 to 8 players (best for 4 - 6). Each player plays alone.
The Cards
From a standard pack use 8 cards for every player (24 for 3 players, 32 for 4 players and so on). The
cards rank as usual: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, [8, 7...] They have no value, because it is a game for tricks only.
The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random. Then the turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
The number of cards dealt to each player varies during the game. For the first few deals each player gets
only one card. This continues for as many deals as there are players.
After this the number of cards dealt to each player increases by one with every deal until eventually all
the cards are dealt, that is 8 cards each. Then as many deals are played with 8 cards each as there are
players.
Then the number of cards dealt decreases again until every player gets only one card. Once more there
are as many deals with one card each as there are players.
Example: With 4 players the whole game would consist of 24 deals, and the number of cards dealt each
time would be as follows: 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1.
After the cards are dealt, the next card is put face up; the suit of this card is trump. In the games with 8
cards there is no card left to turn, and these games are played without trumps.
Bidding
Every player in order, beginning with the player to dealer's left, says how many tricks he thinks he will
get. The sum of all tricks bid must not be the same as the number of cards dealt to each player. (Example:
game with four cards, three players: The first player says "2", the next "1". The third player musn't say
"1", because that would make the sum of the tricks 4. He MUST say 0, 2, 3 or 4).
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The rule that the bids must not add up to the number of cards dealt ensures that not everyone will succeed
in their bid, but puts the dealer at a disadvantage, especially when only one card is dealt. It is for this
reason that everyone must take a turn at dealing one-card hands at the beginning and end of the sequence
of hands.
The Play
The player to dealer's left plays the first card. The other players must play a card of the same suit if
possible. If they have no card of the suit led, they can play a trump or discard any other card. The trick is
won by whoever played the highest trump, or if no trump was played, by whoever played the highest
card of the suit led. The winner of the trick leads to the next.
The objective is to win exactly the number of tricks you said you would win.
Scoring
The hand ends when all cards are played.
The players who made their contract (exactly) get 5 points plus the number of tricks they made.
If you take fewer tricks than you bid you lose one point for each undertrick.
If you take more tricks than you bid you lose one point for each overtrick.
Examples: Suppose you bid 3 tricks. If you take exactly 3 you will win 8 points (5+3). If you take only
two tricks you lose 1 point; the same if you take 4 tricks. If you take 1 or 5 tricks (two different from
your bid) you will lose 2 points; if you take no tricks or 6 tricks you will lose 3.
The table for recording the points looks like this:
Peter John Peggy
1 1 6 0 5 1 -1
1 0 11 0 10 0 -2
1 1 10 1 16 0 3
2 0 15 2 14 2 10
and so on. On the extreme left is written the number of cards dealt. In the left column for each player is
written the number of tricks he wants to get. The next column shows his cumulative score after the hand.
(In the example table, in the first deal Peter wanted to get 1 trick and made it, John wanted to get 0 tricks
and succeeded, Peggy was forced to say "1" and didn't make it. And so on.)

Some Variations
1. A pretty variation that may be used if desired: In the last games with one card the players don't
look at their own card, but they hold it on their forehead. So each player can see the cards of the
other players, but he doesn't know which card he holds himself. So he must guess how many tricks
he can made from the sayings of the other players.
2. If a player wins 10 consecutive games (this means, if the player never fails to fulfill his contract),
he may add 30 points to his total.
3. If a player with the last game has exactly 0 points, he wins the game. (This variation commonly
played, but is not recommended, because it tends to destroy the game at the end - players may try
to lose as many games as possible, to try to reach zero.)
4. Dan Vasilescu reports a variation where the 8-card hands are dealt first, then reducing to one card
and increasing again to 8 cards. The number of 8 card hands at the beginning and end and one-card
hands in the middle is equal to the number of players, so with four players you would have
8-8-8-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-8-8-8.
Last updated 2nd July 2000

Rules of card games: Rook
Rook
Introduction
Kentucky Rook
Call Partner Rook
Rook with standard cards
Other games with Rook cards
Other Rook web sites
Introduction
Rook is the name of a group of games and of the special deck of cards for the game which was
introduced by Parker Brothers in 1906. The games are popular in Eastern Kentucky, in the Mennonite
communities of Southern Ontario (near Elmira / Waterloo), Manitoba, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and
probably also in other parts of North America.
The Rook deck contains 57 cards. There are four suits coloured black, red,
green and yellow. In each suit the cards are numbered from 1 to 14. The
57th card is the rook card, which carries a picture of the bird. Rook cards
are made by Parker Brothers / Hasbro and by Winning moves and Rook or
Deluxe Rook cards can be ordered from amazon.com.
It is likely that Rook cards were introduced for the benefit of members of
fundamentalist protestant religions, such as the Mennonites, who considered (and in some cases still
consider) playing cards to be the "devil's tool". They were forbidden to play cards; but Parker Brothers
filled the void with a game that was played like cards but did not use the standard playing card deck.
There are people who refuse to play any cards with a standard deck but who will happily play Rook all
night every weekend. There is a close parallel here with Kvitlech cards, which were playing cards
bearing numbers, made for use by Central European Jews who were also forbidden by their religion to
use standard cards.
The deck normally comes with a booklet describing a number games which can be played with the cards.
The main group of games are point trick games with trumps and bidding. The cards in each suit rank
from 14 (high) to 1 (low) and the counting cards are generally the 14 and 10 of each suit (worth 10 points
each) and the 5 (worth 5 points). The Rook card, when used, is worth 20, and is generally an extra trump.
In some games the 1 is promoted to rank above the 14 and is worth 15 points.
On this web page, I describe two Rook games, Kentucky Rook and Call Partner Rook, neither of which
is exactly like any of the games described in the book provided with the cards (at least not in any edition
I have seen). If players of these or other variations of Rook would like to let me know the details of the
http://www.pagat.com/kt5/rook.html (1 de 5) [04/05/2001 9:56:45]

versions they play, I would be happy to add this further information to the page.
Kentucky Rook
This description is based on a contribution from John Hay, who says that this form of Rook is extremely
popular in Eastern Kentucky, almost to the exclusion of other card games.
This game is for four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. All the twos, threes and
fours are removed from the deck, leaving 45 cards including the Rook card. Ones are high in each color,
so that the card ranking is 1-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5. The Rook card counts as the highest card of
whatever color is trumps, ranking above the one. The card values are:
Each 1 . . . . . . . . 15 points
Each 14 . . . . . . . . 10 points
Each 10 . . . . . . . . 10 points
Each 5 . . . . . . . . 5 points
The Rook . . . . . . . . 20 points
so that a total of 180 points are available in each deal.
Ten cards are dealt to each person, one at a time, and five cards are placed in the middle of the table to
form the nest - the dealer adds one card to the nest after each of the first five rounds of the deal.
The players then bid to decide who will have a chance to choose trumps. Each bid is a number; the
minimum bid is 100, and higher bids must be multiples of 5. The player to the left of the dealer has the
first chance to bid and the turn to speak passes clockwise around the table. At your turn, you can either
bid or pass. Each bid must be higher than the last, and a player who has passed cannot bid again in that
hand. The bidding continues as many times around the table as necessary until three players have passed.
The fourth player is the high bidder, and the high bidder's team tries to take at least the number of points
mentioned in the final bid. If on the first round of bidding the first three players pass, then the dealer is
forced bid 100.
The bidder must then pick up the nest cards, without showing them to the other players, to make a hand
of 15 cards, and then discard five of these cards face-down to form a new nest. The bidder is not allowed
to put point cards into the nest. Picking up the nest can sometimes make the your hand worse: you may
acquire several weak point cards which you have to retain, discarding in their place cards that you would
have liked to keep. Having discarded, the bidder chooses trumps by naming a color.
The player to the left of the high bidder leads any card to the first trick. The other players in turn must
play a card of the same color if they can. If they have no card of the led color, they may play any card.
The Rook card counts as a card of the trump color. When everyone has played a card, the trick is won by
the player of the highest trump, or, if no trump was played, by the highest card of the color that was led.
At the end of the play, each team counts the total value of the cards they have won in tricks. If the tricks
won by bidder's team contain at least as many points as the bid, that team score the amount of card points
they took. If the bidder's team take fewer card points than the bid, they score nothing for the cards they
won; instead they subtract the amount of the bid from their previous score. The non-bidding team always

score the total number of points taken by their team, whether the bid was successful or not.
The game ends when a team reaches 500 points or more. The team which then has the higher score is the
winner.
Variations of Kentucky Rook

Some people play with the Rook as the lowest card of the trump color rather than the highest.
Some people allow the bidder to discard point cards. In that case any points in the nest belong to the team
that wins the last trick.
The book supplied with decks of Rook cards gives "Official Rook Tournament Rules" for a game called
Kentucky Discard, which differs from the above game as follows:
The ones are omitted from the deck, leaving 41 cards. Thus the highest card in each suit (except
trumps) is the 14, and the total value of the cards in the deck is only 120 points.
Nine cards are dealt to each player, and five to the nest.
The dealer bids first, and the minimum bid is 70.
Count cards may be discarded, and score for the winners of the last trick.
The Rook card is the highest trump. It can be played to any trick, regardless of whether you could
have followed suit to the led color. It must be played is a trump is led and you have no other
trumps. If the Rook card is led, the other players must play trumps if they can.
When a team reaches 300 points, the team with the higher total wins.
Call Partner
This description is based on a message from Brent Nelson.
Call Partner is a Rook game for four players. All 57 cards are used, and the 1 is high in each color, so
that the ranking order is 1-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. In the trump color the Rook card ranks
between the 11 and the 10. The card values are:
Each 1 . . . . . . . . 15 points
Each 14 . . . . . . . . 10 points
Each 10 . . . . . . . . 10 points
Each 5 . . . . . . . . 5 points
The Rook . . . . . . . . 20 points
Last trick . . . . . . . . 20 points
So the total value of the cards in the deck is 180 points, which, together with the 20 points for winning
the last trick, makes a total of 200 points at stake on each hand.
The dealer deals out the cards one at a time to the players, so that each player has 13. The first card is
dealt to the player to the dealer's left; after each of the first five rounds of the deal, a card is placed face
down in the center of the table. These five cards form the nest.

The players then bid to decide who will have a chance to choose trumps. Each bid is a positive number,
which must be a multiple of 5. The dealer has the first chance to bid and the turn to speak passes
clockwise around the table. At your turn, you can either bid or pass. Each bid must be higher than the
last, and a player who has passed cannot bid again in that hand. The bidding continues as many times
around the table as necessary until three players have passed. The fourth player is the high bidder, and
the high bidder's team tries to take at least the number of points mentioned in the final bid.
The bidder then picks up the nest cards, without showing them to the other players, to make a hand of 18
cards, and then discards any five of these cards face-down to form a new nest. Having discarded, the
bidder chooses trumps by naming a color, and also calls for a partner by naming a card. Whoever has the
called card becomes the partner of the bidder. Those two players play together as a team for that hand
only, and the other two players form a team playing against them. [The holder of the called card should
not reveal who they are - their identity will become apparent when the called card is eventually played to
a trick. If the bidder holds the called card, the bidder plays alone and the other three players form a
team.]
The player to the left of the high bidder leads any card to the first trick. The other players in turn must
play a card of the same color if they can. If they have no card of the led color, they may play any card.
The Rook card counts as a card of the trump color. When everyone has played a card, the trick is won by
the player of the highest trump, or, if no trump was played, by the highest card of the color that was led.
The winner of a trick leads to the next. The winner of the last trick takes the cards which the bidder
discarded into the nest.
At the end of the play, each team counts the total value of the cards they have won in tricks. Since the
scores are accumulated from deal to deal but the partnerships can change for each deal, it is necessary to
keep a separate score for each player. If the bidder's team took at least as many points as the bid, then
each member of the bidding team scores the total amount of card points won by the team. If the bidder's
team take fewer card points than the bid, they do not score anything for the cards they won; instead they
subtract the amount of the bid from their previous score. The members of the non-bidding team always
score the total number of points taken by their team, whether the bid was successful or not.
The game ends when a player or players reach 500 points or more. The player who then has the highest
score is the winner.
Rook with standard cards

Some Rook games have been adapted for play with a standard deck of 52 cards plus joker. Peter Dutton's
Rook page describes one such version which is played in Princeton. As in both games described above,
the 1 ranks above the 14 and is worth 15 points. In this game the rook is the lowest trump.
Other games with Rook cards

The reverse has also happened, in that many games originally played with the standard deck have been
adapted for Rook cards. For example, Golden Ten is a simple version of Hearts played with a Rook deck,
and Toonerville Rook is a version of Contract Rummy played with several Rook decks.

Other Rook web sites

Peter Dutton's Rook page has a useful collection of information about Rook, including where to obtain
cards and Rook software.


Rules of Card Games: Ruff and Honours
Ruff and Honours

Ruff and Honours was an ancestor of Whist, played in England in the 17th century. A reconstruction
can be found on the English Ruff and Honours page of the Medieval and Renaissance Games site.
The same site also contains a reconstruction of the closely related game Ruff and Trump

http://www.pagat.com/whist/ruff.html [04/05/2001 9:56:46]

Rules of Card Games: Rufmariasch
Rufmariasch
A game related to the Czech and Slovak Mari and the Hungarian Ulti, played by the Donauschwaben -
the German settlers on the banks of the Danube - in 18th and 19th century Hungary.
A description can be found on Rick Heli's Card Games of the Donauschwaben page.

http://www.pagat.com/marriage/rufmariasch.html [04/05/2001 9:56:48]

Rules of Card Games: Samba
Samba
This page is based on a contribution from Harrie Wiering, who describes the Dutch version of this game.
Samba is Canasta variation. In some places it is known as Samba-Canasta; one Dutch book also calls it
Straat-Canasta (Sequence-Canasta). It is reccomended that you understand the basics of Canasta before
you play this variation.
Players
Cards
Deal
Melds
Groups and Canastas
Sequences and Sambas
Red Threes
Black Threes
Play
Going Out
Scoring
Strategy Hints
Players
Samba is a three pack card game that can be played with 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 players! When you're
playing with two, three or five players, everyone plays his or her own game; when you're playing with 4
or 6 players, you play with a partner. When there are four players you and your partners are placed
opposite at the table. In the event of 6 players, all partners are always separated by two other players.
Cards
Samba is played with 162 cards, three decks of 52 cards and 6 jokers. The values of the individual cards
are as follows:
Ace 20 points
King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8 10 points
7, 6, 5, 4 5 points
black 3 5 points
red 3 see below
2 (wild) 20 points
joker (wild) 50 points
http://www.pagat.com/rummy/samba.html (1 de 6) [04/05/2001 9:56:52]

The twos and jokers are wild cards. The 4s to aces inclusive are natural cards. The threes have special
uses, described later.
Deal
When there are 2, 3, 4, or 5 players, 15 cards are dealt to each player. When there are 6 players, everyone
receives 13 cards.
The next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining cards are stacked
face down beside it, to form the stock.
Melds
The objective of the game is to score points for melds, which are sets of cards which you display face up
on the table. In partnership versions of the game, melds belong to a partnership, not an individual. If you
begin a meld, you partner can later add cards to it, and vice versa. The value of a meld is the sum of the
values of the individual cards in it.
There are two types of meld: groups and sequences. A group of seven or more cards is a canasta, and a
sequence of seven cards is caled a samba. To end the game by going out, your team must have melded at
least two sambas or two canastas or one of each.
Groups and Canastas

A group is a set of three or more natural cards of the same rank, for example three kings, or five eights.
Wild cards can be used to substitute for some of the cards of a group, with the following restrictions:
1. there must be at least twice as many natural cards as wild cards;
2. there must not be more than two wild cards in a group.
A group of seven or more cards is called a canasta. If all the cards in it are natural, it is a pure canasta,
indicated by stacking the cards together with a red card on top. If it contains one or more wild cards, it is
a mixed canasta, indicated by stacking the cards with a black card on top.
Further cards, beyond seven, can be added to a canasta, but if you add wild cards to a pure canasta, this
degrades it to a mixed canasta.
It is also possible to meld a group, or even a canasta of black threes, but black threes can only be melded
on the turn in which the player who melds them goes out.
In Samba, it is legal to have more than one group of the same rank of cards and keep them separate. So if
I have melded two aces and a joker, I can later start a separate meld consisting entirely of real aces,
hoping to make a pure canasta.

Sequences and Sambas

The novelty in this game, compared to Canasta, is the fact that you can build sequences. A sequence is a
set of at least three natural cards of the same suit which are consecutive in rank. Sequences can be
extended to a maximum of seven cards; a complete sequence of seven cards is called a samba. No
further cards can be added to a samba.
Wild cards and threes cannot be used in a samba. Therefore only five different sambas are possible in a
suit, consisting of the ranks: 4-10; 5-jack; 6-queen; 7-king; 8-ace.
Red Threes
You may meld a red three as a single card, to be eligible for a bonus, but you don't have to. Every
melded red three is worth 100 bonus points, but only when you have the required two sambas or canastas
necessary to end the game. When you are lucky enough to have melded all 6 red threes (or you and your
partner together in a 4 or 6 game) you receive a bonus of 1000 points instead of 600 points.
If you do not have the necessary sambas or canastas to end the game, for every melded red three you
receive 100 penalty points.
If the round is finished and you have one or more red threes in your hand, you will be penalized with 750
points, regardless of the number of red threes that you hold.
You may also use the red threes to block the discard pile, in the same manner as you would do with the
black threes or the wild cards.
Black Threes
These can be melded in groups (following the normal rules for groups), but only on the turn on which
you go out. They also block the discard pile for the opponents when discarded.
Play
The play begins with the player to dealer's left and continues clockwise. A turn normally consists of:
1. drawing two cards from the stock;
2. melding some cards from your hand if you wish to;
3. discarding one card.
If your team has not yet melded, then the first time that you meld, the value of the cards that you meld
must be at least the minimum value shown in the following table. The minimum depends on your team's
score to date:
Score Minumum Initial Meld

0 to 1495 points 50 points

7000 points or more 150 points

negative score 15 points
Scores for red threes do not count towards meeting the minimum meld.
Instead of drawing two cards from the stock, you may draw from the discard pile in two situations:
if you have in your hand two natural cards which match the top card of the discard pile in rank,
you may take the pile, provided that you first meld the top card together with the two cards from
your hand. If you have not yet melded, you can only take the pile if you meet the initial meld
requirements using the top card of the discard pile cards from your hand. The procedure is:
1. take the top card from the discard pile;
2. meld this card together with the two matching cards from your hand;
3. if this is your first meld, meld further cards from your hand so as to meet the minimum
requirement;
4. take whole of the rest of the discard pile;
5. make any further melds you wish;
6. discard one card.
if you already have on table a sequence meld of less than seven cards, and the top card of the
discard pile fits on one end of the sequence, you may take this one card only from the discard pile
and add it to your sequence, instead of drawing two cards.
It follows from the above, that it is impossible to take the pile or its top card when the top card is a three
(red or black), a two or a joker. Discarding one of these cards therefore in effect blocks the nest player
from taking the pile.
Canasta players should note that in this game there is no concept of freezing the discard pile. In fact, the
pile is effectively frozen all the time. You may never take the pile to add the top card to an existing
group, unless you can produce two more natural cards of that rank from your hand.
Also note that you cannot take the pile or its top card to make a new sequence meld. The top card can
only be taken if it fits onto the end of a sequence that is already on the table. For example:
if I have 6- 7- 8- 9 melded and 10 is discarded by the player before me, I can take the
discard;
if I have 6- 7- 8- 9 in my hand and 10 is discarded by the player before me, I cannot
take the discard;
if I have 6- 7- 8 melded and 9 in my hand 10 is discarded by the player before me, I
cannot take the discard.
Two sequences of three cards already on the table cannot be merged into a samba when you meld the
connecting card. However, you are allowed to merge two group melds of the same rank on your turn if
you wish.

Going Out
When a player goes out, by playing so as to have no cards left in their hand, the play ends and the hand is
scored. You may go out either by melding all your cards or by melding all but one and discarding the last
one. However, you are only allowed to go out if your team has melded two sambas, or two canastas (pure
or mixed ones), or one samba and one canasta.
If you do not yet have the required sambas or canastas, you must play in such a way as to retain at least
one card in your hand. This means that you are not allowed to meld all the cards in your hand. If you
meld all your cards except one, then instead of discarding it you must end your turn by saying pass, and
keep the card. This is the only case in which you are allowed to pass instead of discarding.
If you are able to go out, you may if you wish first ask your partner for permission to end the game, by
saying "partner, may I go out?". Partner says "yes" or "no" and you must abide by the answer.
Alternatively, you are allowed to go out without consulting your partner.
If no one goes out, eventually the stock will run out of cards. Play then continues until the next time
someone wants to draw cards from the stock (this will generally be at the beginning of the next player's
turn, unless that player prefers to take the discrard pile). As soon as a player wishes to draw from the
stock but no cards are available, the play ends and the hand is scored, with no one getting the bonus for
going out.
Scoring
When a player goes out, each team scores plus the total value of the individual cards it has melded,
minus the value of the cards left in their hands, plus any of the following bonuses that apply:
any special bonuses or penalties for red threes;
each samba is worth 1500 bonus points;

each pure canasta (without wild cards) is worth 500 bonus points;
each mixed canasta (with a maximum of two wild cards ) is worth 300 bonus points;
the side that goes out scores 200 bonus points.
The object of the game is to reach a score of 10,000 points. The first team that reaches or exceeds this
score at the end of a hand wins the game. If more than one team reaches this score at the same time, the
team with the shighest score wins.
Strategy hints
It is wise to keep in mind that every samba always contains an 8, 9 or 10. If you're trying to reach a
samba of spades for example, and a player has a canasta with 2 eights, nines or tens of spades, the chance
that you will succeed in forming a samba is small. Perhaps you would do better to rearrange your hand to
form true canastas.
When you have a sequence consisting of 8, 9, and 10, it is wise to meld them. Your partner may have the

missing cards.
Remember, red threes are only bonus points when you have the two required sets to go out.
In samba wild cards are not so important as in canasta. Since they also block the discard pile, you may
use them to stop the opponents obtaining the discard pile, especially if the discard pile contains cards you
need to form your own samba(s).
At the start of your turn you take 2 cards of the stock. You discard only 1 card! Thus the number of cards
in you hand thus grows steadily. Some players make separate piles of their black threes, twos and jokers
to avoid cramp.

Last updated 23rd July 1996

Rules of Card Games: Schafkopf
Schafkopf
Schafkopf is a point-trick game, normally played with a German suited 32 card pack. As in several
related games, the card values are ace=11, ten=10, king=4, over=3, under=2, but Schafkopf has the
special feature that the overs and unders are permanent trumps, ranking above the ace. Schafkopf is
considered to be the national card game of Bavaria. It is also played, probably in several different
versions, in the south-east of Germany.
Rules of the game will eventually be described here. Meanwhile here is a link to Chris Bussler's
Schafkopf page, which has rules in English and German, and also includes links to a DOS and a
Windows Schafkopf program.
You can download Michael Fischer's Schafkopf computer program for Windows from his Cutesoft Page.
In the nineteenth century Schafkopf was taken to the USA by German emigrants, where it became
Sheepshead, several versions of which are still popular in Wisconsin and other states with a significant
population of German descent.

http://www.pagat.com/schafk/schafkopf.html [04/05/2001 9:56:53]

Rules of Card Games: Schieber Jass
Schieber Jass
This page was contributed by Nick Wedd, and edited by John McLeod.
Contents
Introduction
The Slate
The Bidding
The Rules of Play
The Weis and Stck
The Scoring
Winning the Game
Variations
Schieber Jass Software
Introduction
Schieber Jass is a partnership game for four players, played with a Jass pack. The players sit opposite to
their partners. Please refer to the Swiss Jass page for general rules of Jass.
The pack has 36 cards. There are four suits: acorns, shields, flowers, and bells. In each suit, there are nine
cards: ace, king, ober, under, banner, 9, 8, 7, 6. If you cannot obtain such a pack, you can play it with a
bridge or poker pack, using queens for obers, jacks for unders, 10s for banners, and discarding cards
smaller than 6s.
The rank of the cards (followed by their point values in brackets) within each suit is: Ace(11), King(4),
Ober(3), Under(2), Banner(10), 9(0), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0). However, when there is a trump suit, the rank
within the it is: Under(20), 9(14), ace(11), King(4), Ober(3), Banner(10), 8(0), 7(0), 6(0). These points
count to the team winning the trick containing the card. There is also a bonus of 5 points to the team
which wins the last trick. Thus there is a total of 157 points in the pack.
The deal, and the play, are anticlockwise. The dealer deals all the cards out, in threes, starting with the
player on her right. Any player can deal the first hand, and the player who holds the seven of flowers is
forehand and begins the bidding, leads to the first trick, and deals the second hand. On the second and
subsequent hands the player to dealer's right is forehand, and the deal rotates to the right after each hand.
A session continues until one side has scored at least 3000 points: typically this will take about twelve
hands.
http://www.pagat.com/jass/schieber.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:56:55]

The Slate
To score, a slate marked as shown is traditionally
used. In Switzerland, where Schieber Jass is usually
played, it is possible to buy slates painted like this. If
you cannot obtain such a slate, you can draw your
own Zs, either on a slate or on a piece of paper, or
manage without the Zs altogether.
Each partnership appoints a scorer. The slate is placed
between the two scorers, and each uses the Z nearer to
herself to record her team's score.
Hundreds are marked on the top line of the Z. They
are grouped into fives. Fifties are marked on the
sloping line of the Z, and grouped in pairs. Twenties
are marked on the lower line of the Z, and grouped in
fives. Smaller numbers are simply written on the slate.
The details of how to record a score are left to the
individual scorer's discretion. For example, a score of
257 might be recorded by marking two 100s on the
top line and a 50 on the middle line, and writing down
"7"; or by marking two 100s on the top line, three 20s
on the lower line, and erasing a "3" previously written;
or by marking two 100s on the top line, three 20s on
the lower line, and writing down "-3".
This shows a slate in use. The team which is scoring

on the near end has 19 100s, 5 50s, 18 20s, and 8 in
odd digits, for a total of 2518. The other team has 8
100s, 6 50s, 12 20s, and an odd 7, for a total of 1347.
Note that as the slate is between the two scorers, they
are writing opposite ways up.
The same method of scoring can be used on a blank
slate, without Zs. The 100s, 50s and 20s are marked
in three rows, in roughly the same relative positions
as if the Zs were there.

If you don't want to bother with all this, you can instead score by adding up the numbers on a piece of
paper. In doing so, you will lose nothing but authenticity.
Bidding
After the deal, forehand (normally the player on dealer's right, but in the first deal the holder of the seven
of flowers) chooses a contract, or "shoves" - the word schieben means to shove. If she shoves, her partner
must then choose a contract. Possible contracts are:
Acorns scores single
Flowers scores single
Shields scores double
Bells scores double
Obenabe scores treble
Undenufe scores quadruple
Acorns, Shields, Bells, Flowers: play with the specified suit as trumps. If your cards have Hearts,
Diamonds, Clubs and Spades instead of the Swiss suits then the black suits score single and the red
suits score double.
Obenabe: Play with no trumps. So that the pack will add up to the usual 157 points, the 8s also
count eight points each.
Undenufe: Play with no trumps, and the suits inverted. The suit order is thus 6 (highest), 7, 8, 9,
Banner, Under, Ober, King, Ace (lowest). As in Obenabe, the 8s count eight points each.
Undenufe is pronounced with the d and the f silent.
The single, double, treble, and quadruple apply to all scores made on the hand: tricks, Weis, and Stck.
Rules of Play
The play is in tricks. Forehand leads to the first trick (on the first hand this is the holder of the seven of
flowers; on subsequent hands it is the player to dealer's right). The winner of each trick leads to the next.
If there is no trump suit, the other players are obliged to follow suit when they can do so; those who
cannot follow suit may play any card. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
If there is a trump suit, a player who is able to follow suit must either do so or play a trump; a player who

cannot follow suit may play any card subject to the restrictions on undertrumping explained below. A
trick is won by the highest trump in it; or if there were no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led.
If a non-trump is led, and someone has already played a trump on it, subsequent players are not allowed
to undertrump unless they have nothing but trumps in their hand. If you hold cards other than trumps and
can follow suit, you must either follow suit or play a trump which is larger than the highest trump played
to the trick so far; if you hold cards other than trumps but cannot follow suit, you may play any card
except a trump which does not beat the highest so far played to the trick.
A player is never compelled to play the Under of trumps (known as the Puur). If trumps are led, and a
player holds no trump other than the Puur, she need not play it but may play any other card.
Weis and Stck

As the first trick is being played, players announce their Weis. For an explanation of Weis, see the
General Rules of Jass. The partnership with the best single instance of Weis scores points for all their
Weis; the other partnership do not score for any Weis they may hold. Weis are scored on the slate
immediately, remembering to multiply by the factor for the contract. E.G. the contract is obenabe, a
player announces four obers, and her partner announces a sequence of three. Obenabe is worth treble, so
3 times (100 plus 20) is 360. This might be scored as three strokes on the top line of the slate and three
on the lower line.
A player who holds both the king and ober of trumps may announce "stck" as she plays the second of
them, for 20 points. This 20 is multiplied by the factor for the contract, and scored on the slate when it is
announced.
Scoring
At the end of each hand, each side adds up the trick points they have taken, remembering to include 5
points for the last trick. The two totals should add up to 157. If either side took all nine tricks, they add a
bonus of 100 for "match" to their score of 157, making 257. Each side then multiplies its total card points
for tricks by the factor for the hand, and scores it on the slate.
Winning the Game

The first team to achieve a total of 3000 points wins the game. This may happen in the middle of a hand.
If the losing partnership have not by then reached 1500 points, they are said to be Schneider, and the
winners win two games.
Because of the scoring method, and because players may count the values of tricks already made in the
course of a hand (without being able to turn them over and look at them), it may not be obvious when
this total has been achieved. So any player may at any time claim to have won the game. When such a
claim is made, play ceases, a player who held the king and ober of trumps at the start of the hand may
announce stck and score it, and the tricks made by the claiming partnership are counted and scored.
Then the total recorded on the slate for that partnership is added up. If it is then at least 3000, the

claiming partnership has won. Otherwise they have lost.

If one partnership claims to have won in the first trick of a hand, the other partnership may itself claim to
have won. The question is then, who won first? In cases in which both partnerships claim, the question is
resolved by using the rule Stck-Weis-Stich. First of all, Stck is scored (the hand has ended, so it may
be announced by anyone who held it). If this takes the partnership scoring it to 3000 or over, then they
win. Then Weis is scored. Again, if this takes the partnership scoring it to 3000 or over, then they win.
Finally, Stich is scored, by adding up the points in the trick that has been played, and seeing if the
partnership winning it has achieved 3000.
Variations
The Stck-Weis-Stich rule is variable. Sometimes the house rule is Stck-Stich-Weis, or another
permutation. In some Swiss cafs, you will see a notice saying "Stck-Weis-Stich" or whatever: this is
the local house rule, hung up by the management to avoid disputes among customers.
Some do not allow Obenabe and Undenufe.
The object of the game is to be the first to achieve 3000 points. Some players regard being the first to
achieve 1500 points as a subsidiary object. This is known as the Bergpreis: the partnership that first gets
to 1500 is first to the summit of the mountain (Berg, in german), while the primary object is to get down
the other side of the mountain again. This is thought to have something to do with bicycle races.
Schieber Jass can be played by six players, in two partnerships of three, sitting alternately. Forehand can
shove to the partner sitting two places to her right, who can shove to the third partner. Using a normal
Jass pack everyone gets 6 cards, but it is also possible to play with a double pack from which the cards
below 9 are removed, so that there are 48 cards and evryone gets 8. When playing with a double pack the
second played of two equal cards beats the first.
Most people nowadays play that in Undenufe, the Aces are worth 0 points and the 6s are worth 11 points.
In our opinion this is a pity, as it makes the play less interesting. Some people (usually the same ones)
allow four 6s as a Weis when playing undenufe. This then replaces four aces.
Some allow four 9s as a Weis, worth 150. Most do not.
Some players now allow a Weis of four of any rank, scoring 100 (except for four unders which are worth
200, and four nines which may by agreement score 150).
Some people now play the "large weis", in which sequences of more than five cards score extra (20 or 50
more per card), and a card can be used simultaneously as part of a four of a kind and a sequence.
Some people allow zurckschieben (shoving back), whereby after forehand has shoved, her partner can
shove back, forcing forehand to choose the contract after all.
There are many variations on the multiples applied to the various suits, obenabe and undenuffe. Some
people play all contracts scoring single, in which case the total needed for game is reduced to 1000, and
the target for the Bergpreis, and the amount the losers need to score to avoid Schneider, is 500.
Coiffeur Schieber is a modern variation in which each contract must be played by each team (or player)

once during the session - see the Coiffeur Schieber page. The additional contracts Slalom, Gusti and
TUO found in Coiffeur Schieber can also be introduced into normal Schieber.

Forehand should not make a "vegetable" suit (acorns or flowers) trumps unless there is a hope of being
able to make match. By choosing to play in a low-valued contract, she might be preventing her partner
from nominating a very profitable contract.
If your partner shoves to you, and your hand is no use for anything, choose a low-valued contract so that
you will not lose too badly.
If you shove, and your partner calls a trump suit, lead a trump.
If you have five cards in the same suit, or four cards including the Under in the same suit, it may be good
to play a contract with that suit as trumps.
If you have a chance of making match, play in a way which might let you do so, even if it is more likely
to result in the unnecessary loss of one trick.
Try never to choose a contract in which you cannot guarantee a single trick: your opponents might make
match against you.
In choosing a contract, remember the weis. E.G. if you are dealt:
acorns U 6
shields U 9 7
flowers A U
bells U 8
consider bidding undenufe. You probably won't do very well in the play (shields would play better). But
you are guaranteed one trick so you won't have match made against you, and the 200 Weis for four
unders will be multiplied by four. So you will score at least 800 points. Of course, you should consider
how many points each partnership needs before deciding whether to do this.
In choosing a contract, consider the score. If you are well behind, you should be more inclined to take
risks and choose high-valued contracts, in the hope of catching up.
The score may also affect the way that you play. The validity of any of the above items of advice may be
affected by the score.
If you are playing a suit contract, and an opponent leads the Ace of a side suit in which you hold the
King, you can trump the Ace and then lead the King to win another trick. This is possible in Jass games
because of the trumping rule, which is different from that in whist or bridge.

Software
Michael Gasser's shareware Jass!! program plays Schieber Jass and several other Swiss Jass games.
A very smartly produced Schieber Jass program, called Stck Wyys Stich, is available on CD from
Optobyte AG. It runs under Windows or on a Macintosh and includes numerous options to select the
variation you prefer - even down to which Swiss dialect each computer player should speak. The game
can also be played over a network, and the package includes two packs of Jass cards.


Rules of Card Games: Schmier
Smear
Introduction
Schmier - St Paul, Minnesota Version
Minnesota Smear
Smear in northeastermn Wisconsin
Smear from Fort Frances, Ontario
Smear Software
Introduction
Smear is game of the All Fours group, similar to Pitch or Setback. It is played in several versions in
Minnesota and Winsconsin, USA, and in Ontario, Canada. It is known in some places as Schmier. It
seems likely that the name is related to the German word schmieren, which is used in point-trick games
such as Skat for the technique of discarding a high-value card on a trick which your partner is winning.
The name might perhaps also be connected to "smudge", which is the highest bid in some forms of Pitch.
In comparison to normal Pitch, these are the main differences - not all of which apply to all the versions
of Smear:
1. One or more jokers may be added to the deck; these rank as lowest trumps, and are worth a point
to the side that takes them.
2. The point for low is always for the holder of the lowest trump (apart from a joker), not the winner
of the trick which contains it.
3. The other jack of the same colour as the trump suit is sometimes counted an extra trump ranking
immediately below the normal jack of trumps, and scoring a point to the side that takes it. This
extra jack is called the jick or the left bower, as in Euchre.
4. After the bidding, either the bidder or all the players may be allowed to discard cards to improve
their hands. This ensures that most or all of the good cards are in play.
On this page four versions of the game are described: two from Minnesota (Schmier and Smear), Smear
from Wisconsin and Smear from Fort Frances, Ontario.
Schmier - St Paul, Minnesota Version

This version was contributed by Ben Butzer, who calls the game Schmier. According to his family
tradition, they brought it from Austria-Hungary many years ago, but this seems unlikely to be the case;
games of the All Fours group are thought to be English in origin, and to have spread through the English
http://www.pagat.com/allfours/schmier.html (1 de 7) [04/05/2001 9:56:58]

speaking countries. If anyone knows of any evidence for games of the All Fours group ever having been
played in Central Europe, please let me know.
Deck
The standard 52 card deck plus 1 joker is used.
Rankings
In the Trump suit: A, K, Q, J of Trump (called right bauer), J of same colour (called left bauer), 10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Joker.
In the off (non-trump) suits: A, K, Q, (J), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Object
Scoring is based on bringing cards home and is calculated somewhat like in Auction Pitch. There are a
total of 6 points per hand:
Highest trump for bringing home the ace of trumps
Lowest trump for the player who plays the two of trumps (even though this is not in fact the
lowest trump)
Right Bower for winning a trick containing the jack of the trump suit
Left Bower for winning a trick containing the other jack of the same colour as the trump suit
Joker for winning a trick containing the joker
Game calculated as in auction pitch. That is, each card has a value, and each team counts the total
value of the cards in the tricks they have taken. The side with the greater total wins the game point
(not awarded in case of a tie). There are 81 card points in total. the card values are:
Each Ace - 4 points
Each King - 3 points
Each Queen - 2 points
Each Jack - 1 point
Each Ten - 10 points (important for game)
Joker - 1 point
Seating
6 people, in two teams of three, in alternating positions
First Deal
6 cards to each person. 17 cards remain with the dealer until the second deal.

Bidding
Each bid is a number, representing the number of points that team will try to take. The minimum bid is 3;
the highest bid is 6. The bidding begins on dealer's left goes around table 1 time. Each player can pass or
bid a number of points higher than the previous bid if any. The person winning the bid names the trump
suit.
If no one bids 3, the cards are thrown in and re-dealt by the same dealer.
Second Deal
Once the trump suit is named, each person other than the dealer may discard up to 3 cards from his hand.
No trump cards may be discarded. The dealer deals enough cards to each other player to bring their total
hands up to six cards each. The dealer now adds the remaining undealt cards to his hand (there will be at
least two such cards), and then discards an equal number of cards (his discard may include cards he
picked up). The dealer is not allowed to discard trumps except in the rare case when he has more than 6
trumps in his hand. In this case he must discard the minimum number of trumps (leaving himself with a
hand of 6 trumps), and is not allowed to discard the trump ace, right bower, left bower, trump two or
joker.
The Play
The winner of the bid leads. Each player must follow suit until he is void (note that you are not allowed
to trump while you still have a card of the led suit - this is unlike Pitch). A player with no card of the suit
led may play any card.
The object is to win tricks and bring home the Joker, and the two bauers (worth a point each), and the
tens & face cards for the game point. In addition whoever played the ace of trumps gets a point for his
team, and the player of the two of trumps gets a point for his team even if the other team takes the trick.
The Scoring
If the bidding side take at least as many points as they bid, they score all the points they made (which
may be more than the bid). If the bidding side take fewer points than they bid, they lose the amount of
their bid (which may make their score negative). In either case, the opponents of the bidding side score
the points they made.
The winners are the first team to reach 21 or more points, or if both reach 21 on the same deal, the side
with more points. If both sides reach 21 or more points on the same deal and the scores are then equal,
the bidding side wins.
Variant: Five Handed Schmier

Remove the twos and threes from the deck. The first deal and the bidding are as in the six player game,
and the high bidder names trump. After the second deal, the winner of the bid is allowed to call a partner
by naming a desired card. The holder of the called card is the partner of the bidder but does not announce
who he is - the teams are not known until the called card is played.

If the called card turns out to have been discarded, the bidder plays and scores alone, and the other four
play as a team and score equally. The bidder may also choose to play alone voluntarily, and in this case
does not call a partner. It is illegal for the bidder to call a card which is in his own hand.
Each player keeps an individual score because the teams shift on each hand. The winner is the first
individual player to reach 21 points. As the twos and threes are out of play, the point for lowest is
awarded to whoever holds the four of trumps.
There is also an older version of the 5 player game played with a full deck of cards, in which players may
discard up to 6 cards (rather than 3) before the second deal. As always, it is illegal to discard trumps.
Minnesota Smear
This version was contributed by Marisa Johnson.
The original Smear game is played with 4 players in fixed partnerships, sitting crosswise. A 54 card
pack is used, the cards in each suit ranking as usual A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. The two jokers are extra
trumps ranking between the jack and ten. If both jokers are played to the same trick, the first played beats
the second.
Nine cards are dealt to each player, and there is one round of bidding, beginning with the player to
dealer's left. Each player can pass or name a number of points, from 2 to 4, which must be higher than the
previous bids if any.
The winner of the bidding names trump, and then each player discards three cards face down, and plays
with the remaining six. No trump of any kind may be discarded except by a player who has more than six
trumps. The high bidder leads to the first trick.
In the play, suit must be followed. A player with no card of the suit led may anything. A player is also
allowed to trump while still holding cards of the suit led.
There are four points:
high, won by the player who plays the ace of trump;
low, won by the player who plays the deuce of trump;
jack, won by the winner of the trick containing the jack of trumps;
game, won by the side which takes more cards points (ace = 4, king = 3, queen = 2, jack = 1, ten =
10). If the card points are tied there is no point for game.
If the bidding side make as many points as they bid they score all the points they made; if not they lose
the amount they bid. The non-bidding side score the points they made in any case.
Ten Point Smear

This is the best variant of Smear. As you might expect, it is quite similar to ten point pitch. The game can
be played by 4, 5 or 6 people with partnering. 4 or 6 people play as fixed partnerships. 6 people play 3
against 3, each player sitting between two opponents. When there are five players, the bidder chooses a
temporary partner by calling a card as described below.

A 54 card pack is used. The other jack which is the same colour as the trump jack is called the Jick and
counts as a trump ranking immediately below the trump jack; the two jokers are trumps ranking between
the jick and the ten.
In addition to the points for High, Low, Jack and Game, there are additional points for
the Jick one point
the two jokers one point each
the 3 of trumps worth 3 points
These extra points go to the team which takes the relevant card in their tricks.
The bidding is as in the original game described above, except that bids of any number up to 10 are now
possible (since there are 10 points in the game), and the minimum bid is 4. The high bidder names the
trump suit.
Four player game
10 cards are dealt to each player. After trump is called, the high bidder picks up the 14 undealt
cards and adds them to his or her hand. The bidder then discards 18 cards and everyone else
discards four cards, so that each player plays with a six card hand. No trump may be discarded
except by a player holding more than six trumps.
Five player game
10 cards are dealt to each player. After trump is called, each player discards four cards and plays
with the remaining six. No trump may be discarded except by a player holding more than six
trumps. The four undealt cards remain out of play and are not known by any player until after the
play. (This makes it risky to bid 10, as points cannot be scored for cards that are out of play).
The bidder then calls a trump card by rank. You are not allowed to call the three of trumps, nor can
you call a trump that you have in your hand; apart from this, any trump may be called. The player
who has the called card shows it to everyone. That player is the bidder's partner for that hand, and
must play the called trump on the first trick. If the called card is in fact in the kitty of undealt
cards, the bidder must play alone against the other four players.
Six player game
8 cards are dealt to each player. After trump is called, the high bidder picks up the 6 undealt cards
and adds them to his or her hand. The bidder then discards eight cards and everyone else discards
two cards, so that each player retains a six card hand to play with. No trump may be discarded
except by a player holding more than six trumps.
The game is played to a target score of 52 points. When a team or player reaches or exceeds the target
points at the end of a hand they win the game. If more than one team or player reaches the target
together, whoever has the highest score wins; in case of a tie the bidding side wins.
Smear in northeastern Wisconsin

This description is based on a contribution from Rick Gilbertson.
The most popular version is for four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other,

using a 32 card deck consisting of A K Q J 10 9 8 7 in each suit. There is also a less common version for
six players, forming two teams of three, each player sitting between two opponents. When there are six
players, the 6 and 5 of each suit are included, making a 40 card deck. There is also a three player version
without partners - players just play for themselves.
The four player game exists in two main versions: the four point game and the six point game.
Four Point Smear

The four points are high, low, jack and game, the point for low going to whoever plays the lowest trump.
Before the game the players must decide on the number of 'blinds' - that is the number of cards which the
winner of the bidding takes from the undealt cards. This may be anywhere from zero to three cards. The
players should also agree on the target score (typically 15) and the exact conditions for winning.
Each player is dealt six cards. The possible bids are numbers from 2 to 4. The highest bidder takes the
agreed number of blinds and discards an equal number of cards. The card points in the discarded cards
count towards the bidder's side's total towards the 'game' point. The remaining undealt cards, called
'Sleepers', are placed to the side and not used - any card points in them count for neither side.
The player who won the bidding leads to the first trick and the suit led is trump. When trumps are led,
everyone has to play a trump if they have one. When a non-trump suit, here called a fail (from the
German Fehlfarbe) is led, players have the choice of following suit or trumping. Thus you can play a
trump at any time, but when playing fail you must follow the suit led if you can.
If the bidding side make as many points as they bid they score all they make; if not they lose the amount
of their bid. In either case the other team score whatever they make.
The game is won by the first team to reach or go over the target score. Some play that you can only win
with a succesful bid. Some play that a team's score cannot go above the target - points scored in excess of
the target by the non-bidding side do not count.
Six Point Smear

In the six point variation two Jokers are added to the deck, making 34 cards in all. The jokers are the
lowest trumps; some play that they rank equally and the first played beats the second, some play that the
second beats the first, and some play that they rank in a specific order; in practice this rarely makes a
difference. Each joker is worth one point to the side that takes it in a trick, so there are six points in all.
When playing with jokers, the point for low goes to whoever plays the lowest trump other than a joker -
usually the 7 but could be the 8 if the 7 is sleeping, and so on.
In the six point game the target score is usually 21 points.
Smear in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada

This version was contributed by Ben Callaghan
The game is for four players in fixed partnerships, with variations for three and two. A standard 52 card
pack is used with the cards in each suit ranking as usual A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2.

Six cards are dealt to each player. Beginning at dealer's left, each player gets one chance to bid, and can
pass or bid any number from 2 to 4. Each bid must be higher than any previous bid. If all pass, the cards
are thrown in and there is a new deal by the same dealer.
The bidder leads to the first trick and the card led determines the trump suit. In the play, if you can
follow suit you must either do so or play a trump. If you have no card of the suit led you may play
anything. A trick is won by the highest card played of the suit led unless trumped, in which case the
highest trump wins.
There are just four possible points:
high - playing the highest trump
low - for playing the lowest trump
jack - for taking a trick containing the jack of trumps
game - for having more card points in tricks than the other team (A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1, 10=10)
The four-person game is played to 15 ("15 sneak-out"). The team which gets to 15 first wins. If both
reach or exceed 15 in the same hand, the bidding team wins, regardless of who has the most points.
"Cutthroat", the version for two or three players, is referred to as "11 bid-out". Players can only record
points to a maximum of 11. Then they must make a bid to win the game. If a player who has at least one
point bids four and makes it, that player immediately wins the whole game.
Money Game
Stakes are agreed per game and set - for example "10 and 5" means ten cents a game and five cents a set,
or you could play $1.00 per game, 50 cents per set. The bidding team are set if they do not make enough
points for their bid.
If you lose a game you pay to the winners the game stake, plus a set stake for each time you were set. It
does not matter how many times the winning side were set, if at all - having won the game they do not
have to pay for this.
The set stake tends to discourage reckless bidding, especially in the "Cutthroat" version where otherwise
players sometimes bid just to hinder someone else from winning the game.
Smear Software
Scott Olson has written a Four Point Shmear program with which you can play against computer
opponents or live over a LAN or over the Internet.


Rules of Card Games: Scopone
Scopone and Scopa

Scopone is an Italian game - the principles are fairly simple but to play it well requires skill and a good
memory. Scopone is closely related to the popular game Scopa, of which there are several varieties. The
related game Cicera (played in Brescia) is described on its own page.
Players and Cards
The Deal
The Play
The Scoring
Winning the Game
Variations
Scopa
Advice on playing Scopone
Other Scopa and Scopone pages and software
Players and Cards

Scopone is played by four players, two against two in fixed partnerships; you sit opposite your partner.
As in most Italian games, play is anticlockwise.
An Italian 40 card pack is used, often the Neapolitan pattern with the Latin suits: swords (spade), clubs
(bastoni), cups (coppe) and coins (danari). The cards in each suit are Re, Cavall, Fante, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
It is also possible to play with a standard international 52 card pack from which you need to remove the
10s 9s and 8s.
The cards have point values for capturing, and a separate set of point values that are only used in scoring
the Prime:
Card Capture value Value in Prime
Re (King) 10 10
Cavallo (Queen) 9 10
Fante (Jack) 8 10
Seven 7 21
Six 6 18
Five 5 15
Four 4 14
Three 3 13
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Two 2 12
Ace 1 16
The Deal
Choose the first dealer at random. Turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The dealer shuffles
and the dealer's left hand opponent cuts.
Deal a packet of three cards face down to each player (anticlockwise, beginning with the player to
dealer's right), then two face down to the centre of the table, then three more to each player, two more to
the centre, and finally three more to each player. When the deal has been correctly completed the four
table cards are turned face up and the players look at their hands.
If three or all four of the table cards are kings, the cards are thrown in and there is a new deal by the same
dealer.
The Play
The player to dealer's right plays first, and the turn to play passes anticlockwise, until all the cards have
been played.
A turn consists of playing one card face up to the table, which may capture one or more table cards. In
the event of a capture, both the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stored face down in
front of one of the members of the team that made the capture, like a trick. If there is no capture the
played card remains face up on the table. In either case the turn then passes to the next player.
The capturing rules are as follows:
1. if the rank (capture value) of the card played matches that of a table card, the table card is
captured;
2. if the card played matches more than one table card, then just one of the matching table cards is
captured - the player of the capturing card chooses which;
3. if the card played does not match any table card, but its capture value is equal to the sum of the
capture values of two or more table cards, then that set of table cards is captured - if there are
several possible sets which add up to the value of the played card, the player of the capturing card
chooses which to take;
4. if the capture value of the card played does not match any table card or sum of table cards, then
there is no capture and the played card remains face up on the table.
Important points to note:
there is no obligation to play a card which makes a capture - it is legal (and sometimes better play)
simply to add a card to the table;
however if the played card does make a capture, the captured cards must be taken, even if the
player would prefer to leave them on the table;
if a card matches both a single card and a sum of cards on the table, the single card must be

captured, not the group.

Example. The table contains 3, 5, 5, Fante. Playing a 5 captures one of the 5s from the table at the
player's choice. Playing a Re (king) captures both 5s. Playing a Fante (jack) captures the one on the table
- the player is not allowed to take the 5 and the 3 instead.
After all the cards from the players hands have been played, the last player who made a capture also
takes any face up cards remaining on the table.
The Scoring
There are four points available to be won on each deal:
1. The Cards. The point is won by whichever team takes the majority of the cards. If they split 20-20
the point is not awarded.
2. The Coins. The point is won by whichever team takes more cards of the coins suit (or diamonds if
you are using international cards). If they split 5-5 the point is not awarded.
3. The Seven of Coins. The point is won by whichever team takes the 7 of coins (diamonds), known
as the 'sette bello' (beautiful seven).
4. The Prime (in Italian: 'la primiera'). The point is won by the team with the best prime. In practice
this is usually the team with more sevens, but the actual rule is as follows. A prime consists of one
card of each suit, and the cards have special point values for this purpose, as shown in the table.
The value of the prime is got by adding up the values of its cards and whichever team can
construct the more valuable prime wins the point. If both teams' primes are worth the same, the
prime point is not awarded. If a team has no cards at all of one suit then it will automatically lose
to a team with a card in all four suits: even three jacks and a seven (51 points) is sufficient to beat
three sevens with no card in the fourth suit. In the rare case where both teams are missing an entire
suit, the prime point is won by team with the higher point total using the best card from each of the
three suits that they have.
It is worth knowing that the ranking of the cards for the prime is 7 (highest), 6, ace, 5, 4, 3, 2,
pictures (lowest) - so if you are tied on sevens, it is worth trying to capture sixes, then aces, and so
on.
The Sweep
In addition to the points mentioned above, you also win a point for each sweep (Italian scopa). You score
a sweep when you play a card which captures the all table cards, leaving the table empty. Traditionally,
the capturing card is placed face up in the trick-pile of the capturing side, so that the number of sweeps
made by each side can easily be seen when the scoring is done at the end of the play.
Taking the last cards from the table at the end of a hand never counts as a sweep, even if the last card
played by the dealer does actually capture all the remaining table cards.

Winning the Game

The first team to have 11 or more points at the end of a hand wins. If both sides reach 11 in the same
hand the side with more points wins. If both are equal, play further hands until one side has more points
at the end of a hand.
Variations
Scopone Scientifico (Scientific Scopone)
In Scientific Scopone ten cards are dealt to each player at the start of each hand, and none to the table.
A description (in Italian) of the version played in Trentino is on Sandro Tamanini's pagina sullo scopone.
This Trentino version has three further differences from the basic game of Scopone described above:
1. The game continues until one of both teams have 21 or more points. Whichever team has more at
the end of that deal wins. If both are equal, further deals are played until one team is ahead.
2. A team which captures the ace, two and three of coins scores a number of points equal to the
highest coin card they capture in unbroken sequence with these - for example if they took the
A-2-3-4-5-6 of coins they would score 6 points (in addition to the point for coins). This bonus is
called Napoli.
3. A team which captures all ten cards of the coin suit wins the game outright. This is called
cappotto.
Re bello
The re bello (beautiful king) is the king of coins. Some players award a point to the team that wins this
card (just as the winners of the sette bello get a point). In this version of the game there are 5 points to be
scored in each deal (apart from sweeps) rather than four.
Scopa
Scopa is the game from which Scopone was developed. The rules of Scopa are the same as for Scopone,
except that just 3 cards are dealt to each player and 4 to the table. After everyone has played their 3
cards, another 3 are dealt and played, and then another 3. As long as there are still more cards to be dealt,
any cards left on the table when the players run out of cards stay there, and can be captured in the normal
way after the next part of the deal. The special rules that cards remaining on the table belong to the last
player who made a capture, and that a sweep cannot be scored for the final play, apply only at the end of
the final deal when there are no further cards to be dealt.
It is also possible to play Scopa with two players, in which case there are 6 deals of 3 cards in each hand.
Scopa d'Assi is a version of Scopa where in addition to the normal rules of capture, playing an ace takes
all the table cards. Within this there are a number of variations:

Practice varies as to whether or not taking all the cards with an ace counts as a sweep.
Some players play that if there is already an ace on the table, an ace played just takes the ace on
the table, not the other cards as well.
Some play that if you wish, you can play an ace without capturing any cards, by just showing it
and placing it in your tricks.
Some play that if one or more aces appear in the face-up cards in the original deal, the cards are
thrown in and redealt.
Scopa di Quindici is a version of Scopa with a different rule of capture. The played card no longer
captures a card or cards of equal value; instead it captures any one set of cards which, together with the
played card, add up to 15. For example if the table cards are A, 3, 4, 7 and you play a 4, it captures either
the 4 and the 7 or the A, 3 and 7 at your choice.
Advice on playing Scopone

The most important card is the 7 of coins - it is worth a point by itself and contributes to all the other
three points. You should aim to win the 7 of coins if at all possible.
You should avoid giving away sweeps, and put your side in a position to win sweeps. Winning a sweep
is just one point initially, but because it leaves the table empty, the next player has to put down a card. If
your partner can match the card played by the opponent you then get another sweep. This can go on for
several plays. It is the simplest form of what is called a whirlwind.
One obvious way to avoid giving away a sweep is to leave a total of at least 11 on the table. For this
reason you may want to avoid capturing cards which would leave a total of 10 or less. If you leave
exactly 11, your right-hand opponent (RHO) may wish not to capture for fear of giving your partner a
sweep. So RHO plays a card to the table. If your partner can capture it this leaves 11 again, and your
LHO may play a card that you can capture. This is another kind of whirlwind, though a rather weak one.
Better than leaving 11 is to leave a smaller number which you know your RHO cannot match. Suppose
that two 3's have gone, you hold the third 3 and the fourth is on the table. It will then be good for you to
capture all the other cards on the table and leave this 3 as an anchor for your team. Your RHO must now
play a card. Your partner should trust you to have the last 3 and capture the RHO's card, leaving 3 again.
Then you may be able to capture LHO's card, and so on. This is a rather more effective whirlwind, and
the opponents also have the problem that if they play too small a card (7 or less) there is a possibility that
you or your partner may make a sweep.
Clearly it is good to establish an anchor, and to have cards on the table of ranks which your side controls.
For this reason you should lead, or leave on the table, cards which you hold two or more of in your hand.
Also if your partner plays (say) a 5 and your LHO takes it, you should also play a 5 if you have one,
because it is likely that partner holds the fourth 5.
Apart from the 7 of coins and sweeps, the next priority is to capture other sevens (for the prime), and also
sixes, which come in useful if sevens are split. Coins are good to collect as well, and finally it does no
harm to have the greater bulk of cards.
It is important to keep track of paired and unpaired cards. If all the captures were of single cards of equal

rank, so that all the tricks consisted of pairs, then at the end the dealer's last card would match the last
card on the table. If for example the dealer has a 7, it could be saved by keeping it until last and catching
a 7 with it.
As soon as someone captures more than one card at a time, this pattern is disrupted. If someone plays a
king to capture a 7 and a 3, 3s, 7s and kings are now unpaired. If the rest of the game consists of single
captures only, dealer will end up playing the final 7 to a table containing the unpaired 3 and king, and the
three cards go to the last player who made a capture. Remembering which cards are unpaired is
especially important for the dealer, who may then be able to arrange to make a capture with the last card.
There is a certain amount of strategy around pairing and unpairing sevens. For example if the players
have one seven each, then the dealer's side wants to keep them paired, so that by waiting until the end
they can win all four in the last round. The non-dealer's side will want to unpair the sevens by using one
of their sevens to capture a combination of cards, such as 5 + 2. Obviously in these circumstances the
dealer's side will try to avoid leaving such combinations.
There is much more that could be said about the strategy of Scopone. Perhaps some readers may like to
comment on or add to the above notes.
Other Scopa and Scopone pages and software

The freeware and PRO versions of Gianfranco Marzano's Scopone computer program are available from
You can download Luca Belgiovane's free Scopa progam for Windows 95.
Dave Bernazzani has also written a free Scopa program.


Rules of Card Games: Sheepshead
Sheepshead
Sheepshead is the American form of the German game Schafkopf. In his book Wergin on Skat and
Sheepshead (1975), Joe Wergin describes varieties of Sheepshead for three, four and five players.
There are several web pages with rules for Sheepshead:
Stephen Blessing's Sheepshead Page has rules for five player Sheepshead.
Dan Osborne's Sheepshead Page

Jim Mihal's Sheepshead Page
Eric Bushnell's Sheepshead Page, which described several forms of Sheepshead played in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, disappeared from the web for a while, but is now reproduced below.
Here is a Sheepshead computer program: Paul Sellards' Sheepshead DeLuxe for Windows.
Yahoo! Games now offers an on-line Sheepshead game.
Sheepshead, according to Hoyle,

Bushnell,
and most of Milwaukee, WI
The text below is more or less a copy of Eric Bushnell's sheepshead page (version of 20th Sep 1995),
which was formerly available at http://www.mcw.edu/~etb/sheepshead.html but disappeared in late
1997. My attempts since then to contact Eric Bushnell and find where the page has moved to have so far
failed. I have corrected a couple of typos and added a few comments of my own in square brackets and
italics. If anyone can put me in contact with Eric Bushnell or knows what became of the original of this
page, please let me know. I would be happy to make a link to the original in place of this copy.
According to Hoyle (cl963) [probably this refers to Hoyle's Rules of Games by A. Morehead and G.
Mott-Smith], "schafkopf" (German for sheepshead) is "an old Middle European game" which has
"continued to be played under a variety of rules". Indeed, sitting down to a game of Sheepshead often
involves negotiating table rules, much like poker.
Sheepshead is typically played with three to five players, although two-, six-, and even seven-player
versions exist. Hoyle only describes the three-handed game, which may mean that it is the original. Here
in Milwaukee, a five-handed version seems to be the most popular.
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Essential (and Common) Rules

First, the Deck
Sheepshead players never play with a full deck. A sheepshead deck contains 32 cards; the 2-6 of all four
suits are removed. Fourteen cards are designated as a fixed trump suit. The trump suit contains the four
queens, the four jacks, and the remaining diamonds. The remaining six hearts, clubs and spades are
known as the "fail" suits. The trump cards are ranked from highest to lowest as follows:
Q, Q, Q, Q, J, J, J, J, A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7.
The six cards in each fail suit are ranked like the six lowest diamonds:
A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7
(this rank ordering is used in some other card games of German origin as well.)
The aces, tens and face cards have point values associated with them.
A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, and J=2
Thus there is a total of 120 points in the deck.
The object of the game is to capture tricks containing 61 points or more, i.e. the majority of the points in
the deck, during the play of each hand. After dealing a new hand, players establish roles that are
essentially offensive and defensive. One player challenges the others, declaring intent to take tricks worth
61 points or more. If that player is successful the losers sacrifice points to the challenger. If the
challenger loses, however, the "defensive" players gain twice as many points, in recognition of their
upset victory.
The Art of the Deal

The 32 cards are dealt so that each player receives an equal number, with a few cards reserved. Three
players should be dealt 10 cards, four players seven cards each and five players six cards each. The
remaining two cards (or four in four-handed) are called the "blind" (Hoyle calls it the "widow"). It is
customary to deal the cards two or three at a time, dealing the "blind" cards between rounds. It is
considered poor form to deal the blind from the bottom of the deck.
Pick and Win

Starting with the player at the dealer's left and circling the table clockwise, each player has the
opportunity to "pick", that is, to pick up the blind cards. Picking up the blind signifies that one intends to
challenge the other players. In three-handed games, the picker plays alone against the other two, who
play in a team. In five-handed games, the picker identifies a partner, and they play two-against-three. In
four-handed play, table rules specify whether the picker may have a partner or must play alone against
the other three. In any case, a player who feels particularly skilful, lucky, or reckless may opt to play
without the assistance of a partner. The picker may exchange the blind cards for some of those dealt, but
must "bury" the same number of cards. [The picker adds the blind to hand before burying, and the buried
cards may include cards that came from the blind. Neither the blind cards nor the buried cards are
shown to the other players.] If aces, tens, or face cards are buried, their points count [in favor of the
picker] as a head start toward the goal of 61.

If no one picks the blind, table rules specify whether to play a least or to declare a doubler and deal a new
hand (see variations).
Identifying a Partner
Two methods of selecting a partner are common: "jack of diamonds" and "called ace". In the former
version, the holder of the jack of diamonds is automatically the picker's partner. In the latter version, the
picker calls the ace of one of the three fail suits, whose holder becomes the partner. In this case, the
picker must have at least one card of the called fail suit and must reserve that card until the "called suit"
is first led. Likewise, the partner must save the called ace until the called suit is first led, when the ace
must be played. Either the picker or the partner may lead the called suit. For the jack of diamonds
method, the partner may play the jack any time a trump card is allowed.
Table rules often allow some latitude to cover special situations. For example, if the picker finds the jack
of diamonds as an unpleasant surprise in the blind, some groups allow him to "call up" the next
higher-ranking jack, the jack of hearts. Similarly, if the picker has the ace or aces of all fail suits he
holds, he may be allowed to call the ace of one of the other fail suits and to designate one card as an
"under" or "unknown" card. That card is typically placed face down on the table before play begins to
assure the other players that the designated card will be played when the called suit is led. If the picker
holds all three aces of the fail suits, he may then call a ten of one of the fail suits instead of the ace. Then
he must reserve the ace of the fail suit to play when that suit is first led. If the picker feels his hand is
particularly strong, he may opt to go alone, and he must announce this before the lead to the first trick.
Keeping Score
If the losers take tricks worth 30 to 59 points during the play of one hand, each loses one cumulative
point. If the losers take tricks worth 29 points or less, but take at least one trick, they lose two cumulative
points each. Failing to take a single trick costs three points each. The 30 point threshold is commonly
called 'schneider', for reasons that some German historian may someday explain. The challenger is
obligated to take one more point beyond the threshold, i.e. 31 points to achieve "schneider" in the event
of a loss. Likewise a 60-60 tie in points taken during one hand is awarded as a win to the defensive
players, who receive two, four or six cumulative points each.
Since points won are deducted from the scores of the losers, scoring is a zero-sum exercise. The losers
"pay" points to the winners, and the sum of all scores should always be zero. Thus some players' scores
may be negative numbers. This scheme lends itself to the use of coins as scoring tokens; say, a nickel per
point perhaps. Such practice is rare in polite social circles of course.
Least
If no one picks the blind, the hand may be played in "least" (or in common sheepshead slang, a "leaster").
Least is a cut-throat game in which the goal is reversed. There are no partners. Each player tries to take
as few points as possible rather than the majority of the points. Most groups require that a player take at
least one trick to qualify to win. (Merely ducking every trick is not sufficient then.) This does allow the
possibility of taking every trick and winning with 120 points. Such behavior is frowned upon, however.

The winner of a least hand receives one cumulative point (or token, coin, or what have you) from each of
the other players.
Some groups simply ignore the blind when playing least. Others allow the dealer to identify one trick
before play begins, the winner of which gets the blind along with the trick. In that case, the unfortunate
player is usually allowed to peek at the blind before continuing.
Playing a hand
The player at dealer's left (who had the first opportunity to pick) leads the first card, and play continues
clock-wise. The winner of each trick leads the first card of the next trick. Once a card is led, subsequent
players must follow suit if possible. (Remember that trump cards are a suit in themselves, and so must be
followed when led). If a player does not have a card of the suit which has been led he has two options.
He may "fail off", that is, play a card from one of the fail suits, or he my play a trump card. The choice is
a matter of tactics and strategy, of course.
Each trick is taken by the person who played the highest ranking card [that is, the highest trump if any
were played, or if not, the highest card of the fail suit that was led; cards of fail suits different from the
led suit can never win]. That person then leads the first card of the next trick. After all tricks have been
played the offensive (picker and/or partner) and defensive teams count the points in the tricks they have
taken to determine the winners of the hand. Then the cumulative score is adjusted (or tokens are
exchanged) and players analyse each other's skill while the next dealer shuffles and deals another hand.
Tactics
Sheepshead can be a game of considerable subtlety. Fortunately there are some helpful rules of thumb to
guide one's decisions. Naturally none of these guidelines is absolute. There are occasions when one must
abandon conventional wisdom. These tactics probably cover 80% of one's decisions, however.
Offensive players lead trump; defensive players lead fail.
This fundamental principle is fully appreciated only after trying the opposite approach. Leading to
a trick is an opportunity to exert control over the other players. They must follow suit when
possible, which limits their choice of cards, or they must decide whether to try to wrest control
away from the leader. Leading trump means one is trying to control the power cards. Leading fail
means one is conserving trump or trying to harass the offense by forcing the picker (and partner) to
decide whether the trick merits a high trump card.
When using the called ace method to choose a partner, it is usually wise for a defender to lead the
called suit when possible. You know the picker has at least that one fail card, and you know the
picker cannot possibly take the trick. If you have two or more cards of the called suit, lead the
highest scoring card. This may be your best opportunity to get those points home for your team.
The application of this guideline signals which players are on the offensive and defensive sides.
Until the called suit is led and the called ace is exposed, (or until the jack of diamonds is played),
the identity of the picker's partner is not known to anyone but the partner. When a player other
than the picker leads trump, it is a sign that the player holds the designated card and is playing

along with the picker.

It is possible to break this rule of thumb with brilliant skill. More often, however, one incurs the
wrath of one's teammates by straying from this principle.
Pay attention.
In particular, try to count the number of trump that have been played. The game tends to revolve
around the fourteen trump cards. If you know there are many, one, or none left to be played, you
can choose your play accordingly. Watch who plays trump, and when, for clues about who is the
picker's partner.
Position is power.
Your position with respect to the first (or next) lead will affect your play. When you are at the
dealer's left, with the first chance to pick, you do not have the luxury of knowing how many other
players might pass or wish to pick. On the other hand you also have the chance to set the pace of
the game with your initial lead. At the end (as the dealer) you may be able to pick with a weaker
hand than usual. The other players have all indicated some degree of weakness by passing. The
fact that no one will pick may also indicate that crucial high trumps are in the blind. But beware
the mauer who passes despite a strong hand.
As a picker or partner, you want to be at the lead or on the end. At the lead you can dictate the
choices of the defence. On the end you can survey a trick before making a decision. As a defender,
you want to keep the offense in the middle. Then you can force the picker to make a difficult
decision, knowing that your hostile teammates await their turns to validate or overturn the picker's
choice of card.
Sacrifice points before power.
Regardless of which side you play on, you will usually obtain a greater return by taking a trick
with a high-ranking card later than by hoarding your points. When forced to play trump, for
example, and you have only a queen and the ace of diamonds, but you know you cannot take the
trick, it may be better to sacrifice the ace. The queen may take a trick with more points later or win
the lead at a crucial moment. You may wish to bend this rule when you know you would be giving
away the game-winning points.
Tactics for three-player sheepshead

Three-player sheepshead reduces the emphasis on trump and shifts some of it to the fail aces. With only
three cards per trick an ace has a good chance of taking a trick. Quantity of trump and aces becomes
almost as important as quality. With ten tricks to play, stamina becomes a factor. It's quite possible to
lose a three-handed game despite holding all four queens. One rule of thumb is to pick when you have
seven or more trump and aces combines.
As a defender, you want to set up a crossfire between you and your teammate. Try to keep the lead in
front of the picker.

Tactics when playing least

"Leasters" annoy some players so much that they refuse to play them at all. This has led to variations that
eliminate their necessity. Others find the sudden shift of tactics to be stimulating.
In least it is often tempting to dump one's aces and tens on a trick that is already won by an unfortunate
rival. This can make later tricks much cheaper, however. It is often prudent to ration one's "schmier"
(aces and tens) by doling out the points to players who seem to be getting by too easily. It can be
disastrous to have a lone ("bare") ace or ten of a suit, however. Then it's wise to dump those counters
whenever one has an opportunity. A leaster is often won by the player who spends a high-ranking trump
card to buy a relatively cheap trick.
Variations
Two player rules
This version emphasises luck over skill. It's a time-waster for those occasions when you and one
friend are very bored. There is no blind. Each player receives 16 cards, as follows. A row of four
cards is placed face down before each player. A second round of four cards per player is dealt face
down, stacked on the first rows. A third round of four cards per player are placed face up on the
stacks. Each player is also dealt four cards to hold. (You may deal these in any order, so long as
the result is as described.)
The player opposite the dealer leads, either from his hand or from his face-up row. The dealer then
plays a card from his hand or from his face-up row. After taking the trick, any cards played from
the stacks are replaced by the card below, which must be turned up. Play then continues, with the
lead by the person who took the previous trick. Since half one's hand is a surprise, one's strength
varies unpredictably. But having some of both hands exposed also eliminates some of the strategy,
and this game can be rather mechanical.
Six player rules
Each player gets five cards, with two left in the blind. Typically the jack of diamonds identifies
one partner. The player to picker's right becomes a second partner. If the picker of the player to his
right also has the jack of diamonds, they play two-against-four.
Seven player rules
This is quite a crowd, and it makes for an odd game. The picker has two partners, one who holds
the jack of diamonds and one who is determined by the roll of a die. If the picker or randomly
selected partner holds the jack of diamonds, they play two-against-five.
Each player is dealt four cards, with four left for the blind. When someone picks he takes just two
cards from the blind. He then rolls one die. The number that comes up identifies one partner, as
counted clockwise from the picker. That player receives the remainder of the blind, and must bury
two cards as well.
The game then proceeds as normally as possible. With only four tricks of seven cards, don't rely on

aces to take tricks.

Dealer forced to pick
Rather than play least, the group may force the last person (the dealer) to pick regardless of his
hand. As a small consolation, they may waive the doubling of the stakes if the picker loses.
Otherwise this practice leads to mauering. If the group uses the jack of diamonds to select a
partner, they may also allow the dealer to "call up" the jack of hearts if he has the jack of diamonds
himself.
Doublers
Instead of playing least when no one picks, the group may elect to deal again and play the next
hand as a doubler. In a doubler, the stakes of winning and 1osing the hand are doubled. In the
event of consecutive doublers, the stakes are not quadrupled for one hand, but are doubled for the
next two hands instead.
Crack and Recrack
This exercise in machismo results when someone picks up the blind, but another player, whose
opportunity has been denied asserts that he has a stronger hand and a better chance to win. This
assertion doubles the stakes. Some groups also allow "recracking", when a player wishes to assert
superiority over the upstart.
Footnotes
The use of masculine pronouns is not meant to be sexist. Unfortunately, English just isn't well suited to
gender-inclusive and gender-neutral phrasing. It is worth noting that the trump ranking bestows power
upon the queens, not the kings. Still, anecdotal evidence suggests that testosterone may have an effect
upon the intensity and noise-level of the game.
The term "mauer", used as a noun, is loosely translated as "coward". A mauer is a player who passes the
opportunity to pick the blind despite having a powerful hand. The word may also be used as a verb, when
someone commits this sin of omission. It is also common as an adjective, as in "you mauering $%(*@!".
[In German "Mauer" is a stone wall - like a city wall; "der Mauerer" is the stone mason who builds such
walls, and is used in card games to describe a very cautious player; the verb is "mauern".]


Rules of Card Games: Sjavs
Sjavs
This page is based on a contribution from Anthony Smith.
Introduction
The players
The cards
The deal
Choosing the trump suit
The play
The scoring
Introduction
Sjavs is game of the Schafkopf group, which is popular in the Faeroe Islands. "Sjavs" is pronounced
"shouse", rhyming with "house". Although the Faeroese-English dictionary explains Sjavs as being a
Danish game, the version of the game given in the Danish games-manuals is a 20-card 3-hander whereas
the Faeroese game is a 32-card 4-hander. Anthony Smith learnt this game on 20th October 1996 on the
Aberdeen - Trshavn ferry from four players whose names he did not note. On 22nd October he took part
in a tournament at the Mimir club in Trshavn as the guest of Jkup Dalsgaard.
The players
Four play, in two two-player partnerships, partners sitting opposite one another.
The cards
The 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s are removed from a standard 52-card pack to leave 32 cards. Six cards are
permanent highest trumps, ranking from high to low: Q, Q, J, J, J, J. The remaining
cards, whether in the trump suit or not, rank A, K, (Q), 10, 9, 8, 7. There are thus 13 trumps if a red suit
is trumps and 12 if a black.
The cards have point values as follows: A=11, K=4, Q = 3, J = 2, 10 = 10. The remaining cards have no
point values. There are thus 120 points in the whole pack.
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The deal
The dealer shuffles and offers the pack to his right hand neighbour to cut. If he does so then the dealer
deals in fours, clockwise, until each player has eight cards. If the dealer's right hand neighbour chooses
not to cut but taps the pack with his fingers or knuckles then the dealer deals in eights.
Choosing the trump suit

Dealer's left hand neighbour has first opportunity to speak. He must state the length of the longest
trump-suit he can make with his cards, provided it consists of five or more cards. If he has no five-card
trump suit he says, "Pass". Turn to speak then passes clockwise. Once someone has stated a length,
subsequent players pass unless they have a better holding than any already announced. For this purpose,
a longer trump suit is better than a shorter, and a trump holding in clubs is better than one of the same
length in an unstated suit, even if the first player had in fact a club holding.
When all have had an opportunity to speak, the player with the longest length states his trump suit. If he
has more than one equally long possible trump suit and one of them is clubs then he must at this stage
announce clubs. If no one at all has a trump holding of five or more cards then the same dealer deals
again.
The play
Dealer's left hand neighbour then leads and play proceeds clockwise. Players must follow suit if they are
able to and can choose freely whether to trump or discard if unable to follow suit. The winner of each
trick leads to the next. When all the tricks have been played each team conts the card points in the tricks
they have won.
The scoring
If the side that announced trump have:
all tricks they score 12, or 16 if clubs were trumps
90 - 120 they score 4, or 8 if clubs were trumps
61 - 89 they score 2, or 4 if clubs were trumps
31 - 59 their opponents score 4, or 8 if clubs were trumps
0 - 30 their opponents score 8, or 16 if clubs were trumps
no tricks their opponents score 16, or 24 if clubs were trumps
If both sides have 60 points there is no score for this game, but the value of the next game is increased by
two, no matter what had been the original trump.

The score-sheet
A rubber consists of 24 points, but points are counted down from 24. A vertical line is drawn, and a
horizontal near the top. The two columns are headed "We" and "They". Whenever a game is won, the
winning players subtract the score from their current total and write the new score in their own column
on the next horizontal level below the level where anyone's score was last recorded. Thus the first figure
written is got by subtracting the first score from 24. In order to help keep track of the deals a little
cross-mark is put on the central vertical after every four deals. The side whose score first reaches - or
passes - zero have won the rubber. If their opponents are still on 24 this counts as a double victory.


Rules of Card Games: Skat
Notice to Skat players in Britain

David Parlett is setting up the British Skat Association. The intention, if
there is sufficient support, is to produce a newsletter, to hold meetings
and occasional tournaments, and eventually to affiliate to the International
Skat Players' Association. Please send e-mail to David at
dsparlett@cwcom.net if you are interested in this.
Skat
Contents
Introduction
The Cards
The Deal
The Auction
The Possible Contracts
The Play
Calculating the Game Value
The Scoring
Variations
Tournament Scoring - Kontra and Rekontra - Ramsch - Bockrounds and Ramschrounds -
Schenken - Spitze - Scoring and Contract variations - Open Contracts - Rum - Playing with
a Pot
Texas Skat
Tournee Skat
Other Skat WWW sites
Introduction
Skat is the national card game of Germany, and one of the best card games for 3 players. It was invented
around 1810 in the town of Altenburg, about 40km south of Leipzig, Germany, by the members of the
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Brommesche Tarok-Gesellschaft. They adapted the existing local game Schafkopf by adding features of
the then popular games Tarok and l'Hombre. Altenburg is still considered the home of Skat and has a
fountain dedicated to the game.
Note: Skat is not to be confused with the American game Scat - a simple draw and discard game in
which players try to collect 31 points in a three card hand.
The main description on this page is based on the current version of the official German and International
rules (which were revised on 1st January 1999). In social games many variations will be encountered. In
Skat clubs in Germany, the game is generally played as described here, though often with tournament
scoring. In parts of the USA other versions of Skat survive: Texas Skat is fairly close to the German
game but in Wisconsin they play a significantly different game: Tourne Skat, which was brought by
immigrants from Germany in the 19th century and reflects the form of Skat which was played in
Germany at that time.
Skat is a three-handed trick taking game. It is also quite often played by four people, but there are still
only 3 active players in each hand; the dealer sits out. Each active player is dealt 10 cards and the
remaining two form the skat. Each hand begins with an auction. The winner of the bidding becomes the
declarer, and plays alone against the other two players in partnership. The declarer has the right to use
the two skat cards to make a better hand, and to choose the trump suit.
Some cards have point values, and the total number of card points in the pack is 120. To win, the
declarer has to take at least 61 card points in tricks plus skat; the opponents win if their combined tricks
contain at least 60 card points. Instead of naming a trump suit the declarer can choose to play Grand
(jacks are the only trumps) or Null (no trumps and the declarer's object is to lose all the tricks).
The value of the game, in game points, depends on the trumps chosen, the location of the top trumps
(matadors) and whether the declarer used the skat. Declarer generally wins the value of the game if
successful, and loses the game value (doubled if the skat was exchanged) if unsuccessful. In is important
to realise that in Skat the card points, which generally determine whether the declarer wins or loses, are
quite separate from the game points, which determine how much is won or lost.
Return to contents.
The Cards
Skat was originally played with German suited cards, and these are still in general use in South and East
Germany, including Altenburg. Elsewhere, Skat is played with French suited cards. 32 cards are used: A
K Q J 10 9 8 7 in each suit. In this article French suits are assumed, but in case you are using German
suited cards the correspondence is as follows:
Abbreviation French Suits German Suits
clubs (Kreuz) acorns (Eichel)
spades (Pik) leaves (Grn)
hearts (Herz) hearts (Rot)

diamonds (Karo) bells (Schellen)

K king (Knig) king (Knig)
Q queen (Dame) ober (Ober)
J jack (Bube) unter (Unter)
Ranking of Cards
The ranking of the cards depends on the game the declarer chooses to play.
Suit games
Irrespective of the suit chosen as trumps, the four jacks are the top four trumps, ranking in the
fixed order . Then follow the remaining seven cards of the chosen suit, making eleven
trumps in all, ranking from highest to lowest:
J - J - J - J - A - 10 - K - Q - 9 - 8 - 7.
The other three suits each contain just seven cards ranking from high to low:
A - 10 - K - Q - 9 - 8 - 7.
Grand
The four jacks are the only trumps. They form a suit by themselves ranking from high to low:
J - J - J - J.
The remaining four suits each contain seven cards ranking from high to low:
A - 10 - K - Q - 9 - 8 - 7.
Null
There are no trumps. The eight cards of each suit rank from high to low:
A - K - Q - J - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7.
Point values of the cards

In suit games and Grand, the cards have the following values:
Card: J A 10 K Q 9 8 7
Value: 2 11 10 4 3 0 0 0
The total value in the pack is 120 card points.

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The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random; thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The dealer shuffles and
the player to dealer's right cuts. The dealer deals a batch of three cards to each player, then two cards face
down in the centre of the table to form the skat, then a batch of four cards to each player, and finally
another batch of three cards each. If there are four players at the table, the dealer deals to the other three
players only, and takes no further part in the hand.

Return to contents.
The Auction
Each bid is a number which is the value in game points of some possible game (see below for calculation
of game values). The possible bids are therefore 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 33, 35, 36, 40, 44, 45, 46, 48,
50, 54, 55, 59, 60, etc. If you bid or accept a bid it means you are prepared to play a contract of at least
that value in game points.
The player to the dealer's left is called forehand (F), the player to forehand's left is middlehand (M), and
the player to middlehand's left is rearhand (R). If there are three players at the table R is the dealer; if
there are four R is to dealer's right. Throughout the bidding F is senior to M who is senior to R. The
principle is that a senior player only has to equal a junior player's bid to win the auction, whereas a
junior player has to bid higher than a senior player to win.
The first part of the auction takes place between F and M. M speaks first, either passing or bidding a
number. There is no advantage in making a higher than necessary bid so M will normally either pass or
begin with the lowest bid: 18. If M bids a number, F can either give up the chance to be declarer by
saying "pass" or compete by saying say "yes", which means that F bids the same number that M just bid.
If F says "yes", M can say "pass", or continue the auction with a higher bid, to which F will again answer
"yes" or "pass". This continues until either F or M drops out of the auction by passing - once having
passed you get no further opportunity to bid on that hand.
The second part of the auction is similar to the first part, but takes place between R and the survivor of
the first part (i.e. whichever of F and M did not pass. As the junior player, R either passes or bids a
succession of numbers, the first of which must be higher than any number mentioned in the first part of
the auction. To each number bid by R, the survivor must answer "yes" or "pass". The winner of the
second part of the auction becomes the declarer, and the bid is the last number the declarer said or
accepted.
If both M and R pass without having bid, then F can either be declarer at the lowest bid (18), or can
throw in the cards without play. If the cards are thrown in there is no score for the hand, and the next
dealer deals.
Examples:
1. F M R
18
yes 20
yes pass (F wins first part)
22
yes 23
yes 24
pass (R is declarer in 24)
2. F M R

pass (F wins first part)

18
yes pass (F is declarer in 18)
3. F M R
18
pass (M wins first part)
20
pass (R is declarer in 20)
To remember whose turn it is to start the bidding, German players sometimes say "geben, hren, sagen"
(deal, listen, speak), pointing in turn to dealer, forehand and middlehand. If middlehand forgets to begin,
forehand can start procedings by saying "I'm forehand" or "I'm listening", or "Speak to me!".
Return to contents.
The Possible Contracts

If you win the bidding you are entitled to pick up the two skat cards, add them to your hand without
showing them to the other players, and discard any two cards face down. The cards discarded may
include one or both of the cards picked up, and their value counts along with your tricks. Having
discarded, you declare your game. If you looked at the skat, your contract is a skat game. There are seven
possibilities:
Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, Clubs (in which the named suit is trumps and the declarer tries to take at
least 61 card points),
Grand (in which the jacks are the only trumps and the declarer tries to take at least 61 card points),
Null (in which there are no trumps and the declarer tries to lose every trick),
Null Ouvert (Open Null) (like Null but with declarer's cards are exposed).
You may choose not to look at the skat cards, but to play with the 10 cards you were originally dealt. If
you don't look at the skat you are playing a hand game, and again there are seven possibilities: Diamonds
Hand, Hearts Hand, Spades Hand, Clubs Hand, Grand Hand, Null Hand and Null Ouvert Hand. In this
case no one must look at the skat cards until after the play.
If you are declarer in a Suit Hand or Grand Hand game, you can increase the value of the game by
announcing Schneider (undertaking to win at least 90 card points), or Schwarz (undertaking to win all
the tricks), or Open (Ouvert) (undertaking to win all the tricks with your cards exposed). Such
announcements must be made before the lead to the first trick. These announcements are not allowed if
declarer has looked at the skat. Also (obviously) they do not apply in Null games.
Return to contents.

The Play
Play is clockwise. No matter who is the declarer, forehand always leads to the first trick. Players must
follow suit if they can. A player with no card of the suit led may play any card. Note that in Suit and
Grand games the jacks belong to the trump suit, not to the suits marked on them. For example if hearts
are trumps, the jack of clubs is the highest heart, and has nothing whatever to do with the club suit.
A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, unless it contains a trump, in which case the highest
trump wins it. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
If you are declarer in a Suit or Grand game you win if the cards in your tricks plus the skat contain at
least 61 card points. The opponents win if their combined tricks contain at least 60 card points.
If the declarer's opponents take 30 points or fewer in tricks, they are Schneider. If they take 31 or more
they are said to be out of Scheider. If they take no tricks at all, they are Schwarz. The same applies to the
declarer - as declarer, you are Schneider if you win 30 card points or less including the skat, and Schwarz
if you lose every trick. Note that Schwarz depends on tricks not points - if a side wins just one trick and it
has no card points in it, that is sufficient to get them out of Schwarz.
If you are declarer in Null or Null Ouvert, you win the game if you manage to lose every trick. If you
take a trick, you have lost and the play of the hand ceases at that point.
If you are declarer in an Open (Ouvert) contract - i.e. you are playing Null Ouvert or have announced
Open in a Suit or Grand contract - you have to spread out your hand face up on the table before the lead
to the first trick. Play then proceeds normally, and you play from your exposed hand. The opponents are
not allowed to discuss tactics.
Return to contents.
Calculating the Value of the Game

Suit and Grand contracts
The value of a Suit or Grand contract is obtained by multiplying together two numbers: the base value
and the multiplier. The base value depends on the trump suit as follows:
Contract Base value
Diamonds 9
Hearts 10
Spades 11
Clubs 12
Grand 24
The multiplier is the sum of all applicable items from the following table:
Multiplier Skat game Hand game

Matadors (with or against) 1 each 1 each

Game (always applies) 1 1
Hand (declarer did not look at the skat) n/a 1
Schneider (one side took 90 or more card points) 1 1
Schneider announced n/a 1
Schwarz (one side took every trick) 1 1
Schwarz announced n/a 1
Open n/a 1
(n/a = not applicable)
Note that all applicable multipliers count - for example

if you make the opponents Schwarz, you count the matadors game, Schneider and Schwarz
multipliers;
if you announce and make Schneider you count matadors, game, Hand, Schneider and Schneider
announced;
if you announce and make Schwarz you count matadors, game, Hand, Schneider, Schneider
announced, Schwarz, Schwarz announced.
Open contracts are extremely rare: you can only play open if you did not look at the skat and you also
undertake to win every trick. By implication, an open contract includes announcements of Schneider and
Schwarz,so you count: matadors, game, Hand, Schneider, Schneider announced, Schwarz, Schwarz
announced, and Open.
Matadors
The jack of clubs and any top trumps in unbroken sequence with it are called matadors. If as declarer you
have such a sequence in your original hand plus the skat, you are with that number of matadors. If there
is such a sequence in the opponents' combined hands, declarer is against that number of matadors.
Examples of matadors (Hearts are trumps)
Declarer has: Declarer is:
J, J, J, A, 10, Q, 9 with 1
J, J, J, J, A, 10, K with 7
J, J, A, K, Q, 7 against 1
J, A, 10, K, Q, 7 against 3
Note that for the purposes of matadors, cards in the skat count as part of declarer's hand, even though in a
Hand game declarer does not know what is in the skat when choosing the game.
The game multiplier is always counted, whether declarer wins or loses. The calculation of the value of a
game sounds something like this: "with 2, game 3, Schneider 4, 4 times spades is 44". The declarer must
always be with or against at least one matador (the jack of clubs must be somewhere), so the smallest
possible multiplier is 2, and the smallest possible game value (and the lowest possible bid) is 18.

Null contracts
These are easy to score. Each possible Null contract has a fixed value unaffacted by multipliers. As with
all contracts, an unsuccessful declarer loses twice the value of the game. The Null values are:
Contract Fixed Value Amount lost if unsuccessful
Null ..... 23 ..... 46
Null Hand ..... 35 ..... 70
Null Ouvert ..... 46 ..... 92
Null Ouvert Hand ..... 59 ..... 118
These rather eccentric looking numbers are chosen to fit between the other contract values, each being
slightly below a multiple of 12. (Before the rule change of 1st Jan 1999, Null Hand cost only 35 when
lost and Null Ouvert Hand cost only 59 - see scoring variations.)
Return to contents.
The Scoring
If declarer wins the game and the value of the game is as least as much as the bid, then the value of the
game is added to the declarer's cumulative score.
If the declarer loses the game and the value of the game is as least as much as the bid, then twice the
value of the game is subtracted from the declarer's score.
If the value of the declarer's game turns out to be less than the bid then the declarer automatically loses -
it does not matter how many card points were taken. The amount subtracted from the declarer's score is
twice the least multiple of the base value of the game actually played which would have fulfilled the bid.
Note that the above are the official rules as from 1st January 1999. Before then, scores for lost games
played from the hand were not doubled (see scoring variations).
If as declarer you announce Schneider but take less than 90 card points, or if you announce Schwarz or
Open and lose a trick, you lose, counting all the multipliers you would have won if you had succeeded.
Example: Middlehand holds J, J, 10, K, 9, 8, A, A, 10, 7, and decides to play

Clubs Hand. This should normally be worth 48 game points ("against 2, game 3, hand 4, 4 time clubs is
48"). Rearhand has a Null Ouvert and bids up to 46, to which M says yes. M plays clubs hand and takes
74 card points (including the skat cards), but unfortunately the skat contains J, Q. M is therefore
with 1 matador (not against 2 as expected), and the game is worth only 36 ("with 1, game 2, hand 3 times
clubs"), which is less than the bid. M therefore loses 96 game points (twice the 48 points which would be
the minimum value in clubs which would fulfill the bid). Had M taken (say) 95 card points, the
Schneider multiplier would have increased the value of the game to 48 ("with 1, game 2, hand 3,
schneider 4 times clubs") and M would have won 48 game points.
Normally a running total of each player's score is kept on paper. At the end of a session (to be fair, each

player should have dealt an equal number of times), the players settle up according to the differences
between their scores. Between each pair of players, the one with the lower score pays the one with the
higher score the difference in their scores multiplied by the stake.
Example: A, B and C are playing for 5 Pfennig a point. At the end the scores are A: 96, B: 30, C: -8.
Then B pays A 66 x 0.05 = 3.30, C pays A 104 x 0.05 = 5.20, and C pays B 38 x 0.05 = 1.90. So
the net result is that A wins DM 8.50, B loses DM 1.40 and C loses DM 7.10.
A side effect of the method of scoring is that if there are four players at the table, the dealer of a hand is
effectively against the declarer, winning or losing the same as the declarer's opponents.
Return to contents.
Variations
Tournament scoring
In tournaments organised by the Deutscher Skatverband, the game is played with four players at each
table (with dealer sitting out of each hand) wherever possible. A session generally consists of 48 deals. A
small number of three-player tables may be formed if necessary, depending on the number of players in
the tournament; at these table 36 deals are played.
The scoring is modified somewhat to reduce the difference in value between the different contracts. At
the end of the session:
each player scores 50 extra points for each contract they won as declarer;
each player loses 50 points for each contract they lost as declarer;
for each lost contract, at a four-player table the other three players (including the dealer for that
hand) score an extra 30 points each; at a three-player table the two opponents of the declarer score
40 points each.
Kontra and Rekontra

This variation is very widely played in social games. Either opponent of the declarer, at any time before
they play their card to the first trick, may say kontra. This doubles the score for the contract, whether
won or lost. The declarer may immediately answer with rekontra, which doubles the score again.
Note that it is the score that is doubled, not the value of the contract. For example suppose I bid up to 20,
look at the skat, and play in diamonds. I am only with one matador, but am hoping to make the
opponents schneider. One of the opponents says Kontra, and in the play I win 85 card points. As I am
with 1, the game value is 18, so I have overbid (the Kontra does not affect this). So I lose based on the
lowest multiple of diamonds which would have been sufficient, namely 27. I lose double because I
looked at the skat and the score is doubled again for the Kontra, so I lose 108 game points altogether.
There is some variation as to when Kontra and Rekontra can be said. Some Kontra can only be said
before the first lead (and a declarer who is Forehand must wait before leading to give the opponents an
opportunity to Kontra).

A variation occasionally met with is that you are not allowed to Kontra if you passed an opportunity to
bid 18 or say yes to 18. For example, A is forehand, B bids 18 to A and A passes; C also passes. A will
not now be allowed to kontra B's contract, because A failed to say yes to B's 18 bid. On the other hand,
C can Kontra, because C would have had to say at least 20 to enter the bidding - C never had an
opportunity to bid 18. The thinking behind this variation is that a player with a good hand should bid -
they should not be allowed to pass and lie in wait, ready to Kontra another player.
Ramsch
This is also very widely played. If Middlehand and Rearhand pass, and Forehand also does not want to
play a contract, the cards are not thrown in, but a game of Ramsch is played. Ramsch can be thought of
as a punishment for a player who does not bid with good cards. The rank and value of the cards is the
same as in Grand, but the object is to avoid taking card points. Players keep their tricks individually, and
whoever takes the most card points loses.
There are many varieties of Ramsch. The players need to agree in advance on the following rules:
What happens to the Skat?
In the simplest version, everyone plays with the cards they were originally dealt. A popular
variation is Schieberamsch, in which each player in turn may pick up the skat cards, and discard
two cards face-down to be picked up by the next player. (Notice this happens in order - not
simultaneously as in Hearts - in Schieberamsch you pick up the cards before deciding on your
discard). Forehand has the first chance to exchange the skat, then Middlehand, and finally
Rearhand, whose discards are then left face-down until the end of the play. A player who is brave
enough to play without exchanging cards can pass them on without looking at them; this action
doubles the score for the hand. Some players do not allow jacks to be passed on; other players
allow anything to be passed.
Who gets the card points in the Skat?
There are three options here:
1. the skat goes to the winner of the last trick;
2. the skat goes to the player who had most points without the skat, thus increasing that
player's loss;
3. no one gets the points in the skat.
How much does the loser lose?
In simple Ramsch the loser loses a fixed amount - for example 10 points. More usual is the version
called Augenramsch (point Ramsch), in which the amount lost is the number of card points taken.
What happens if there is a tie for most card points?
If two players tie, they both lose. Ssome play that they both lose the full amount; others play that
they share the loss, losing half each. If all three players tie there is no score.
What happens when someone takes no tricks?
A player who takes no tricks is called a virgin (Jungfrau). In Augenramsch, this doubles the
amount lost by the loser is doubled. In simple Ramsch the loser loses 15 rather than 10. Note that
to be a virgin you have to take no tricks; a trick with no card points in it is sufficient for you to lose

your virginity.
What happens when someone takes all the tricks?
In this case there are two virgins, and in simple Ramsch the loser loses 20 points. In Augenramsch
you could play that the loser loses four times the number of card points taken (i.e. 480). However,
most people play that if you succeed in winning all the tricks in Augenramsch you win 120 points.
If you like playing Ramsch, it is possible to play it as a game in its own right. That is, you just play
Ramsch on every hand. See the Schieberamsch page for a description of how this works.
Bockrounds and Ramschrounds

A Bockround is a round (i.e. 3 consecutive deals when there are 3 players; 4 deals when there are 4
players) played for double stakes (i.e. double scores). Note that this doubling only affects the final scores
on the scoresheet; the bids and game values are unaffected. It is usual to play a Bockround after some
special event; the events which cause a Bockround should be agreed before the game. Possibilities are:
a hand where the declarer and the opponents take 60 points each
a successful Kontra - i.e. the opponents Kontra and the declarer loses
a successful Grand Hand
any Rekontra
a player's cumulative score being some special number - for example a multiple of 100, or a
number with 3 or more digits all equal, such as 222.
Note that if you have too many of these, you will end up playing for double score all the time, and you
might as well have just agreed to double the stake and not have bothered with the Bockrounds.
If you play with Bockrounds, you also need to agree the following rules:
What happens if an event causing a new Bockround happens before the current Bockround is over
- or several Bockround events happen at the same time? You can decide to play the Bockrounds
consecutively (which can take a long time) or simultaneously (for example 3 simultaneous
Bockrounds multiply the stake by 8 - this makes certain hands very expensive).
What happens to uncompleted Bockrounds when you want to finish the session?
Some people like to play a round of compulsory Ramsch after each Bockround, or after every third
Bockround. Ramschrounds are played according to the rules of Schieberamsch, including the possibility
of playing Grand Hand. A Ramschround consists of as many hands of Ramsch as there are players; a
Grand Hand does not count towards completing the Ramschround, and after a Grand Hand the same
player deals again.
Schenken
If the opponents decide at the start of the play that they cannot defeat the declarer, they can give up
(schenken). If the declarer accepts, the score is as though the game was won simply (i.e. with 61-89 card
points). The declarer can insist on playing on, but in that case has to make the opponents Schneider to
win. The score in this case is as for an announced Schneider (but without the hand multiplier if it is not a
hand game). If the declarer goes on the opponents can schenken again, giving the declarer the Schneider.
The declarer can accept Schneider or insist on playing on for Schwarz.

The normal way of giving up is for one opponent to say "schenken". The other then either agrees, in
which case they are offering to give up, or disagrees, in which case play continues as though nothing had
happened.
There are some tricky ethical problems about this variation (for which as far as I know there are no
standard answers), for example:
Exactly when are you allowed to say schenken?
If your partner refuses can you say it again?
To what extent can you use an offer of schenken to convey information to your partner about your
hand?
Some people play that if the bid is 18 and the contract is diamonds, or the bid is 20 and the contract is
diamonds or hearts, then the hand is automatically conceded by the opponents and won simply by the
declarer, unless the opponents Kontra or the declarer makes some additional announcement (such as
open or Spitze).
Spitze
This is an announcement that the declarer will win the last trick with the lowest trump - the 7 in a suit
contract or the jack of diamonds in a Grand. It is announced verbally, or by reversing the card in your
hand so that the face is visible to the opponents. Spitze increases the value of your game by one
multiplier. In order to win, you have to win the last trick with the lowest trump in addition to taking 61 or
more card points. If you fail in either, you lose.
You can announce more than one Spitze - in fact you can produce any unbroken sequence of trumps
including the lowest and contract to win an unbroken series of tricks with them at the end of the hand.
This is worth one extra multiplier per card - for example contracting to win the last 3 tricks with the
9-8-7 of trumps is worth 3 extra multipliers.
Scoring and contract variations

Two changes to the scoring were introduced at 1st January 1999 when the German (DSkV) and
International (ISPA) rules were unified. These changes seem to have been swiftly adopted by Skat clubs
in Germany, but the older rules may well still be found, especially in provate games. The main
description on this page now follows the new rules. The differences in the older rules were as follows.
1. Until the end of 1998, the amount subtracted from declarar's for losing a game played from the
hand was not doubled, according to the official rules. The declarer lost twice the value of the game
only in games where the skat was taken. Many people regret this rule change, since it removes one
of the incentives for playing hand games.
2. Until the end of 1998, Grand Ouvert had its own base value of 36, and the open multiplier was not
counted when Grand Ouvert was played.
Here are some other scoring variations that may be encountered. These have no official status.
Until the 1930's, the base value of Grand was 20 not 24. A few people still play with the base
value of Grand as 20.
Some people do not recognise the Null Hand contract.

Some people value Null Ouvert Hand at 69 rather than 59.

Some people allow a contract of Revolution worth 92 which is like Null Ouvert with the additional
feature that after the declarer's cars are exposed the opponents can look at each other's cards and
rearrange the cards between their two hands in any way they wish before the start of the play.
Open contracts
Some people play that declarer's cards are not exposed until after the first lead, or after the first trick.
Some people allow the declarer to play any contract open, adding an extra multiplier to the game value.
Some score contracts played open as double value. Some play open contracts as double value if exposed
before the first lead, but adding one multiplier if exposed after the first trick.
Rum
In this variation, the declarer can score an extra multiplier when using the skat in a suit or grand contract
by showing the skat cards to the opponents before picking them up. ("Der Skat geht rum"). This variation
is not recommended - there is very little advantage to the opponents in seeing the original skat (as
opposed to the declarer's discards) so the multiplier is too easy to score.
Playing with a pot

Gamblers may like to play with a pot. This can work in various ways. A common scheme would be that
everyone puts a small amount in the pot at the start or when it is empty. Any declarer who loses a
contract (or a Ramsch) pays to the pot as well as to the other players. The contents of the pot are won by
a player who wins a Grand Hand. If you play and lose a Grand Hand you have to double the pot.
Texas Skat
Texas Skat differs from German (or International) Skat as follows:
Value of Null
Null is worth 20 points, Null Hand is 30, Null Ouvert is 40 and Null Ouvert Hand is 60.
Value of Grand
The base value of Grand is 16 points.
Schneider
The declarer (known here as "the player") needs at least 91 card points to make the opponents
Schneider. With 30 card points the opponents are out of Schneider. However, the declarer needs 31
points to be out of Schneider, as in Germany.
Announcing Schneider, Schwarz and Ouvert
In Texas Skat you can announce Schneider, Schwarz and Ouvert even after you look at the skat.
Announcing Ouvert doubles the value of the game rather than adding a multiplier.
Example: Grand Ouvert with 4 would score: "with four, game 5, Schneider 6, Schneider
announced 7, schwarz 8, schwarz announced 9, open (ouvert) 18; 18 times 16 is 288 points".

Ramsch
If all pass and Forehand does not wish to play a game, Ramsch is played. The skat is not looked at
until the end of the play and then goes to the winner of the last trick. If everyone takes at least one
trick, the player who took the fewest card points scores 10 game points. If two players tie for
fewest, the one who did not take the last trick as between them scores 10. If all three tie with 40
each, Forehand scores 10. If one player takes no tricks, that player scores 20 instead of 10. If two
players takes no tricks, the player who won all the tricks loses 30 points.
Looking at the discard
A declarer who looked at the skat is permitted to look again at the discarded skat cards at any time
before the first card has been played to the second trick.
Tournee Skat
This game is played in Wisconsin, USA. It corresponds to a form of Skat played in Germany in the 19th
century but no longer known there. There are several significant differences from modern German Skat.
There are no Skat contracts in the usual sense (where you pick up the skat, discard, and then choose a
trump suit). The only possible games are as follows:
Tournee
The declarer turns the top card of the skat face up and has two options:
1. accept the suit of this card as trump; then pick up both cards without showing the second
one and discard two cards face down;
2. pick up the first card and turn the second skat card face up; the suit of the second card
automatically becomes trump; declarer then picks up the second card as well and discards
two cards face down.
If either card is a jack, the declarer may choose either Grand or the nominal suit of the card.
The base values of tournee contracts are:
diamonds 5
hearts 6
spades 7
clubs 8
grand 12
If the game is lost, the amount lost is the value of the game if the first card was used to make
trumps, but double this amount if the second card was used.
Solo
These are similar to the Hand contracts in German Skat. There is no Hand multiplier and lost
games are not scored double: the amount lost if the game is lost is just the game value. The base
values are:
diamonds 9
hearts 10

spades 11
clubs 12
grand 20
Guckser
The declarer picks up the skat, discards two cards, and must play Grand. The base value is 16. If
the game is lost, the score is doubled.
Null
The skat is not used. A simple Null is worth 20 and a Null Ouvert is worth 40. The same amount is
lost if the game is lost (no double).
Ramsch
If all pass a simple Ramsch is played, as in Texas Skat. The player who takes fewest card points
wins 10 game points, or 20 for taking no trick. If two players take no trick the third player loses 30
game points.
In Tournee Skat the declarer needs 91 card points to make the opponents Schneider - with 30 points they
are out. However, the declarer needs 31 points to be out of Schneider, as in Germany.
Return to contents
Other Skat WWW sites

The Skat home page
As well as an introduction to Skat, this site has some advice on tactics, club and tournament
information (mainly USA based), and Skat software to download.
Michael Fischer's Cutesoft Page
From here you can download his Skat and Schafkopf computer programs.
Lothar Stobbe's Skat page
This page (mainly in German) contains information about tournaments, Skat courses and seminars,
literature, software, links to other pages, and a monthly Skat problem.
Erik Reischl's Skat-Ecke
Reviews of software and books, Skat glossary and over 60 links, and Erik's own Skat programs.
(German language)
Jan Mahler's Internet Skat
A program and server for playing Skat over the Internet. Free during beta test.
Skat 2010 Skat 2095 Skat 3000
Skat programs for Windows and DOS. Skat 2095 has animations by Uli Stein (CD and shareware
versions)
International Skat Players' Association
The ISPA promote Skat and organise tournaments in many countries, as well as running a world

championship.
www.skat-sport.de
A fairly large Skat site in German, containing rules, details of clubs and trips and further links.
Skatbund "Carl Stlpner"
A German language Skat site based at Chemnitz, which as well as rules and links includes bitmaps
or both French and German suited Skat cards.
Texas Skat League
This page contains a short history of the League, the Texas rules, and details of tournaments.
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Rules of Card Games: Slovenian Tarok
Slovenian Tarok
This page is based on a contribution from Zoran Obradovic.
Introduction
Cards
The Contracts - a summary
Bonuses
Playing Procedure
Deal
Bidding
Calling a King
Announcements
Exchanging cards with the Talon
The Play
Scoring
Detailed descriptions of the announcements and bonuses
Variations
The Five Player Game
The Three Player Game
Other Slovenian Tarok WWW pages and Software
Introduction
This is the Slovenian version of the central european Tarot games. It is closely related to Austrian tarock - for example the four player
form is similar to Austrian Knigrufen - but because of the differences in contracts and scoring, it is less baroque and much more
competitive. There are quite a few small variations in the rules, some of which are mentioned after the main description.
Technically, Tarok is a point trick game with bidding. The cards have values; players bid to decide who will be declarer; then tricks are
played and the declarer's side wins if they take more than half the card points. In some contracts declarer can choose a partner by
specifying a king.
That is the basic game, but a lot of extra variety has been added. There are other possible contracts with different objectives, and players
can earn bonuses for feats achieved during the game, such as winning the last trick with the lowest trump. Such feats can be announced
in advance for extra points.
The four player version of Slovenian Tarok is described first. This is the most popular form for social play. The same game can be
played by five people, by the simple expedient of having one player sit out of each hand. Many serious players prefer the more
demanding three player game, in which there is less variety, but greater scope for scientific play.
Cards
The Tarok pack has 54 cards; it is essentially the same as the pack used for Tarock in Austria, and for Taroky in the Czech Republic and
Slovakia. There are 8 cards in each of the four suits Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds, plus 22 trumps (taroks). The highest tarok,
the kis (pronounced shkiss), looks rather like a Joker. The second highest trump (XXI) is called the Mond and the lowest trump (I) is
called the Pagat. The black suits rank from highest to lowest: King, Queen, Knight, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7. The red suits rank from highest to
lowest: King, Queen, Knight, Jack 1, 2, 3, 4.
Identification of the cards. The taroks all have large roman numerals except for the kis. In the four suits, the king has a crown, the
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queen is female, the knight rides a horse, and the jack is the other picture cards. The numeral cards are identified by counting the spots
on them (there is no corner index).
kis Mond Pagat Spade king Heart queen Club knight Diamond jack
The point values of the cards are as follows:

kings 5 each
kis, XXI (mond) and I (pagat) 5 each
queens 4 each
knights 3 each
jacks 2 each
all other cards 1 each
The process for finding the total point value of a pile of cards may seem slightly strange: for each set of three cards you add up their
values and subtract 2. If at the end of your counting you have one or two odd cards left over they are worth one point less than their total
value. (So 2 or 3 one-point cards are worth 1 point, but a single one-point card is worth nothing). The total value of the pack comes to
70 card points. This traditional point counting method, which is common to most forms of tarot, is further discussed and explained on a
separate page: counting card points in tarot gems.
In a positive contract, the declarer's side wins if at the end of the play they have at least 36 of the available 70 points.

In each hand the declarer is the player who is prepared to undertake the highest contract. This is decided by bidding, so in order to
understand the bidding, you first need to know what contracts are possible. The available contracts are here listed in ascending order,
with their scores and brief descriptions. Further details of the contracts are given later.
The first two contracts listed (klop and three) are only available to Forehand (the player to dealer's right), in the case when all the other
players pass.
name score description
klop (sometimes called klopecki) minus (points taken) or 70 avoid taking points; no bonuses; available to forehand only
call a king; take 3 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card
three (tri or trojka) 10 + difference
points; available to forehand only
call a king; take 2 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card
two (dva or dve or dvojka) 20 + difference
points
one (ena or enka or enojka or enica) 30 + difference call a king; take 1 card from the talon; win at least 36 card points
play alone; take 3 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card
solo three (solo tri) 40 + difference
points
play alone; take 2 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card
solo two (solo dva) 50 + difference
points

solo one (solo ena) 60 + difference play alone; take 1 card from the talon; win at least 36 card points
beggar (bera) 70 play alone; take no tricks; no bonuses
play alone; no cards from the talon; win at least 36 card points;
solo without (solo brez or brez talona) 80
no bonuses
play alone; take no tricks; declarer's cards are exposed; no
open beggar (odprti bera) 90
bonuses
play alone; no cards from the talon; taroks are not trumps; win
colour valat without (barvni valat brez) 125
all tricks; no bonuses
valat without (valat brez) 500 play alone; no cards from the talon; win all tricks; no bonuses
In the above table "difference" is the difference between the card points taken and 35, rounded to the nearest 5 points.
Bonuses
Bonuses are additional ways of winning game points in the "normal" contracts (three, two, one, solo three, solo two, solo one). Most
bonuses can be scored without prior announcement, or can be announced in adavance for a double score. Just the scores and brief
descriptions are given here; further details of bonuses are explained later.
bonus unannounced announced description
trula 10 20 take kis, XXI and I in tricks
kings 10 20 take all 4 kings in tricks
king ultimo 10 20 win the called king in the last trick (only the called player can announce this)
pagat ultimo 25 50 win the last trick with the pagat (tarok I) (only the holder of the pagat can announce this)
valat 250 500 win all the tricks - in this case no other bonuses count
Except for valat, the scores for the game and bonuses are independent of each other. A team may win some and lose others, so a player
may have conflicting objectives during a hand. It is quite possible to win the game and yet lose points because the bonuses were worth
more than the game.
The score for valat eliminates all other scores for the hand.
Playing Procedure
The game is played anticlockwise. The first dealer is selected by cutting the pack (highest card deals), and the turn to deal rotates
anticlockwise after each hand.
The sequence of events on each deal is as follows:
1. The cards are dealt
2. The players bid to decide who will be declarer
3. The declarer calls a king, if the contract requires it
4. The declarer exchanges some cards with the talon, if the contract requires it
5. There is a round of announcements, when bonuses and kontras can be announced
6. The cards are played out in tricks
7. The cards taken by each team are counted to determine the result
8. The score for the hand is recorded
Deal
Dealer shuffles, gives the cards to the opposite player to cut, then deals in packets of six cards. The first packet is placed face-down in
the middle of the table, to form the talon. Then packets of six are dealt to the players, starting to the dealer's right, until all cards are
dealt. It is crucial that the talon cards are dealt in a bunch from the top of the pack without any shuffling or interchanging of cards.

Instead of cutting, the player opposite the dealer is allowed to "knock", or tap the pack of cards. They must then be dealt as follows: the
first six cards to the talon, then four packets of 12 cards. Each player in anticlockwise rotation, starting with the player to dealer's right,
chooses whether they will have the first, second, third or fourth packet. If the first player choses to have the first cards, the others do not
get a choice, but are automatically assigned the second, the third, and the fourth pack of twelve in rotation. If the first player chooses the
first cards he can also specify whether the talon is to be dealt first (as usual), or immediately after the first player's cards, or at the end.
Hand with no taroks
If any player is dealt no taroks that player must immediately show all his cards. All the players must then throw in their hands;
the cards are shuffled and cut again, there is a new deal by the same dealer, and a game of compulsory klop is played.
Misdeal
If the dealer misdeals (giving out the wrong number of cards, dealing in the wrong order, exposing cards during the deal, etc), 20
points are subtracted from his score, and he gets an asterisk by his name. If the same player misdeals again, he loses a further 40
points, and gets another asterisk. If it happens a third time he will lose 80, then 160, and so on. The player who misdealt deals
again.
The kis round
When the players wish to end the game - maybe at a certain time, like 4:00 AM, or when a player reaches a certain score - usually
1000 - or when the players are simply too sleepy or too drunk or too fed up to continue with the session), the kis round is
played. The cards are dealt and a hand is played as usual, but at the end the players note who received the kis in the deal. The
next time that it is this person's turn to deal, the hand they deal will be the last one of the session. For example, if in the kis
round, the dealer gets the kis, another four hands will be played after that one. If the kis is in the talon, another kis round is
played to determine who will deal last.
Bidding
After the deal, the auction starts. The player to dealer's right ("forehand") says nothing and waits for the other players to announce their
bids. Each player in turn after that must either bid by naming a contract or pass. Once having passed a player may not re-enter the
auction. The auction continues until three players have passed consecutively, and the last player to have bid becomes declarer.
During the bidding there is an order of priority, starting with forehand (highest) and continuing anticlockwise around the table to dealer
(lowest). When bidding a contract, if you have lower priority than the previous bidder you must bid a higher contract or pass, but if you
have higher priority than the previous bidder it is sufficient to bid an equal or higher contract.
Example:
The players in anticlockwise order are A (forehand), B, C and D.
B bids "two", C passes. Now if D wants to bid, the minimum bid is "one", because B has priority over D. If D passes then A is
allowed to bid "two", which overcalls B's "two", because A has priority over B.
If the three players other than forehand just pass, forehand is now free to name any contract. This is the only case in which the first two
contracts in the list (klop and three) can be played.
If someone other than forehand does bid, then the final bidder is the declarer. This player now names the contract they will play; this
can be the last contract they bid (or held) or any higher contract.
Compulsory klop
In certain circumstances a hand of compulsory klop has to be played. In this case the bids from three to beggar inclusive are
unavailable. The lowest possible bid is solo without, and if (as will often happen) the other three players pass, forehand has the
choice of naming solo without or higher, or playing a klop. Most of the time, klop will be played.
Compulsory klop is played after a player's cumulative score reaches exactly zero (see scoring) and after a player is dealt no
taroks.
Calling a King
If the contract is one in which declarer gets a partner, the declarer names a suit. The holder of the king of that suit becomes declarer's
partner but does not tell anyone who they are. The partnerships are sometimes not discovered until quite late in the hand.
It is legal to call your own king. In this case you play on your own against the other three players in partnership, but they will not realise
at first that they are all on the same side. This is generally not a very good idea, because declaring a solo game will bring you 30 points
more.
You also play alone if the called king happens to be in the talon.

Exchanging cards with the talon

In contracts which entitle the declarer to take cards from the talon, the talon is now exposed in two sets of three cards, three sets of two
cards, or as individual cards, depending on the contract. Declarer chooses one of the sets and adds the cards to his hand. The talon cards
which the declarer does not take are put in a face down pile and count as part of the opponents' tricks. If a king was called, the pile of
rejected talon cards must at first be kept separate from the opponents' tricks, since some of the players do not yet know who is on which
side. After taking the chosen set of cards into his hand, declarer then discards the same number of cards face down into his trick pile.
Five point cards (kings and cards of the trula) may never be discarded; other trumps can be discarded freely but must be discarded face
up, so that all the players know how many trumps are in play.
If the king called by the declarer happens to be in the talon, then the declarer can win the remainder of the talon (the part not taken) by
taking the part of the talon that contains the called king, and winning a trick with the king. When the called king is played, the
remainder of the talon is tossed face up on top of it, so that it is collected by the winner of the trick.
Colour valat (barvni valat)
If the contract is solo three, solo two or solo one, the delarer can, after exchanging cards with the talon, increase the contract to
colour valat. This is the normal way in which colour valat arises - colour valat with the talon cannot be bid directly. "Colour
valat without" is normally bid only when a player wanted to play colour valat (and is strong enough to do it without help from the
talon), but another player has outbid the solo games. Colour valat scores 125 points there is no score for the difference, nor for
other bonuses. Note that if a player wants to play a valat with trumps (which is more valuable than colour valat), he play a normal
contract can announce it during the round of announcements (or make it unannounced).
Announcements
There is now a round of announcements. Beginning with the declarer, each player can pass or make one or more announcements on
behalf of her side. An announcement is a statement that you are going for some bonus, or a kontra of something said by the other side.
The round of announcements continues until three players have passed consecutively.
This, at least, is the theory, but in practice the announcements are made in no particular order, and they still turn out fine.
Kontra
During the round of announcements, a member of the defending side may double the score for the game and any difference points by
saying "kontra the game". After this has happened, either member of the declarer's team may double the acore again by saying
"rekontra". Then the defenders can double it again if they wish by saying "subkontra" and finally the declarer's team could say
"mordkontra", by which time the original score for the game and difference has been multiplied by 16.
In the same way, an opponent of a player who has announced a bonus can double the score for the bonus, by saying (for example)
"kontra the king ultimo". The game and bonuses are scored independently, and are therefore kontra'd, rekontra'd, and so on
independently. If you want to say kontra, you must specify exactly what you are saying kontra to. A kontra'd bonus can be rekontra'd by
the team that announced it, subkontra'd by the other side and mordkontra'd by the announcing team.
If a bonus is announced by a player other than the declarer, it may not be clear which team they belong to. Since you are not allowed to
kontra your partner, it is illegal to kontra an announcement unless you know for certain that you are on the opposite team from the
announcer.
The Play
In contracts up to and including solo one, the player to dealer's right (Forehand) leads to the first trick, no matter who is declarer. In the
higher contracts, from beggar upwards, the declarer leads to the first trick. The declarer leads first in a colour valat.
You must follow suit if you can. If you cannot follow suit you must play a trump. The trick is won by the highest card played of the
suit led, unless it contains a trump in which case the highest trump wins (exception: colour valat).
Additional rule for all contracts - The Emperor trick
If the three trula cards, the kis, the XXI (mond) and the I (pagat) are all played to the same trick, then the pagat counts as the
highest trump and therefore wins the trick. (The only exception would be if you were playing a colour valat and led a non-trump;
if the other three cards played to the trick were the trula cards your non-trump would win).
Captured Mond
This rule applies in the "normal" contracts (three, two, one, solo three, solo two, solo one) and in "solo without", but not in the
other contracts. If the kis and the mond (XXI) are played to the same trick, the player of the mond is penalised: 20 points are subtracted

from his score. This penalty applies whether the trick is won by a partner of the player of the mond or by an opponent; it also applies to
the player of the mond in an Emperor trick. It is an individual penalty - the partner(s), if any, of the player of the mond do not lose
anything. The penalty is not affected by any doubles for kontras or radli.
The penalty for captured mond also applies if the mond is found in the talon when it is exposed and the declarer chooses not take
the part of the talon which includes the mond, thus giving it to the opponents. However, if the called king and the mond are found in
different parts of the talon, and the declarer takes the king and wins a trick with it, thus winning the rest of the talon including the
untaken mond, there is no penalty. In "solo without", the declarer does not suffer any penalty if the mond is in the talon.
Additional rules for negative contracts (klop, beggar, open beggar)
1. You must beat the highest card on the table if possible.
2. You are not allowed to play the pagat unless it's the only card you can play (if it's your last card, if it's your only trump, or if
it's the only card that will win the trick - see emperor trick).
The Scoring
A cumulative score is kept on paper. In most cases only the declarer (and the declarer's partner, if he has one) score. In general,
solidarity of partnerships applies, so if the declarer has a partner, both members of the declarer's team will win or lose the same amount.
Anything won by the declarer's side or lost by the opponents is added to declarer's team's score, and anything lost by declarer's team or
won by their opponents is subtracted from declarer's team's score. The exceptions are:
klop, where everyone may score separately;
the penalty for losing the mond, which applies only to the player who lost it;
the penalties for revoking, misdealing, etc, which apply only to the culprit.
The point value of the contract is added to player's score if he wins the game, or subtracted from it if he loses. In a normal contract
(three, two, one, solo three, solo two, solo one) this value is increased by the card point difference. The card point difference is
calculated by subtracting 35 from the card points won by the player(s) and rounded to nearest 5. For example: if a player wins 43 card
points, he has won by 10. If he wins 37 card points he has won with no difference. If he wins 21 points, he has lost by 15.
The value of any bonuses won by the declarer's team are added to their score; if they lose any bonuses, their values are subtracted.
Conversely, if the opposition win any bonuses, their value is subtracted from the declarer's team's score and any bonuses lost by the
opposition are added to the declarer's team's score.
In the higher contracts, beggar and above, the declarer simply either wins or loses the value of the contract. There is no difference and
no bonuses (except that the penalty for losing the mond still applies in "solo without").
The score sheet looks like this:
Ana Boris Cilka David
Radli
The second row of the scoresheet is reserved for radli (also called radlc). (Radl is a word of German descent meaning a little wheel).
These are little circles drawn under each player's name. All four players get a new radl whenever any of the following events happens, :
a klop is played;

a contract of beggar or higher is played;
any kind of valat is won or lost.
The radli are added to the scoresheet immediately after the hand on which the event occured has been scored.
When a declarer wins a contract and the score is calculated, his radli are checked. If the declarer has any outstanding radli from
previous hands, his score (and that of partner, if he has one) for this game are doubled and one of the declarer's radli is annulled (usually
by colouring the circle). If the declarer loses a contract, the score is still doubled, but the radl is not anulled.
If any radli are left over at the end of the night, 100 points are subtracted from the players' score for each uncancelled radl. The idea of
radli is to punish the players who do not declare contracts themselves, but rather wait for other players to call them. Also, some people
consider that bigger scores make the game more fun.
Example
After a few games, the score sheet might look like this:
players Ana Boris Cilka David
radli xoo ooo xoo xoo
1 +40 +40
2 -30 -70
3 +70
4 +120
+100
5
+180 +210
6 +140 +60
7 0
8 +90
Let's see what happened:

In the first game Cilka plays 1, calls Ana, and wins by 10, so their score is 30 (for one) + 10 (the difference) = 40.
In the second game David plays 2, calls Cilka and announces pagat ultimo. Unfortunately, they lose the pagat and the game by 0 points,
20 (for two) + 50 (the announced pagat ultimo) = 70 points are subtracted from their scores.
In the third game, Boris plays beggar (bera) and wins, so his score is 70 and everybody gets a radl.
In the fourth game, Cilka plays solo 3, and announces the trula. She wins by 15 and gets the trula. She has some radli, so her score is
40 (for solo three) + 15 (the difference) + 20 (the announced trula), everything * 2 (the radl) = 150. One of her radli is annulled.
In the fifth game, Ana plays 1 and calls Boris, who announces king ultimo. During the game, Cilka loses her mond to Ana's kis, so 20
points are subtracted from Cilka's score. Ana and Boris win the game by 10 and also win trula, so their score is 30 (for one) + 10 (the
difference) + 20 (the announced king ultimo) + 10 (the trula), everything * 2 (Ana's radl) = 140. One of Ana's radli is annulled.
In the sixth game, Cilka plays 2 and calls Ana. They win only 34 points, so their score is reduced by 20 (for two) + 0 (the difference),
everything * 2 (Cilka's radl) = 40. Cilka's radli reamin as they are.
In the seventh game, Ana plays beggar and loses, so her score is 70 (for the beggar) * 2 (the radl) = 140 and everybody gets another
radl.
Before the eighth game Ana's score is 0, so compulsory klop is played. However, after the cards are dealt, David decides his cards are
too good, so he plays "solo without" and wins. His score is increased by 80 (for solo without) * 2 (the radl) = 160 and everybody gets
another radl.
Usually, no blank lines are left; each player's scores are written in the first available space in the column, so the scores are not aligned
across the page for each hand, as in the diagram.
As already described, the game is traditionally ended by means of a kis round. When the last hand has been played, points are
subtracted from the players' scores for any uncancelled radli (100 points per radl), and the winner is announced.

Renonce
If a player breaks any of the rules (plays the wrong suit, discards wrong number of cards, fails to beat the highest card on the table when
he could have done so in a negative contract, or talks in such a way as to give away information about his cards), he is punished by the
full score of the game (the contract + 35 difference, if appropriate + bonuses, plus kontras and radl).
Detailed descriptions of some contracts and bonuses

Klop:
It's every man for himself. The object of the game is to win as few card points as possible. At any rate you want to avoid losing
(taking more than 35 cards points), and if possible you want to win (take no tricks at all). The additional rules for negative
contracts apply. In addition, in each of the first six tricks a card is turned up from the top of the talon and added to the trick as a
"gift" to the player who won the trick, usually called a "vitamin". As klop is played when everybody passes, the talon cards tend
to be rather juicy.
If a player loses (takes more than 35 card points), he scores minus 70. If a player wins (taking no tricks), his score is +70. If any
player wins or loses, then only the the winners and losers score.
If no one loses and no one wins, the card points taken by each player are rounded to the nearest 5 and subtracted from the player's
score.
If a klop occurs while some players have uncancelled radli, those players' losses are doubled. Any player with an uncancelled radl
who wins a klop scores double (140) and cancels a radl.
Three, two, one:
Declarer chooses a partner by calling a king, and gets to exchange the appropriate number of cards with the talon. The object of
the game is to win at least 36 card points.
The score for the game is (10 or 20 or 30) + bonuses + difference.
Solo three, solo two, solo one:
Declarer plays alone and gets to exchange the appropriate number of cards with the talon. The object of the game is to win at least
36 card points.
The score for the game is (40 or 50 or 60) + bonuses + difference.
Declarer can also raise the contract to colour valat after exchanging with the talon.
Bera (Beggar)
Declarer plays alone and doesn't get to change any cards. The object of the game is to take no tricks. The additional rules for
negative contracts apply. The talon is placed face down in the middle of the table and the declarer starts the game by placing his
card to his side of the talon. Other players do the same. The player who wins the trick places leads the next trick by placing his
card on top of his first card, but doesn't cover it completely, then others do the same. In time, a kind of a cross is formed on the
table.
This manner of playing the cards has no magical meaning. It was rather devised to enable all the players to see all the cards that
have been played so far.
The score for the game is 70.
Solo without:
Declarer plays alone and doesn't get to exchange any cards. The talon (unrevealed) goes to the opposition. The object of the game
is to win at least 36 card points.
The score for the game is 80; no bonuses, no difference.
This contract is rarely bid. It's the last resort if somebody bids beggar and you have a winning hand. It's also used when a
compulsory klop is being played and you just know you're going to lose it.
Odprti bera (Open beggar)
This contract is played the same way as the beggar, except for one major difference. After the first trick is played, the declarer
arranges all his cards face up on the table so that the other players can see them. This makes the contract extremely hard to win.
The declarer's opponents are not allowed to discuss the play.
Colour valat:
Declarer plays alone against the other three players with the object of winning all the tricks, but the trumps function as an
ordinary suit. The declarer leads to the first trick. A player unable to follow suit is still obliged to play a trump, but the trumps do

not win - the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. When a trump is led, players must follow with trumps if possible and
the highest trump wins.
Notes on pagat ultimo and king ultimo

For king ultimo it is good enough for either partner to win the last trick with the called king in it. For pagat ultimo, the pagat
actually has to win the trick - if not, the bonus is lost even if the trick is won by the partner of the person playing the pagat.
If the bonus is not announced, but you play the called king or the pagat to the last trick, you are deemed to be attempting to get
the bonus, and you score minus the appropriate bonus if the pagat is beaten, or your side loses the last trick containing the called
king.
An announced bonus of this type can be lost in three ways:
you play the card to the last trick, but it fails to win (or, in the case of the king, your partner also fails to win);
the card is forced out prematurely;
your side does not possess the card at all (stranger things have happened!).
If the bonus is announced, the side making the announcement is obliged to keep the card until the last trick (if possible).
It is customary to turn the declared card around or to put it face up on the table, so that other players can see it.
Variations
Calling a king
If you have all four kings, and play a three, two or one, you would normally have no option but to call yourself. However, some people
allow a player who holds all the kings to call a card of the trula. In this case a player who holds all the kings and all the trula cards is
allowed to call a trump (but a player with such a good hand should really be playing something higher than one).
Some people allow a player who has three kings to call the fourth by simply saying "the fourth king", without specifying its suit. This
can make things somewhat more difficult for the opponents.
Bidding and contracts

According to many people the winner of the bidding must play the exact contract he bid - he cannot convert to a higher contract (except
in the special case of increasing a solo three, solo two or solo one to colour valat.
Some people allow an additional negative contract called piccolo, in which the object is to win exactly one trick. It ranks between solo
one and bera and is worth 70. Most players do not allow this contract, as it is thought to be too easy. If it is played, it would make
more sense to rank it below solo three, or maybe even between three and two.
Some people allow colour valat to be played with a partner (after exchanging the talon in a contract of three, two or one). This is also
too easy, and most players don't allow it.
In some circles compulsory klop is played when a player's score reaches 500, 1000 or any multiple of 500. Some also play a
compulsory klop after a misdeal.
Bonuses and kontras

Some people allow an extra level of doubling - hirkontra - between subkontra and mordkontra.
Some people play that declarer's team only require 35 points plus one card (rather than 36 points) to win a contract.
A few people play that an unannounced pagat ultimo (won or lost) counts only for or against the holder of the pagat. The partner is not
affected. Some play this only if the pagat ultimo is lost.
Klop
Some people play that in a klop, if the kis has not yet been played it is illegal to lead the XXI (unless it is your last card, or your last
two cards are the mond and the pagat).
Some allow a klop to be kontra'd. If a player says kontra then anyone who takes more than 35 points loses 140 instead of 70. If no one

takes more than 35 points the player who said kontra loses 140.
Bera
The declarer can bid bera holding the kis, gambling on the mond and pagat being held by different players, neither being in the talon.
If you play this variation, the declarer leads the kis to the first trick, and the players who hold the mond and pagat are obliged to play
them, so that the pagat wins an emperor trick. If the mond and pagat do not both appear, the bera has failed.
Colour Valat
Most people allow the declarer to lead his cards in any order, but some players require the declarer to play all his suit cards before
leading any trumps.
Money game
Many people, when playing for money, operate the scoring differently. If the declarer has a partner, each member of the losing team
pays one member of the winning team. If the declarer is alone, he receives from or pays to all three of the other players. Using this
method, it is possible to settle up after each hand by pushing money across the table, or the score is recorded showing the gains and
losses of each player.
This way of scoring increases the value of games played alone relative to those played with a partner. If two players in partnership win
80 then the results for the four players will be +80/+80/-80/-80, which if one player wins 80 points alone, the result will be
+240/-80/-80/-80. In this version, a player whose mond is captured pays 20 to each of the other three players.
If you are paying out after each hand rather than scoring on paper, the management of radli and the scores for klop become rather
complicated. For this reason some people play this form of the game without klop and without radli. If you do play with klop, then if no
one wins or loses, each player pays for the points they took to each of the other three players. A player who wins or loses receives or
pays 70 to all three opponents. If you play with radli, they are represented by some kind of token, such as matchsticks. Players who
have any radli left over at the end of the game pay 100 to each of the other players for each radl they have left.
If playing for high stakes, you may want to dispense with the rounding of difference points to the nearest 5, but pay for them exactly
instead. In that case the penalty for losing the mond becomes 21 rather than 20.
It is also possible to play for money using the paper method of scoring explained in the main description of the game. In that case, at the
end of the game, the average score is worked out, and players pay or receive according to how far they are above or below the average.
The five-player game

The five-player game is virtually identical to the four-player game. The dealer deals the cards to all players but himself and thus finishes
his role in the game. In the next game, the next player deals. The dealer never scores anything. In the money version of the game the
dealer neither pays nor receives anything. However, if an event happens that causes everyone to get a radl, the dealer gets one too.
The three-player game

This is the variant favoured by many good players of tarok. This type of game requires much more concentration than the four player
version, so it's not really suitable for the usual tarok + beer parties. The cards and their values are the same as in the four player game,
and the rules of play are the same, except where specified below.
The player to the left of the dealer cuts the deck (or knocks) and the players are dealt 16 cards each in packets of eight.
Except in klop, the declarer always plays alone against the other two players. The possible contracts are:
name score description
klop (sometimes called klopecki) minus (points taken) or 70 avoid taking points; no bonuses; played only if everyone passes
three (tri or trojka) 10 + difference take 3 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card points
two (dva or dve or dvojka) 20 + difference take 2 cards from the talon; win at least 36 card points
one (ena or enka or enojka or enica) 30 + difference take 1 card from the talon; win at least 36 card points
beggar (bera) 70 play alone; take no tricks; no bonuses

In the three player game, especially when played for money, the card point differences are often scored exactly, not rounded to nearest
5.
Klop cannot be bid, but the other contracts are available to all players. The bidding begins with the player to dealer's right, and
continues around the table anticlockwise. If all three players pass, klop must be played. As in the four player game, players whose first
turn to speak was earlier have seniority in the bidding, and can equal the bids of junior players by holding. A junior player has to bid
higher than a senior player or pass. A player who has passed cannot bid again during the auction.
The winner of the bidding can play the bid contract or convert to a higher one. The talon cards are then exchanged as appropriate, and
there is an opportunity for announcements. The following bonuses are available:
bonus unannounced announced description
trula 10 20 take kis, XXI and I in tricks
kings 10 20 take all 4 kings in tricks
pagat ultimo 25 50 win the last trick with the pagat (tarok I)
valat 250 500 win all the tricks - in this case no other bonuses count
The cards are played as in the four player game, and the hand is scored. In a contract of three, two or one, a player whose mond is
beaten, or who leaves the mond in the talon, pays an individual penalty of 21 points. To end the session, a kis round is played.
Variations of the three player game

Some players allow the higher bids of the four player game: solo without, open beggar, colour valat without and valat without. These
contracts are much rarer with only three players than with four. Also, in this case, a bid of three, two or one can be increased to colour
valat after exchanging the talon.
A player who has been dealt the pagat but no other taroks has a special privilege. During the round of announcements, the player can
announce "Vogel frei", and the pagat is then exempt from the rules of following suit. The pagat can be played to any trick, and it wins
the trick to which it is played, irrespective of what other cards are played to that trick. [I do not know why the announcement of this is in
German. Vogel means bird, which is the pagat - sometimes known in Austria as the sparrow (Spatz), and frei means that it is free - i.e.
can be played any time.]
Some play that the hand can be annulled, after the deal, by any player who has no taroks, or one tarok, or two taroks, both of which are
below the X.
Other Slovenian Tarok WWW pages and software

Here is a Slovenian Tarok page, which offers a Slovenian Tarok computer program for download. The program claims also to support
on-line play as well as play against the computer. The playing-card graphics are very attractive, and allow you to choose the old
Yugoslav national pattern as an alternative to the more usual Austrian style cards. Unfortunately the computer players seem reluctant to
bid. The page with this program is also available in English.
Wesley Welch's www.tarock.net is the web site of an American group that play a version of Slovenian Tarok.


Rules of Card Games: Solo Whist
Solo Whist
This page is partly based on information from Frank O'Shaughnessy and David Morrison.
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The bidding
The play
The scoring
Variations
Solo Whist software
Introduction
Solo Whist is a plain-trick game with trumps and bidding, closely related to the more elaborate and now
obsolete game of Boston. Solo Whist is mainly played in Britain, having been introduced from the low
countries in the late nineteenth century; it is also played to some extent in Australia and New Zealand.
Players and cards

There are four players, each ultimately playing for themselves, though they form temporary alliances -
one against three or two against two - for each hand.
A standard 52 card pack is used, the cards in each suit ranking from high to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
3 2.
The deal
The deal, bidding and play are clockwise. The cards are shuffled by the dealer and cut by the player to
dealer's right. The dealer then deals out all the cards so that everyone has 13. The cards are dealt in
packets of three until only four cards remain. These last four cards are dealt singly, turning the last card
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face up to indicate the prospective trump suit. This exposed card is part of the dealer's hand and can be
picked up by the dealer at the end of the first trick if it was not played to that trick. The turn to deal
passes to the left after each hand.
The bidding
Beginning with the player to dealer's left, each player may pass or bid a contract. The possible bids in
ascending order are as follows:
Contract Score Description
(Proposal) The bidder undertakes to win at least 8 tricks, playing in
Prop partnership with another player yet to be determined, using the suit of
the turned up card as trump.
1 unit (Acceptance) The bidder accepts a proposal (prop) bid made by
another player - if it is not overcalled by a higher bid, these two will
Cop
play together with the turned suit as trump and try to win at least 8
tricks.
The bidder undertakes to win at least 5 tricks, playing alone, using
Solo 1 unit
the suit of the turned up card as trump.
The bidder undertakes to lose every trick, playing alone with no
Misre 2 units
trumps.
The bidder undertakes to win at least 9 tricks playing alone. The
Abundance 3 units
trump suit is chosen by the bidder.
The bidder undertakes to win at least 9 tricks playing alone, using the
Abundance in Trumps 3 units
suit of the turned up card as trump.
The bidder undertakes to lose every trick, playing alone with no
Misre Ouverte 4 units trumps. The bidder's hand is placed face up on the table after the first
trick is complete.
The bidder undertakes to win all 13 tricks, playing alone. There are
Abundance Declared 6 units
no trumps, and the bidder leads to the first trick.
If all four players pass, then the cards are thrown in and next dealer deals. If someone bids, then
subsequent players can either pass or bid higher. The bidding continues around the table as many times
as necessary until the contract is settled - i.e. either there has been a prop and cop and no one has bid
higher, or someone has bid one of the higher contracts and the other three players have passed.
A player who has passed cannot bid later in the auction, except in one case: if the player to dealer's left
passes initially and the only other bid on the first round is a proposal (prop), the player to dealer's left is
allowed to accept (cop). No other player has this privilege.
Of course it is not allowed for a player to bid cop unless another player has already bid prop. If a player
bids prop and everyone else passes, the proposing player has the choice of converting the prop to a solo

or any higher bid. If the proposer does not wish to do this the cards are thrown in and the next player
deals.
When bidding abundance (or abundance declared), you do not announce the trump suit along with the
bid, but wait until the other players have passed and then announce trumps immediately before the first
lead. Any of the four suits can be chosen as trumps, including the suit of the exposed card. The bid of
abundance in trumps is only used to overcall another player's bid of abundance.
The play
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick (unless the bid is abundance declared, in which case
the bidder leads).
Any card may be led to a trick. The other three players must play a card of the same suit if they can. A
player with no card of the led suit may play any card.
If any trumps are played to a trick, it is won by the highest trump played. If there are no trumps in a trick,
it is won by the highest card played in the suit that was led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The scoring
Players generally settle up in money after each deal. The score for each bid is given in the table of bids
above. In a prop and cop, the play is two against two; if the bidders make their 8 tricks or more, each
receives 1 unit and each of their opponents pays 1 unit; if they fail the bidders each pay 1 and each
opponent receives 1. In all the other bids, the bidder is paid by all three opponents if successful and pays
all three if the bid fails. So for example, you win 3 units in total (1 from each opponent) if you make a
Solo, and 9 in total if you make an abundance.
Variations
Some play with just a single round of bidding. Each player has only one opportunity to speak except in
the following two cases:
1. the player to dealer's left, having originally passed, can still accept a proposal;
2. a player whose proposal is not accepted can raise the bid to solo.
"Prop and cop" is considered by some to be uninteresting to play, so some players do not allow these
bids; the lowest bid allowed is Solo.
To increase the proportion of hands with uneven distributions with which higher bids are possible, some
play that the cards are shuffled only at the start of a session and after a bid of abundance or higher.
Otherwise, the cards are simply gathered together by the new dealer and the player to the dealer's right
cuts. In this version the cards are often dealt in packets of 3 and 4 - for example 4-3-3-3, 3-4-3-3,
3-3-4-3, 3-3-3-4.
Instead of turning the dealer's last card for trump, some cut a card from a second pack. Others go through

the trump suits in cyclic order: hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades, hearts, etc.
Some play that if a hand is passed out, the cards are gathered together without shuffling and the next
hand is dealt as a "goulash" (packets of 5 + 3 + 5 instead of 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 1).
Some play that if everyone passes a special game is played with no trumps. This game is sometimes
called "misery" and there are various forms of it, such as:
the object is to lose the last trick: the winner of the last trick pays the other three players as for a
lost solo;
the object is to avoid tricks: the player who wins fewest tricks wins as for a solo;
the first player who takes five tricks pays as for a lost solo; if no one takes five, the loser is the first
player who takes four tricks.
Some play abundance declared with a trump suit chosen by the bidder. Since the bidder has the first lead
and can start by drawing trumps, the only effect of this is to make the bid somewhat risky in cases where
the bidder has no long suit.
There are other scoring schedules. A common one is: prop & cop 2; solo; 2 misre 3; abundance 4;
misre ouverte 6; abundance declared 8.
Many people play with a payment for overtricks in prop and cop, solo and abundance. In that case it is
usual to set the basic score for a solo as 4, 5 or 6 units, increasing the other scores in proportion. Each
overtrick or undertrick in a prop and cop or solo is worth an extra unit. In abundance, overtricks gain an
extra two units each, but undertricks cost only one unit each. There is no score for over- or undertricks in
Misre, Misre Ouverte or Abundance Declared.
In old British money, the stake would often have been 6d for a solo plus 1d per overtrick, or 1s for a solo
plus 3d per overtrick (overtricks counting double in abundance). In new money 10p for a solo plus 2p per
overtrick or 20p plus 5p would be typical.
Misre is very hard to make against good defenders. For that reason, some experienced players rank
Misre above Abundance in trumps and Misre Ouverte as the highest bid of all, adjusting the scoring
appropriately.
Solo Whist software

Here is a shareware Solo Whist program by Androcles.


Rules of Card Games: Spades
Spades
Spades is played quite widely in the USA, but does not seem to have spread to any other countries. It is a
plain-trick game in which spades are always trumps. It is most often played as a partnership game by
four players, but there are also versions for three and for two players.
The following rules rely originally on contributions from Theodore Hwa, Dennis J Barmore (4 player
game) and Szu Kay Wong (3 player game). Many variations have been added, contributed by John Hay,
Daniel Hines, and others.
Contents
Spades for Four Players
Variations of Spades for Four Players
Spades for Six Players
Spades for Three Players
Spades for Two Players
Szu Kay Wong's Advice on playing Spades, mostly for the three player game.
Other Spades WWW sites
Spades for Four Players

The four players are in fixed partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. Deal and play are
clockwise.
Rank of Cards
A standard pack of 52 cards is used. The cards, in each suit, rank from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
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The Deal
The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The cards are shuffled and
then dealt singly, in clockwise order beginning with the player on dealer's left, until all 52 cards have
been dealt and everyone has 13.
The Bidding
Each partnership must make a bid, which is the number of tricks they expect to take. In is important to
realize that in Spades both sides' bids stand (it is not like other bidding games in which only the higher
bid counts). First the non-dealer's side agrees on a bid. Each partner on that side communicates the
amount of tricks they expect to take, based on their cards. A certain amount of unspecified bantering
about "halves" and "maybes" is permitted, but not specific information about cards held. For example
you are allowed to say "I know I can take 4 tricks, I might be able to take 6"; you are not allowed to say
"I have a couple of high hearts and a singleton in clubs". The agreed upon bid is then written down. The
other side then agrees on a bid in the same manner.
Nil is a declaration that that the player will not win any tricks during the play. Any single player may bid
nil. The nil bidder's partner will also bid the number of tricks to be taken by the partnership.
Blind nil may only be bid by a player whose side is losing by at least 100 points. It is a nil bid declared
before a player looks at his cards. The bidder may exchange two cards with partner - the bidder discards
two cards face down; partner picks them up and gives back two cards face-down in return.
The Play of the Hand

The player to dealer's left leads any card except a spade to the first trick. Each player, in turn, clockwise,
must follow suit if able; if unable to follow suit, the player may play any card.
A trick containing a spade is won by the highest spade played; if no spade is played, the trick is won by
the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next. Spades may not be led until
either
some player has played a spade (on the lead of another suit, of course), or
the leader has nothing but spades left in hand.
Playing the first spade is known as "breaking" spades.
Scoring
A side that takes at least as many tricks as its bid calls for receives a score equal to 10 times its bid.
Additional tricks (overtricks) are worth an extra one point each.
Sandbagging rule: A side which (over several deals) accumulates ten or more overtricks has 100 points
deducted from its score. Any overtricks beyond ten are carried over to the next cycle of ten overtricks -
that is if they reached twenty overtricks they would lose another 100 points and so on. (Note: it is not
necessary to keep track of overtricks separately as the cumulative number of overtricks taken appears as
the final digit of the team's score, if positive).

If a side does not make its bid, they lose 10 points for each trick they bid.
If a bid of nil is successful, the nil bidder's side receives 50 points. This is in addition to the score won
(or lost) by the partner of the nil bidder for tricks made. If a bid of nil fails - that is, the bidder takes at
least one trick - the bidder's side loses 50 points, but still receives any amount scored for the partner's bid.
The usual rule is that when a nil fails, the tricks won by the nil bidder do not count towards making the
partner's bid.
A bid of blind nil scores twice as much as an ordinary nil - it wins 100 points if successful and loses 100
points if it fails.
The side which reaches 500 points first wins the game. If both sides reach 500 points in a single deal, the
side with the higher score wins.
Variations of Spades for Four Players

Dennis J Barmore (sharksinc@aol.com) runs a mailing list for information about Spades, Bid Whist and
Pinochle clubs and tournaments in the USA. He has contributed the following description of a variant
which is widely played by African Americans. The rules are as in basic spades (above), but with the
following differences:
1. Cards: The game is played with a standard pack with two distinct jokers; the twos of clubs and
hearts are removed from the pack leaving 52 cards. The two jokers are the highest trumps. If one is
colouful and the other is plain, the colourful one is higher. If your pack has identical jokers, write
"BIG" on one of them, and that one is higher. The third highest trump is the two of spades - so the
trump suit ranks:
big joker, small joker, 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.
For the purpose of following suit, the jokers count as spades.
2. Leading: After the bidding, the dealer leads to the first trick and may lead any card of any suit.
Throughout the game, any card may be led to a trick. You do not have to wait for spades to be
broken before leading them.
3. Scoring: If a team makes fewer tricks than they bid, they score minus the value of the contract -
for example if you bid 8 and lose you score -80. There is no extra score for undertricks.
4. Bidding blind: There is no nil or blind nil bid, but a partnership may bid blind seven, provided
neither of them has yet looked at their cards. This doubles the score to 140 if successful and -140 if
not. If they make overtricks, these count one each as usual.
5. In theory it is also possible to bid higher numbers blind for double the score: blind 8 is worth 160,
blind 9 is 180 and so on. However, such bids will not be worthwhile, except possibly when they
give you just enough points to win the game if successful.
Other variations
Here are some further variants, mostly contributed by Theodore Hwa. Ben Miller provided the
information on No Trump and Double Nil.

Variation in the cards and their ranking

In some versions of Spades, some or all of the four twos are elevated to the top of the spade suit, are
ranked in some specified order, and are considered to be spades. The rest of the cards rank as in normal.
Spades can also be played with a 54 card pack - the standard pack of 52 plus 2 distinguishable jokers. In
this case the two jokers are elevated to be the top two cards of the spade suit, with a particular order of
the jokers specified. If jokers are used, then there will be two cards left over at the end of the deal, and
these are given to the dealer. Having looked at all 15 cards, the dealer discards any two cards face down.
Some play that the two extra cards are given to the holder of the two of clubs, rather than the dealer.
Some play that the discard takes place after the bidding.
Variations in the bidding

Some play that each team must bid a minimum of 4 tricks. If a player bids Nil, that player's partner must
bid at least 4.
Some play that after each partnership has agreed its initial bid, each side, beginning with the side that
made the first bid, is then given the opportunity to increase its bid.
Some play that the bids of the two sides must not add up to exactly 13 tricks. This makes it impossible
for both teams to win their bid exactly.
Round-the-table bidding
This is an alternative to partnership bidding. Beginning with some specified player (either the dealer or
the player to dealer's left), and proceeding clockwise, each player states a number (talk about "halves" or
"maybes" is permitted) of tricks. When the second player of each partnership bids, the final bid for that
partnership is decided. A player who wanted to bid nil would do so at their turn to bid.
In round-the-table bidding, some people play that no one can bid 1 - so for example if the first player of a
partnership says x tricks, the final contract must be either x, or else at least x + 2. There is also variation
as to whether a bid of "zero" must be construed as bid of nil.
In round-the-table bidding, some people allow a second round of bidding, in which each side may
increase its bid. In this second round, the bidding proceeds exactly as in partnership bidding, beginning
with the same side as the player who began the round-the-clock bidding sequence.
A variation found in any form of round-the-table bidding is that no table talk is permitted. A player may
only state a number.
Special actions / bids.
There is great variety in the special bids or actions a player may be allowed to make during his turn to
bid. Some of the possibilities are listed below.
Misdeal.
This may be called by any player whose hand satisfies certain conditions. The criteria for a
misdeal differ - some possibilities are: 0 or 1 spades, 7-card or longer suit, no face cards. If a

misdeal is called by any player, the cards are thrown in and a new hand is dealt by the same dealer.
Generally a misdeal may only be called before partner has disclosed any information about his
hand, but some people play that partner may be consulted in the following limited manner. A
player may ask: "Should I call a misdeal?" His partner may reply yes or no but may not disclose
any other information about his hand. The reply is not binding.
Nil / Blind Nil.
These have already been described; Nil is sometimes known as Naught.
Nil and Blind Nil are sometimes valued at 100 and 200 points rather than 50 and 100. Sometimes
the penalty for losing Blind Nil is only half the score for winning it (i.e. +100/-50 or +200/-100). If
winning a Blind Nil is worth 200 then you are only allowed to bid it when your side is at least 200
points behind. Some play that when Nil is played the bidder must exchange one card with partner;
others do not allow passing of cards even in a Blind Nil. Another possible variation is that if you
bid Blind Nil you pass one card and to your partner and can specify one suit which you would like
passed back; partner takes this into consideration when returning a card but is not forced to pass
the suit you asked for.
Some play that if a Nil bid fails, the Nil bidder's trick count towards making the partner's contract
(or as sandbags). Some play that there is no penalty for sandbags when playing Blind Nil. Some
play that if one member of a team loses a Nil the partner's bid is automatically lost as well.
Blind 6
This must be declared by a side before either partner looks at their cards. It scores 120 points if the
side takes exactly 6 tricks. If they take some other number of tricks they lose 120. Some people
play that to win blind 6 you just have to win at least 6 tricks. Some play that a lost blind 6 only
loses 60, not 120. Higher blind bids may also be allowed - Blind 7 for 140, Blind 8 for 160 and so
on. For some people Blind 7 is the minimum blind bid.
10-for-200
This scores 200 points if a side takes exactly 10 tricks, and loses 200 if they take any other number
of tricks. Some people play that to win 10-for-200 you just have to win at least 10 tricks. Some
play that any bid of 10 is automatically a 10-for-200 bid. In some places the 10 for 200 bid is
called 10 for 2 (which is written on the score sheet as 10-4-2). Another way of writing the 200
score is with the two zeros linked together at the top; this is called "wheels", as the zeroes are
supposed to look like train wheels.
Moon or Boston
This is a bid to take all 13 tricks and is worth 200 points. The side loses 200 points if they fail to
take all the tricks. If playing with 10-for-200 the Moon or Boston is worth 500 points. Some
people play that a successful Moon bid automatically wins the game (which is even better than
scoring 500 if you had a negative score).
Blind moon
This is a bid to take all 13 tricks, made before either partner has looked at their cards. It is worth
400 points if it succeeds, and the side loses 400 points if it fails.
No trump bids
These are not like no trump bids in Bridge, 500, etc. Spades are still trumps, but a player who bids

some number of tricks with "no trump" promises not to win any tricks with spades, except when
spades are led. You are only allowed to bid "No Trump" if you hold at least one spade in your
hand. The value of the bid is double that of a normal bid for that number of tricks if won; the
penalty is if you lose is double the penalty for a normal bid (some people play with only a single
penalty but this is not recommended). A bid of "No Trump" requres agreement from partner. The
person who wants to bid "No Trump" asks partner: "Can you cover a no trump?", and partner
repies "yes" or "no". A "No Trump" bid can be made blind, increasing its value to triple the basic
amount. The minimum number of tricks which can be bid in "Blind No Trump" is usually set at
one less than the required minimum number for a normal blind bid. A "Blind No Trump" bid is
usually a desperation play and should be only be allowed when the team is a long way behind - for
example more than 400 behind in a 1000 point game. Failing in a Blind No Trump should cost the
same as you win if you succeed - i.e. three times the basic value of the bid. However, some people
play with only a double or single penalty.
Double Nil
This is a bid in which both partners play Nil at once. One partner may suggest this and if the other
agrees it is played. The score if successful is 500 points (or for some people an automatic win). If
either partner wins a trick the bid fails. The penalty is variously set at 250, 500 or automatic loss.
In addition, if both partners win a trick, their opponents get a bonus of 100 points. A bid of Double
Nil is only allowed for a team who are far behind - for example more than 400 behind in a 1000
point game. In a few circles a "Blind Double Nil" bid is allowed. If successful, the bidders win the
whole game; if not their opponents win the game. Some play that when a team bids Double Nil,
each player of the team simultaneously passes two cards face down to partner before the play
starts.
Bemo
Bidding Little Bemo commits the team to win the first six tricks. It is additional to the normal bid;
the team scores an extra bonus of 60 if successful and loses 60 if not. Big Bemo similarly commits
the team that bids it to win the first nine tricks; they score a 90 point bonus if successful and lose
90 if not.
Variations in the play of the cards

Some play that the dealer leads first, rather than the player to dealer's left, and may lead any card except a
spade.
On the first trick, some require that everyone must play their lowest club. A player who has no clubs
must discard a diamond or a heart. No spades may be played to the trick. In this variation, on this first
trick it does not matter much in what order the four players play their cards - but if you want to be fussy
then the holder of the 2 of clubs should lead, and the others play in clockwise order. The trick is won by
the highest club played.
In the first trick, some allow a player who has no clubs to play a spade on the trick. In this case the trick
is won by the highest spade if a spade is played. As the order of play to the trick may now be important
(if you are going to play a spade you would rather wait to see if someone else plays a higher spade first),
the holder of the two of clubs should lead to the first trick (or the holder of the lowest club in play if you
are playing with jokers and the two of clubs was discarded).

Some play that spades may be led at any time - it is not necessary that they be broken first.
"Rake 'em and Shake 'em" If using a 54 card deck (with two jokers), some play that if the big joker is
led (played as the first card in a trick), then all the other players must play their highest spade.
Variations in the scoring

Tricks in excess of the contract (overtricks or sandbags) may be worth minus 1 point each rather than
plus 1. In this case the penalty for accumulating 10 overtricks does not apply.
Some players use the units digit of the score to count sandbags, but do not regard it as being part of the
score - so sandbags are in effect worth nothing until you have 10 of them, when they cost you 100. In this
variation if your score was 369 and you bid 7 tricks and took 9 your score would become 331 (not 341).
Some people play that there is a special card which cancels one sandbag on that hand for the side that
takes it in their tricks. If the side which wins the special card makes no overtricks, or loses their bid, the
special card has no effect. The special card may be either a fixed card - for example the three of spades -
or may be determined afresh by cutting a card before each deal.
Some play that if a team takes at least twice as many tricks as they bid they lose their bid (for example if
they bid 4 and win 8 or more tricks they score -40).
Some play that the penalty for taking fewer tricks than were bid is 10 points for each trick by which the
team falls short of the bid, rather than 10 times the bid.
Some play that if a side's cumulative score is minus 500 or worse, that side loses the game (and of course
the other side wins).
Some players set the target for winning the game at 1000 pointas rather than 500. Others play with a
target of only 300.
Solo Spades
In rec.games.playing-cards, Meister (chrisor@i-link.net) mentioned a variation of Spades for four players
without partners. Bids are for the number of tricks the individual player will make, and in the play, it is
compulsory to beat the highest card so far played to the trick if you can; this includes playing a spade if
you have no card of the suit led.
Spades for Six Players

This is played between three teams of two, partners sitting opposite (so there are two opponents from
different teams separating you from your partner in each direction).
A 102 card deck is used, consisting of two standard 52 card decks mixed together with both twos of clubs
removed.
The bidding and scoring are the same as in the 4 player game, and similar variations are possible. In the
play, if two identical cards are played to the same trick, the second beats the first.

Spades for Three Players

There are no partnerships - players play for themselves.
The Cards
One standard 52 card pack is used. Deal 17 cards to each player. The remaining card is tossed out of play
for that particular game.
Variation: play with a 54 card pack including big and little jokers as the top two trumps. Deal 18 cards
to each player.
The Betting
Each player, starting with the player to dealer's left, names a number (called a bet). Each player's object
is to win that number of tricks. Some people play that the total of the three bets cannot be 17 tricks - so
that not everyone can make their bet exactly.
The Play
The player who has the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick. In the rare occasion that the 2 of clubs is
out of play, the player with the 3 of clubs must lead it. The other two players must play a club (not
necessarily their lowest). A player who has no club may either:
take it by playing any spade or
refuse it by playing any non-spade of a different suit.
The player who wins a trick leads the next. The other two players must play a card of the suit led, or if
either player has none of that suit, take with a spade or refuse with a non-spade. If neither of the other
players has a card of the suit led and both play a spade then the higher spade wins. A player may not lead
a spade until a spade has been used to take another trick led by a non spade. The exception is when a
player has nothing left in hand but spades.
Scoring
Remember each player's bet!
If you win as many or more tricks than you bet, you gain 10 points for each trick bet. If you win fewer
tricks than you bet, you lose 10 times the amount of tricks you bet (losing like this is usually referred to
as a cut).
Sandbags are overtricks: If you take too many tricks, for every extra trick over what you bet, the amount
you win for the contract is reduced by 10 points. For example, if you bet 4 tricks and take 5, you win
only 30 instead of 40; if you take 7 tricks having bet 3 you lose 10 points overall (30 minus 40).
Variation: Some players count sandbags. Instead of losing 10 points from your contract score for each
sandbag, when you accumulate 10 sandbags (over several deals), you drop 100 points. This is why
sometimes you will refuse a trick, since taking it will give you too many tricks, and you lose points.

The game is played to a set number, usually 300, 400, 500, or some other round number. When one (or
more) pass that number, the player with the highest score wins.
Variation - bonus scores
Szu Kay Wong recommends playing with the following bonus scores:
If you take the very last trick with a high spade (nine or above), and with that trick you make exactly
what you bet, you gain an additional 10 point bonus. If you bag (get too many tricks), there is no bonus.
If you win an unbroken sequence of tricks at the end (2, 3, 4 or more tricks), all with high spades (9 or
above), and get exactly what you bet, there is a similar bonus of 10 points per trick (for example if you
took the last 5 tricks with high spades to make your bet the bonus would be 50).
There is no bonus for winning the last tricks with non-spades or low spades. A bonus is not awarded to a
player who "gets lucky" at the end by winning the last trick with a 4 of diamonds, for instance. On the
other hand, if a player has the Ace of Spades in his hand and waits until the end to play it, that is
considered good play, and is rewarded.
For successful bids of seven or more, you get an extra 10 points for each trick bid above six. So if you
make a seven trick bid exactly, you gain 80 points. Eight tricks exactly gains 100, 9 gains 120, and so on.
This rewards those who are more daring.
Making a bet of exactly 2, 1 or none is also very difficult, and is rewarded as follows:
Anyone who bets 2 and gets 2 wins 40 points (instead of 20). If you get 3, you still get 20 points
(one bag). Four tricks is worth nothing, and every additional bag is -10 each (per usual).
Anyone who bets 1 and gets exactly 1 wins 60 pts. If you get 2, you also get nothing, and each
additional bag is again -10 each.
Anyone who bets none and gets it is entitled to 100 pts. Otherwise, subtract 10 for every trick
taken (just like regular bags).
Blind: You may decide to not look at your cards and just bet. This will double all points. For example, if
you bet and win 5 tricks, you gain 100 pts. However, if you miss, the penalty is also double (in the 5 trick
case, 100 points).
Spades for Two Players

There is no deal. Instead, the deck is placed face-down between the two players, and they take turns to
draw cards.
At your turn you draw the top card, look at it (without showing it to your opponent) and decide whether
you want to keep it.
If you want to keep it you put it in your hand, and draw the next card, which you look at and must
then discard face down;
If you decide not to keep the first card you discard it face down and then draw the next card, which
you put in your hand.
It is then the other player's turn to draw. This continues until the stock is exhausted. You then each have a

hand of 13 cards and have discarded 13 cards.

Now each player bids a number of tricks, and you play and score according to the same rules as for three
or four players.
Other Spades WWW sites and information

Classic Tourneys organises a series of live tournaments for Hearts and other card games in the USA.
Joe Andrews' has written two books on Spades rules and strategy: Win at Spades: Basic and
Intermediate Techniques and Win at Spades: Advanced Play and Strategy.
Some other sites giving various versions of the rules of Spades:
Dave Barker's Spades page
Jen Bullock's Spades page

John Hay's Spades page.
B.J. Herbison's High Ground Rules for Spades.
Christy's Spades Page, with rules, links and and other information. You may like to know that
"cmp" and "nnp" are abbreviations for "cover me partner" and "nice nil partner" respectively.
John's Spades Rules, which document the version played online at Playsite.
Sites with Spades computer programs for download:

Championship Spades (shareware for Windows)
MVP Card Games

Freeverse Spades Deluxe
Fish.
The SpadeLovers Spades page has a freeware Spades program for handheld Palm Pilot.
Sites which allow you to play Spades on line against live opponents:
Game Zone
IPlay
Excite Games
S. Wayne Langdon's Spades Online
Igames
Playsite
Yahoo! Games
Funcom
Pogo

Playlink
Games People Play
Big Network
Net Spades, from NetIntellGames, allows you to play against a computer opponent or with a
Go to Szu Kay Wong's Advice on playing Spades


Rules of Card Games: Spit
Spit / Speed
The original version of this page was based on information from David Shapp. Several other people have
contributed further details and variations.
Introduction
Players and Cards

The Layout
The Play
New Layout
End of the Game
Variations
Stock Pile Layout
Rules for playing on Spit Piles
Version with Five Card Hand
Introduction
Spit, also known as Speed, is a game for two players in which the aim is to get rid of your cards as fast
possible. The players do not take turns - physical speed and alertness are required to play faster than your
opponent. On each deal, by being first to play all your stock pile cards you can reduce the number of
cards you have in the next deal. By being successful for several deals you can eventually get rid of all
your cards, thereby winning the game.
Players and Cards

Two players only, using a regular 52 card deck. (the older the better, because the cards get abused!!).
Shuffle well and divide the cards equally - 26 to each player.
The Layout
Each player now deals a layout consisting of five stock piles in a row. The first stock pile has 1 card, the
second 2 ... the fifth 5. Deal these piles face down and then turn the top card of each stock pile face up
(or deal them that way in the first place). That leaves a pile of 11 cards in each player's hand, where they
must stay! These are the spit cards, and the players should not look at them.
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The Play
After both players acknowledge readiness, both shout "spit" while turning over the top card in their
hand (their first spit card). These two cards are placed side by side between the players' stock piles.
These two cards and the cards that will be played on top of them are the spit piles. The full layout should
now look something like this:
The players now play simultaneously as fast as they want. The object is to get rid of all the cards in your
stock piles onto the spit piles. Using only one hand, you can either:
1. play the face up card from the top of one of your stock piles onto either spit pile. To play a card on
a spit pile it has to be next in sequence up or down. Suit and color do not matter. Cards can turn
the corner - for example on an ace you can play a two or a king;
2. if one (or more) of your stock piles has its top card face-down, turn the top card of such a pile
face-up;
3. move a face up card from the top of a stock pile into an empty stock pile space if there is one -
note that you can never have have more than five stock piles.
Example: In the diagram, player A can play the ace or the three, and then turn up the next card in that

stock pile. Playing the 3 is inadvisable as it would allow player B to play the 4. Player B can play the 8
and then it is a race as to whether B manages to play the 9 before A can play 7.
If a position is reached where neither player can play (i.e. none of the exposed stock pile cards can be
played to either of the spit piles and it is not possible to turn up another stockpile card after moving cards
into spaces if necessary) then both players shout "spit" again, and each turns up their next spit card and
places it on top of the spit pile they started. Play then continues as before.
If neither player can play and one player has no spit cards left, then the other player spits alone on only
one spit pile. The player can choose either pile, but having chosen, must continue to spit on that pile
whenever no play is possible until one player runs out of stock cards. In the event that both players run
out of spit cards, the player with the fewer stock cards remaining has choice of spit pile.
New Layout
When one of the players manages to get rid of all their stock pile cards, both players choose a spit pile by
slapping it with their hand - normally both players will try to slap whichever pile they think is smaller. If
the two players choose different piles, each player takes the pile they chose; if both choose the same pile,
the player who gets there first (i.e. whose hand is underneath) takes the chosen pile and the other player
takes the other pile. The player who still has stock cards also picks these up. Both players then shuffle
their cards well, and deal new layouts as before from the cards they have, but one player will probably
have more spit cards left in hand than the other. When ready, both players shout "spit" and play
continues as before.
If one player has fewer than 15 cards, that player will not be able to deal a complete set of stock piles. In
this case the player deals the cards into five stock piles as far as they will go, and turns over the top card
of each. However, such a player can no longer spit, so there will only be one spit pile, started by the other
player.
End of the game

When playing with only one spit pile, the first player to get rid of their stock cards does not take any
cards from the centre; the other player takes the single spit pile and the unplayed stock pile cards. When
playing with only one spit pile, if the player with no spit cards in hand also gets rid of their layout cards
first, then that player has no cards left at all and has won the game.
Variations
Stock pile layout
Some people play with only four stock piles - containing one, two, three and four cards.
Some people deal eleven cards to the centre stock pile, and the other four have just one card each.
In David Shapp's version, the player who first gets rid of all of their stock pile cards has a free choice of

which spit pile to take. There is no slapping - the player will simply take the pile they judge to be
smaller. The other player then takes the other (probably larger) spit pile and their remaining stock cards
and both players deal a new layout. From the feedback I have received, the alternative version in which
the spit piles are chosen by slapping is more widespread.
Rules for playing on Spit piles

Some play that the cards played on the spit piles must alternate in colour (i.e. on a black 5 you can only
play a red 6 or a red 4).
Some play that if on your stock piles you have two cards of equal rank showing (such as two nines), you
can move one of these cards on top of the other, thereby exposing a face-down card that can be turned
face up, or creating a space.
Version with five card hand

Some people play that each player has a hand of five cards, held concealed from the other player, and a
single face down stockpile. You play cards from your hand to the face up spit piles, and whenever you
play a card from your hand you can draw one from your stock pile, so that you keep five cards in your
hand. In this version the face-down spit cards are kept either side of the face-up spit piles.
To begin, you deal face down in the centre two piles of ten spit cards with two single cards between
them, and a stock pile of 15 cards in front of each player, so that the layout is like this:
15 cards
10 cards 1 card 1 card 10 cards
15 cards
(Some play with 20 cards in each stock instead of 15 and just 5 cards in the piles at each end of the centre
row instead of 10.)
Each player draws a five card hand from the top of their 15 card stock, and when they are ready the two
single cards are simultaneously flipped face up. Both players then play from their 5 card hands to the two
centre piles - either the next higher or the next lower card in rank. If you run out of plays but have fewer
than 5 cards in hand, draw the cards from your stock to replenish your hand to 5 cards, and continue
playing any cards you can.
When neither player can play, though both have 5 cards in hand, a new spit card is simultaneously
flipped from each end pile of the centre row onto the two centre piles. If the reserves of spit cards in
these end piles run out, shuffle all the cards except the top one from each of the two centre piles and
place them face down on either side of the centre cards to form new reserves.
When your stock runs out you continue to play from your hand without replenishing it. When your hand
runs out as well, you have won the deal; you score one point for each card in your opponent's hand and
stockpile. The first player whose score reaches or exceeds an agreed amount (for example 25 points)
wins the game.



Rules of Card Games: Spitzer
Spitzer
This page is based mainly on contributions from Richard Newman.
Introduction
Players and Objective

Cards
Deal
Partnerships and Announcements
Calling for a partner
Going alone
Calling schneider
Play
Scoring
Variations
Strategy
Introduction
Spitzer is a game of the Schafkopf group of ace-ten games. It is played extensively in North-Eastern part
of the state of Michigan, USA, mainly around Rogers City, Alpena and Posen, and regular tournaments
are held. The game clearly has some German origins, though I have not been able to find any definite
evidence of this game having been played in Germany.

There are four players. This is a trick taking game and the aim is to win tricks containing valuable cards.
Although players form temporary alliances for each hand (two against two or one against three), they
keep separate scores and ultimately play for themselves, the object being to be the first to achieve a score
of more than 42 points.
Cards
A 32 card deck is used, which can be made from a standard deck by taking out all the cards from 2 to 6.
There are 14 trumps (all the queens, jacks and diamonds), and the trumps rank from high to low:
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Q ("Big Queen"), 7 ("Spitzer"), Q ("Little Queen"), Q, Q, J, J, J, J, A, 10,

K, 9, 8
The rest of the clubs, spades and hearts are non-trumps, called fail in this game (from the German
Fehlfarbe). The fail in each suit rank from high to low:
A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7
There are two kinds of points: trick points and game points. Each trick is worth trick points according to
the cards it contains. The values of the cards (in all suits) are as follows:
Each ace . . . . . 11 points
Each ten . . . . . 10 points
Each king . . . . . 4 points
Each queen . . . . . 3 points
Each jack . . . . . 2 points
Each 9, 8, 7 . . . . . 0 points
Therefore, there are always 120 trick points available in the deck.
At the end of the play the trick points accumulated in the tricks of each team are then counted for each
hand to determine what game points are awarded, as explained later. Game points are what count
towards a player winning the game.
Deal
The first dealer is chosen by any convenient method. Then the deal passes to the left after each hand. The
dealer shuffles and must allow the person to the right cut the cards - if the cut is not offered a misdeal can
be called. If any one other than the dealer calls misdeal, the dealer forfeits the deal and it moves to the
next player.
The dealer deals 8 cards total to each player. It is customary to deal cards in packets: 3 cards to each
player, then 2 to each, then 3 to each.
Partnerships and Announcements

In each hand, there are are two teams. The partnerships are determined by the cards held by the players
and by announcements.
It is the responsiblity of the dealer to ensure that all players have had the opportunity to examine their
cards and make an announcement if they wish to, before allowing the first card to be led in the hand.
In the usual case, when no announcement is made, the players who were dealt the two black queens - the
"Big Queen" ( Q) and the "Little Queen" ( Q) - are partners. The other two players - those who don't
hold a black queen - are partners in opposition to the black-queen partners. No player may reveal to the
other players the cards they were dealt. The partnerships become clear only in the course of play, for

example when the black queens are played. The only case where the partnerships are known from the
start is when a player calls for a partner as described below.
It can happen that one player has both black queens. This player then has two options:
1. to call for a partner,
2. to play alone against a team consisting of all three other players.
A player who does not hold both black queens may also decide to play alone. In that case the black
queens have no effect on the partnerships.
When the deal is complete, the dealer asks each player in turn, starting to the dealer's left and going
around clockwise, whether they wish to make a call. Three types of call are possible: to call for a partner,
to go alone, and to announce Schneider.
Calling for a partner

To call for a partner, a player must have both black queens. There are three ways to call:
1. Call for an ace.
This is the commonest case. The player calls the ace of a specific fail suit ( A, A or A
only). To do this the player must not have the ace, and must have another fail card in the same suit.
For example a player who has Q, Q, J, J, 9, 8, 8, 7 may call for either the
A or the A, but not the A (trump) and not the A (doesn't have a fail club). Whichever of
the other players has the Ace that was called for is the caller's partner. The player with the ace does
not reveal this except by playing the ace during the normal play of the hand. The remaining two
players, then, are partners.
2. Call for an ace renounced.
This can only be done if the holder of the black queens has no fail suit without the ace. In this case
an ace is called in a fail suit of which the caller has no fail cards at all. The caller must trump the
called ace when it is played.
3. Call for the winner of the first trick
This can only be done when the holder of the black queens also has all three fail aces. The partner
of the holder of the black queens will be the first of the other three players who wins a trick.
Calling for the winner of the first trick is quite rare, because usually a hand that would be allowed
to do this would also be strong enough to go alone (see below). However, a hand such as Q,
Q, 8, A, 9, A, 7, A, being short in trumps, would call for the winner first trick.
Going alone
Going along is not generally referred to as such in the game but it accurately describes what a player may
do with a strong hand, even one that does not have both black queens. There are four possibilities.
1. Sneaker or Stealer or Stiller
This is what happens if a player who has both black queens chooses not to announce this fact to
the rest of the group before play. By making no announcement, the holder of the black queens

commits to playing a Stealer. A player playing a stealer plays alone. The other three players form a
single partnership, but since no announcement is made the other players often won't realize until
quite late on in the play that a stealer is being played. "Stiller" is from the German - a "stiller Solo"
would be a quiet Solo.
All other go-alone hands are known as "zolas" (the word "zola" clearly derives from the German
pronunciation of Solo). Anyone wishing to play a zola must announce it to the group before the lead to
the first trick. Zolas do not require the announcing player to have both black queens (though it certainly
helps).
2. Zola
A player who announces a basic zola simply plays alone against the other three players in
partnership. If the zola player wins, the game points scored are more than would be scored for
winning a stealer.
3. Zola Schneider
The "zola schneider" player plays alone and in addition commits to prevent the other three players
from earning "brush" (taking more than 30 points - see scoring below). If won, it brings in more
game points than a basic zola. In Michigan, schneider is sometimes written as "shnider" or
"snyder" - it is the normal term in German card games for the situation where the losers fail to take
one quarter of the points.
4. Zola Schneider Schwartz
The "zola scheider schwartz" player commits to win all eight tricks, playing alone. If this succeeds,
the player will typically score enough game points to win the game immediately; otherwise, all
other players score a lot of points. This announcement is the holy grail of Spitzer and frequent
players typically only see a handful of them in a lifetime. Schwartz is from the German schwarz
(black), which is the normal term for failing to take a trick; in Michigan it sometimes spelled
"swartz" or shworts".
Calling Schneider
This call, which is apparently not allowed in some circles, can be made by any player. The normal
partnership game is played, but the team of the player announcing schneider commit to take at least 90
points, so stopping the other team obtaining brush.
Play
The person to the left of the dealer leads, then each following player in succession plays a card until four
cards have been played. This is a trick. The winner of the trick is the person who played the highest
ranking card (as listed above) of the four. If any trumps were played, the highest trump wins; if not, the
highest card of the suit that was led wins. The winner of the trick leads to begin the next trick. When all
the cards have been played (eight tricks in all), the score for the hand is calculated.
After a card has been led to a trick, the other players must play the same suit as was led (if trump was
led, then trump must be played). For this purpose all 14 trump cards count as belonging to the trump suit
and not to the suits marked on them. If a player doesn't have the any cards of the suit that was led, then

that player must play trump. A player who has no card of the suit led and no trumps either may play any
other card, but of course cannot win the trick.
Note that there is no obligation to play a card that beats those already played to the trick. Note also that if
you cannot follow suit the obligation to play a trump applies even if another player before you has
already trumped; you must also play a trump if you have one.
If an ace has been called, and the suit is led by someone other than the holder of the ace, the ace must be
played on the first trick in the suit. The ace cannot be discarded beforehand, nor can the owner of the ace
hold it back when the suit is led, even if the trick will certainly be lost to an enemy trump. However if
you hold the called ace and have the lead, you are allowed to lead a different card of the called suit. Since
the ace will not appear on that trick, this makes it clear that you are the partner. Having led the suit of the
ace, you are released from the constraint of having to play it on the next lead of that suit (unless of course
you have no other cards of the suit to play). You are also then free to throw it on a lead of another suit in
which you have no cards.
Scoring
To win a hand, the team with both black queens or the player who is going alone must take more than
60 card points in tricks. The team without the black queens (or the three players against the going-alone
player) win the hand if they take 60 or more.
Taking 31 or more points is known as earning brush. If the losing player or team take 30 or fewer points
and thus do not earn brush, the winners' score is increased. If the losing side does not take any tricks at
all the winners' score is increased further.
Game points are awarded to the winners according to the type of game played, who won, and whether the
losers took a trick or earned brush. The game points scored are shown in the table below. The scores are
given from the point of view of the team or player with the black queens if there was no call, or of the
calling team or player. Positive numbers indicate that the black queen holder(s) or calling team scores;
negative numbers indicate that the opposing team scores.
Result for team with black queens or calling team
Hand type 0 - 30 31 - 60 61 - 89 90 - 120
no tricks all tricks
points points points points
Normal or call
- -9 -6 +3 +6 +9
partner
Schneider with
(-18) (-15) -12 -9 +9 +12
partner
Stealer - -9 -6 +9 +12 +15
Zola -15 -12 -9 +18 +27 +36

Zola schneider (-42) (-36) -24 -18 +36 +39

Zola schneider
(-42) (-42) (-39) -33 -27 +42
schwartz
Each of the partners on the winning team have the appropriate game points added to their score. When
the black queens or calling team fails, the game points are added to all the players of the opposing team.
Points are always added, never subtracted. Individual players earn game points at different rates because
partners change during the course of the game. Therefore, it is important to record game points separately
for each of the four players.
Note that it is possible for a team to win a trick but to have no trick points. In this case the result is scored
according to the 0-30 or 90-120 column.
In the above table, numbers in brackets indicate hypothetical scores corresponding to situations that are
almost impossible. It really is impossible for the queens team to take no trick in a normal game or stealer,
because the club queen must take a trick.
While game points can be recorded on paper, it is handier to use a Spitzer board, which is somewhat like
a Cribbage board. A spitzer board has four columns (one for each player), with 16 peg holes in each
column (one for starting with 0 points, then one for each multiple of 3 up to 42 points, and one for
winning the game with over 42 points). Additional holes may be available for each player to record how
many games have been won.
player player player player
1 2 3 4
win --> o o o o
42 o o o o
39 o o o o
36 o o o o
33 o o o o
30 o o o o
27 o o o o
24 o o o o
21 o o o o
18 o o o o
15 o o o o
12 o o o o
9 o o o o
6 o o o o
3 o o o o
start --> o o o o
When a player reaches 42 points, the player with most points wins the game. If playing for money, the
winner receives a fixed stake from the other players (say a dollar), plus an extra amount (say 5 cents) per

point difference between the score of the winner and each other player. I am not sure what happens if
there is a tie bwteen two winning players. Perhaps the losers pay as usual and the winners share the
winnings.
Variations
There are slight differences between the rule sets we have seen, which may indicate differences in
playing and scoring practice.
Some players may not allow the announcement of schneider in a normal game with partners.
Some mayy play that 42 points are sufficient to win the game - it is not necessary to have more than 42.
Some may play that the opponents of of the black queen or calling team require only 30 points for brush,
not 31. In this case a schneider announcement is an undertaking to make at least 91 points, not 90.
Strategy
Obviously, once one knows who his partner is, he'll want to assure that trick points accrue to his partner
or to him. If he knows that his partner has a trick won (by having played the highest likely card to be
played), then he can play a high-point-value card (an A, 10, or even K) for his partner to collect. This is
called "smearing" to your partner with the high-point-value card called a "smear" card.
Typically, the black queens are split between two players, so determining one's partner is key. If one
holds the Q and has an opportunity to lead, then one possiblity is to lead a smear trump card to invite
your previously unknown partner to play out the Q (even though a lower card might take it) thus
revealing himself. Their are three risks to this:
1. if the other player isn't aware of this strategy, he may save his Q and use a lower card that
would win, thus frustrating the partner that was fishing;
2. the Q is now spent for a relatively minor power card when it may be needed later;
3. the partners are now revealed to the other team also meaning that everyone knows who to smear
to.
The Q is obviously a high-powered card, but it can be beaten by a card other than the big Queen (
Q) - the spitzer ( 7). The spitzer can often be played at the worst time for the Q to steal a trick, so
it is vital to keep track of all the cards played. Practice makes this easier. As for the player dealt the
spitzer: if neither of the black queens are in the hand, its often better to hold the spitzer until late just to
frustrate the Q. An exception would be if a trick was available with a high trick point value and the
spitzer is the only available card that could take it; otherwise, beware that the black-queen partners might
be trying to lure it out early on a low trick point value hand. Generally, playing the spitzer effectively
takes practice and is often not clear as to what the best tactic would have been until after the hand.
At the beginning of a hand, Aces from the fail suits are often led, since it is likely that every one will also
have a fail card in that suit thus preserving the 11 points and winning a possible 10 or at least the K
(24-point tricks are not uncommon). Sometimes an Ace-fail-suit lead will be trumped, obviously

disappointing the player who led the Ace. Since it is usually early in the hand when this is done, the
trumping player will play a high-point-value trump (like the A or 10) to earn upwards from 30 trick
points ( A + A + 10 + 9 = 32 points). The trumping player can be even more disappoined
though, when the last player in the trick doesn't have any fail either and plays a slightly higher trump to
steal a one quarter of the total points in the hand. The last player would be said to have "double cut" the
led Ace-fail-suit; a play that usually earns the glare from the first trumping player, but is admired by all
the others.
It is very helpful to keep track during a hand of what fail suits have been played around already. A
particular fail suit cannot make it around a second time without being trumped (there are not enough of
them). However, after the second time a particular fail suit has been played, leading one more is the same
as leading trump without having to spend a trump.
There is a tendency by newer players to hold smear cards of fail suit back early in the game until the their
partner is known. This is not always wise, since later in the game there is less control of how to direct
smear cards when there are less cards left in the hand to choose from. At least in the beginning one can
distribute smear cards evenly to assure that some will accrue to whomever one's partner is.
Summary: This is a game with many nuances and only experience will make good playing automatic. It
demands consistent concentration by even veteran players and yet a rhythm starts to emerge after gaining
some exposure to the normal flow of the game.


Rules of Card Games: Spoons
Spoons
This description of the Georgia, USA version of Spoons was contributed by Bruce H. McCosar.
Spoons is a hilarious card game of the Eights group, closely related to Craits yet much more physically
active. Television and card game trivia buffs might be interested to know there was a "Mork and Mindy"
card game published back when the show was popular, the rules of which were almost directly copied
from Spoons.
Principles of the Game

The objective of Spoons is to get rid of all your cards before anyone else. To keep this from being too
easy, there are a number of rules to remember, violation of which always results in the same penalty
(draw a card).
The Deck
It is best to use a pack of 104 (two standard 52-card packs shuffled together, without any jokers).
Number of Players
From three to eight may play.
The Spoons
For a group of N players, there should be N-1 spoons. They should be piled in the center of the table,
where any player can reach them. For safety's sake, do not attempt to use any other utensils (forks,
knives, grapefruit spoons) in this game.
Razzing
Rule violations are pointed out (literally) by "razzing". Any and all players who recognize the violation
have to point at the perpetrator and make a certain noise -- the preferred sound is "ZZZZT!" or
"ERRRR!", perhaps best described as the sound one hears on game shows when a question is answered
incorrectly or time runs out. Players who can't make this noise can use one of their own, for example,
"dingdingdingdingding!"
The razzed player has to draw a card. When doing this, he or she must say some interjection agreed upon
at the start of the hand (this can change from hand to hand as well). Generally, this is a polite, yet
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humorous interjection, such as: "Curses, foiled again!", "Oy, Vey!", "Great Caesar's Ghost!", "Oh, woe is
me!", or "Bummer!" If the razzed player doesn't say this exact phrase, he or she gets razzed again!
There is a statute of limitations on razzing, however. If the error is not pointed out before two other
players have completed their plays (either drawing or discarding), the rule bender gets away with it --
and, in fact, can razz anyone who razzes them!
The Deal
First dealer is determined randomly; in subsequent hands, the deal passes to the left. The number of cards
the dealer gives out depends on the number of players: for three or four, deal seven each; for five or six,
six each; and for seven or eight, five each. The remainder of the cards are placed in the center of the
table, forming a stock. The top card of the stock is turned over to begin the discard pile. Whatever
powers the turn-up has are deemed to originate from the dealer (e.g. if the dealer turns up a King, he or
she determines who is affected by it). The dealer must announce the "name" of the card (explained
below) as they turn it over, or else get razzed.
The Play
Unless a Queen was turned up, the game starts off with the person on the dealer's left and proceeds
clockwise. In their turn, players must either draw a card or play a card from their hand face up onto the
top of the discard pile. To discard, the card played must match the top card of the discard pile in either
suit or rank (if the top card is a 5 of spades, for example, a spade or a five can be played). Upon
discarding, the player must say the "name" of the card, or else get razzed. If you have a card you can
play, you do not have to play it -- but if you do not play, you must draw (drawing a card of your own
free will is not the same as being razzed; you do not have to say the agreed-upon interjection. Anyone
who razzes you for not saying the phrase after you draw freely can be razzed!) If you can play the card
you drew immediately, you may; otherwise, play passes on to the next person.
When a person gets down to one card, they have to announce "one card!", or else get razzed. Holding
your cards to prevent others from seeing how many you have is not only unethical, it is punishable by
razzing as well.
When a person discards his or her last card, they have to be careful to announce the "name" of that card
as well -- otherwise, they'll be razzed and just have to draw another!
Names and Powers of Cards

Except for cards with special powers, all cards are "named" according to their rank, regardless of suit.
For example, on playing a six of spades, one has to say "Six!" The following cards, however, have
special powers.
King
When a player plays a King, he or she must select an opponent and say, "Draw two, (opponent's
name)!" The opponent can then either:

1. Say the interjection phrase and draw two cards (or else be razzed in addition to their
troubles), OR
2. Play a King from their hand on the discard pile immediately -- returning the attack onto the
attacker, at one card higher than before. The opponent should say "Draw three, (attacker)!"
The original attacker then has the same options above -- either drawing three cards, or playing
another King and increasing the count to "Draw four, (opponent)!" This back- and-forth can
continue until one side or the other runs out of Kings, up to a theoretical, final maximum of "Draw
NINE, (attacker)!" (Both should have run out of Kings by then; if not, someone's cheating).
Regardless of whose turn it was at the beginning of the Trump War (as this is called), normal play
is considered to start again from either the left or right of the person who played the final King,
depending on the direction of play. Anyone who plays out of turn should be razzed.
Queen
When played, this reverses the direction of play. The correct phrase to say is "Switchback".
Anyone who plays out of turn (for example, the player to the left after play has shifted to the right)
should be razzed.
Jack
When played, the player (and everyone else) has to yell "Spoons!" and grab for a spoon. Since
there is one fewer spoon than the number of people, someone ends up without one. That person
has to say the interjection phrase and draw two, or else be razzed. If someone grabs more than one
spoon, they (not the spoonless ones) are the ones who have to draw. In cases where two players
have grabbed the same spoon, the one who has a hold closer to the end of the handle wins. Brute
force should never prevail, as this often leads to disputes.
Ten
A person who plays a ten has to play again. The name of this card is "Repeat!" As in a normal
turn, the player must either draw or play another card -- which can also be a ten! This is a sneaky
way to win a game, holding onto three or four tens then going out in a big burst, but beware -- the
more you hold in your hand, the more it will count against you if someone else goes out first
(explained in the scoring section). Also, your final card cannot be a ten -- if you play a ten then
have no more cards, you then cannot play again so must draw!
Eight
Eights are wild. They can change the suit of the discard pile to any suit; upon playing an eight, one
must announce the name of the suit, as in "Spades!" Failing to announce this is, as usual,
punishable by razzing.
Deuce
Starts "the Count". When a two is played, this changes the nature of discarding. The player
announces "Two!", and the following players have to either play an ace (counting it as 1) or a two,
and announce the total of all the twos and aces played in the count so far. The first player who
cannot play a two or an ace has to draw as many cards as have been counted out (after, of
course, saying the appropriate interjection phrase, on penalty of being razzed).
For example, player A plays "two!" Player B drops an ace on the pile (any suit) and announces
"three!" Player C drops a two on the pile and says "five!" Player D has no aces or twos, and so

says "Oy, Vey!" (or the appropriate interjection) and draws five cards. Play continues with the
person following Player D.
"The Count" can get pretty vicious if you have a crowd that likes to hang on to their aces and twos
just in case of just such an emergency. The theoretical maximum anyone could ever have to draw
is 24 cards, but this would surely be a rare case. Usually it is anywhere from two to six.
If anyone gets down to one card during "the Count", they must announce it after their play. If
anyone goes out of cards during "the Count", the game continues until someone is unable to play a
deuce or an ace, and draws their cards. There is the possibility that someone will go out, play will
continue around the table, and they (with no cards, unable to play a two or ace) will be the ones
having to draw! If, after the Count victim has drawn his or her cards, one or more players are still
out of cards, the one who went out first is the winner; the others each have to draw a single card
off the discard pile, saying the appropriate interjection.
Ace
An ace has no particular powers, but does have two different ways of being announced. In regular
play, it is called "Ace"; in "the Count", it is called by whatever total it brings the count up to.
When the Stock is Exhausted

The player whose turn it is must take all the cards under the top discard (which remains the same) and
shuffle them, placing them back on the table to form a new stock.
Scoring
Whoever has went out scores zero for that round. Everyone else scores points for the cards remaining in
their hand according to the following schedule:
30 points: each 10 or 8
20 points: each K, Q, or J
10 points: each A or 2
5 points: each of the remaining ("powerless") cards.
This game is played to different endpoints. Typically, game ends when someone reaches 500 points. This
is not a tight rule, however; some groups who play this can reach 500 in just two or three hands,
especially when they're learning the game (being "razzed", blasting each other with Kings, hoarding aces
and twos to drive up the count). On the other hand, more efficient players, especially a smaller group,
may need only play to 200 or so.
Variations
The use of objects other than spoons: Spoons are not available everywhere (riding the bus, goofing off in
the office, visiting a bachelor's apartment), so a variety of substitutions have been used over the years.
Acceptable substitutions should be small enough to grasp in one hand easily, sturdy, and have no sharp
edges or points. Here are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable spoon-substitutes.

Acceptable:
Stones, bottle caps, empty aluminum cans, chess pieces, poker chips, large coins...
Unacceptable:
Marbles (they roll away and get lost), drinking glasses (they shatter), valuable items such as rings
(they always get lost), edible items (always having to be replaced)...

Rules of Card Games: Staekske Rape
Staekske Rape
This page is based on a contribution from Jonathan Madden, information from Robert Claessens and a
game at Math Vanhingel's house in Maastricht in May 1999.
Introduction
Players and cards

The deal
The bidding
Picking up the stock
The play
Scoring
Notes on tactics
Introduction
Staekske Rape is a game of the Jass group played in Maastricht, in the south of the Netherlands. The
name of the game means "pick up the stock", and describes the fact that in this game, unlike other Dutch
Jass games such as Klaverjas and Pandoeren, there is a stock of four cards which the declarer picks up.
Staekske Rape has some affinity with Swiss Jass games in that the ten, despite its high value, retains its
rank below the court cards, and that the rules of following suit are rather lenient, allowing players to
trump at any time.
Players and cards

There are four players, but since there are no fixed partnerships it is possible for five people to play with
the dealer sitting out of each hand. The direction of play is clockwise. A 32 card pack is used, consisting
of ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each of the four suits clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds.
International standard pattern cards could be used, but normally the game is played with cards of the
French type, in which the indices on the ace, king, queen and jack are 1, R, D, V respectively, or the
Dutch type, which have indices A, H, V, B. Care is needed not to be confused by the V which stands for
valet (jack) in French but vrouw (lady, i.e. queen) in Dutch. In the rest of this description the English
abbreviatons A, K, Q, J will be used.
In each hand there is a trump suit, which is chosen by the declarer (the winner of the bidding). The cards
in the trump suit rank differently from those in the other three suits. Each card also has a point value. The
rank of the cards in each suit, from high to low, and their point values are as follows:
trump suit value other suits value
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jack 20 ace 11
nine 14 king 3
ace 11 queen 2
king 3 jack 1
queen 2 ten 10
ten 10 nine 0
eight 0 eight 0
seven 0 seven 0
There are thus 141 points in total for cards, and 5 extra card points are awarded to the winner of the last
trick, which brings the total card points to 146.
Certain combinations of cards held by the declarer also have a value. The values of these combinations
are in effect added to the card points taken by the declarer:
type combination value
four jacks 200
four nines 140
melles 4 aces, 4 kings, 4 queens or 4 tens 100

sequence of 5 100
sequence of 4 50
sequence of 3 20
stoek king and queen of trumps 20
A sequence is a set of consecutive cards in the same suit, the card order for this purpose being
A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7 (even in trumps). There is no extra score for a sequence of more than five cards.
There is no score for having four eights or four sevens.
Sequences cannot overlap, but the same cards can count towards a sequence, a four and stoek. For
example K-Q-J of trumps is worth 40 (20 for the sequence and 20 for stoek). If you have the other three
kings as well the score is 140 including the 100 for four kings.
The Deal
To begin the game, any player takes the pack and deals single cards face up clockwise to the players until
someone receives a jack. This player is the first dealer, and the turn to deal passes to the left after each
hand.
The dealer shuffles, and the player to dealer's right cuts. The cards are then dealt clockwise in packets of
three to the four active players, then four cards face down in the centre of the table to form the stock,

then a packet of four cards to each player, so that everyone has seven cards.
To end the session, any player may announce "on and off". This means that one more complete round of
deals will be played. The next dealer is "on". After as many further deals have been played as there are
players, the turn to deal comes back to the same player, who is now "off". The player who is off does not
deal, and the session ends.
Bidding
The player to the dealer's left is called the "sitter". This player will be forced to play a minimum game (or
suffer a penalty) if everyone else passes. The first to speak is the player to the sitter's left, who will be
opposite the dealer if there are four at the table. Bids are numbers from 3 upwards. A bid of 3 is an
undertaking (if the other players pass) to take at least 130 cards points, playing against the other three as
a team, 4 represents at least 140, 5 is at least 150, and so on. It is possible to succeed in a bid of more
than 5 with the help of combinations or with the help of a bonus for winning all the tricks (see scoring).
The player to the left of the sitter must bid 3 or pass. If this player passes, the next player in turn has the
same options, and so on round the table. If someone bids, subsequent players, in clockwise order, can
pass or bid the next higher number. Once you have passed you cannot bid again. The bidding continues
around the table as many times as necessary until three players have passed. The player who did not pass
is then the declarer and the final bid determines the number of card points the declarer needs in tricks
plus the stock in order to succeed. The declarer is entitled to take the stock and choose what suit will be
trumps.
If the bidding begins with three passes, the fourth player (who is the sitter) automatically becomes the
declarer. The sitter has a choice of playing the equivalent of a bid of "1" - i.e. trying to take at least 110
card points - or of giving up without play for a penalty of 10 game points. The choice of whether to give
up must be made before looking at the stock.
Some players knock the table to indicate a pass. Some say "I help" to indicate a bid of 3 - the implication
is that the bidder is helping the sitter by relieving them of their obligation to be declarer.
A player may qualify a bid by "once" - for example "once 5". This is an undertaking not to bid higher - if
another player bids 6, the one who bid "once 5" must pass.
On the first round of bidding, if no one else has yet bid, a player can bid 2 blind - i.e. without having
looked at their cards. This somewhat reckless action is the only way that 2 (a contract to take at least 120
card points) can be bid. 3 cannot be bid over blind 2; if anyone wants to compete, the next bid has to be
4.
Throughout the auction, apart fom the exceptons given above, players may only pass or make the next
bid in sequence: 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. It is not legal to jump bid, for example you cannot begin with 4 instead of
3, nor can you bid 5 directly over 3.

Picking up the stock

The declarer may take the stock without showing it to the other players and discard any four cards face
down. The discards may include some or all of the same cards that were picked up from the stock. In
order to score for a combination it has to remain intact in your hand; if you discard part or all of a
combination it loses its value. Card points in the stock will count with declarer's tricks towards fulfilling
the bid.
If you think your hand is stong enough, you can choose to play with your original cards, without looking
at the stock. Any card points in the stock will still count for you at the end of the play. When you play
without the stock, the amount of game points you win or lose on the hand is doubled.
Play
The declarer begins by announcing any scoring sequences or fours of a kind (melles), placing them face
up on the table or specifying exactly what they are. You are not obliged to announce combinations that
you hold, and it is sometimes better to keep a combination concealed to avoid giving away information
about your hand. However, any sequences that (by accident or design) are not announced before the lead
to the first trick lose their value and cannot be scored.
Stoek (the K-Q of trumps) is treated differently - it can be announced at any time up to the point when the
declarer plays the queen of trumps. If other combinations announced which include the king and queen
of trumps, the stoek is automatically scored and does not have to be claimed separately.
Note that combinations that the players other than the declarer may hold have no value and cannot be
announced.
The declarer tells everyone what suit is trumps and leads to the first trick.
Players who have a card of the suit led may follow suit or trump (it is legal to trump even while you hold
cards in the suit led). Players with no card of the suit led may play anything.
There is an exception to the rule about following suit: you are never forced to play the jack of trumps; if
trumps were led and your only trump is the jack, you may play any card.
The trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trump, by the highest card played of the
suit that was led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The player who at any stage holds the highest trump not yet played (for example the ace, after the jack
and nine have gone) is allowed to announce this to the other players by knocking on the table. If you hold
the two highest outstanding trumps, this can be announced by knocking twice.
Scoring
Only the declarer wins or loses game points. In principle one game point is equivalent to 10 card points,
and the declarer's gain or loss is based on the difference between the number of points taken by the
declarer and the number needed to fulfil the bid. Here are the details of the calculation:

1. First calculate the points achieved by the declarer as follows.

Count the card points in the declarer's tricks plus the stock, remembering to add the 5 points
for the last trick if the declarer won it, and round to the nearest 10, scores ending in 5 being
rounded upwards (so that for example 134 counts as 130, but 135 counts as 140).
Alternatively, or as a check, add up the card points taken by the declarer's three opponents,
and round this to the next 10 downwards only if the last digit is 1; if the last digit is 2 or
higher the defenders' score is rounded upwards (so that for example 12 counts as 20, but 11
counts as 10). With this way of rounding the card point scores of the two teams always add
up to 150.
Divide the declarer's rounded card point total by 10.
If the declarer took all seven tricks (15 points), add a ten point bonus, to give 25.
2. Next calculate the points required to fulfil the bid as follows. Add 10 to the declarer's bid (so 3
becomes 13, 4 becomes 14, etc.). If the declarer announced any scoring combinations, divide the
score for these by 10 and subtract the result from the required points.
Example: the bid was 5 and the declarer shows the A-K-Q-J of trumps, worth 70 (50 for the
sequence and 20 for the marriage). The number of points required by the declarer is 8 (5 + 10 - 7).
3. Compare the points achieved (step 1) with the points required (step 2):
If they are equal there is no score.
If the points achieved are more than the points required, the declarer wins the difference as
game points.
If the points achieved fall short of the points required, the declarer loses twice the
difference plus an extra 10 game points.
4. If the declarer chose not to look at the stock, the total amount won or lost is doubled.
There are a few exceptional cases:
1. If the first three players pass and the sitter decides to give up without play, the sitter loses 10 game
points.
2. If the declarer announces four jacks the hand is not played, but the declarer is assumed to have
taken 100 card points. Together with the 200 points for the four jacks, this makes 300, so assuming
that the declarer has no other combinations, the hand is scored as though declarer achieved 30
points.
3. In the rare case where the declarer takes no tricks at all, the declarer loses a fixed amount of 50
game points.
Some examples:
The declarer bids 4 and takes 127 card points, so required 14 and achieved 13. Having failed by 1,
the declarer loses 12 game points (twice 1 plus 10).
The declarer bids 3 and takes 138 card points, so required 13 and achieved 14, and wins 1 game
point.
The declarer bids 5, announces four nines, and takes 93 card points without taking the stock. Only
one point is required (15 - 14), and 9 were achieved, so the declarer wins 16 game points.
The declarer bids 3 and takes all the tricks. 13 required and 25 achieved makes a gain of 12 game

points.
The declarer bids 4, announces a sequence of 3 with stoek and takes 84 points. 10 points are
required (14 - 2 - 2), but only 8 were achieved, so the declarer loses 14 game points (twice 2 plus
10).
The sitter plays after three passes and with the help of the stock gets four jacks. 30 achieved and 11
required gives a win of 19 game points.
One player acts as the scorer and records the cumulative scores of all the players on a score sheet looking
The columns from left to right contain the scores of the players in clockwise order around the table, with
the scorer's score in the right-hand column. Positive cumulative scores are written above the line;
negative cumulative scores below the line. Each time a player is declarer, their previous score is crossed
out and their new total recorded.
A score of 100 or more game points (positive or negative) is known as an umbrella. The 100 points are
represented as a curved line, with the excess points underneath it. For example 105 is written like this:
Staekske Rape is usually played for small stakes. At the end of the session, each player pays each
opponent in proportion to the difference between their scores. For example, if the scoresheet at the end of
the session was as illustrated above, with South scoring, then West must pay 5 game points to North, 19
to East and 23 to South; North must pay 14 to East and 18 to South; and East must pay 4 to South. At a
typical stake of 5 cents per point, the result in Guilders is that West loses 2.35, North loses 1.35, East
wins 1.45 and South wins 2.25.

Notes on tactics
To make it worth bidding 3 or more you either need a scoring combination or a realistic chance (with the
help of the stock) of winning all the tricks. It is a losing policy to bid 3 just to have a chance of winning 1
or 2 game points - you will have to succeed rather often to counterbalance the 12 or 14 game points you
lose when you fail.
If you are relying on a combination it should be complete in your hand. It is not reasonable to gamble on
acquiring from the stock the exact card you need to complete a combination.
To bid on the basis that you might take all the tricks you normally need the J-9 of your intended trump
suit, preferably accompanied by a couple winning cards in the other suits. Even if the stock does not give
you ideal cards, you will often be able to succeed in a bid of 3 making 6 or even 5 tricks. Alternatively
you need the jack with enough cards in your trump suit that you can reasonably hope to drop the 9 when
you lead your jack.
When you are the sitter, the odds are quite different. If you give up you will lose 10 game points anyway,
and unless your cards are hopeless it is normally better to play. If you scramble 105 card points you have
already saved your 10 game points, while even if you only manage 90 or 100 card points you have only
lost 2 or 4 more game points than you were going to lose anyway. Occasionally you may even pick up a
lucky stock and turn the 10 point loss into a gain of 14 point win by taking all the tricks.
The declarer will normally begin by leading trumps, hoping to draw two or three opposing trumps for
each trump led. Thereafter the declarer's objective is when possible to win all the tricks, and otherwise to
minimise the number of card points in any tricks that must be lost to the opponents.
The opponents of the declarer will obviously strive to throw as many valuable cards as possible on the
tricks won by their team. When possible they should also try to arrange that their tricks are won by the
player to declarer's right, or the player opposite the bidder. If the bidder's left hand opponent has to lead,
the bidder gets the advantage of playing last to the trick, and may have the luxury of choosing whether to
dispose of a loser if the trick is cheap, or trump it if it is expensive.
The opponents should try to lead suits in which the declarer is void. The worst disaster for the opponents
is to lead the ace of a suit of which the declarer holds the king. The declarer trumps the ace and the king
becomes a winner.
Often the declarer threatens to win all the tricks by playing out six winners and hoping that the opponents
will discard the card that would have beaten the declarer's seventh card. To avoid this, the opponents
should watch each other's plays carefully. Each opponent's first discard should normally be in that
player's weakest suit, signalling that one of the other partners should try to hold onto a winner in that suit.

Rules of Card Games: Strivolt
Strivolt
The first version of this page was based on the article Strivoltur, by Jgvan Brentsen, in Varin, vol. (bind) 43, part (hefti) 3/4, (1975) pages
162-168, translated into English by Anthony Smith, who also had the opportunity to join in a game in Trshavn on Wednesday 23 October 1996.
In April 1998 the page was revised and expanded John McLeod, with the benefit of comments, corrections and further details supplied by
Jgvan Brentsen.
Introduction

The Cards and their Ranking
The Deal and Choosing Suits
The Play
Taking the Stock
The Scoring
Tactics and Customs
Variations
Introduction
Strivolt is a card game which is more than 300 years old and was probably invented in Denmark. It has been played in the Faroe Islands for
over 200 years and is, for example, mentioned by J. C. Svabo in his "Indberetninger fra en Reise i Fre, 1781 - 1782". A comparison of
Faroese strivolt with the Danish version which was played around 1800 (and described in, for example, "Politiske Spille Regler for de
tilladelige og meest brugelige Spil i Vertshusene", Kebslein, 1774, Copenhagen, of which there is a copy in the Royal Library at Copenhagen)
shows that the game has altered only slightly in all these years, only the terminology having changed. It seems that the game was known as early
as 1648 in Sweden. According to the catalogue "Trumpf p hand: en historia om svenska spelkort", Uddevalla, 1993, on page 8, the poem
"Herkules", published in 1648 by the Swedish poet, Georg Stiernhielm, mentions some 15 different card games including one called "str-wlt".
Strivolt belongs to the Karnffel group of card games, whose documented history reaches back to the early 15th century. These were the
earliest games in which special cards, belonging to a chosen suit, had the power to beat cards of other suits. In Strivolt there are in fact two
chosen suits. They operate rather like trumps in modern trick-taking games, but with important differences: some of the cards of the chosen suits
have no special power, some can only beat certain unchosen cards, and some are powerful only if led to a trick. A few of the terms in the Faroese
game are directly derived from the medieval German words for the same cards: karnifl from Karnffel for the jack of a chosen suit; pavstar (now
postman) from Pabst (pope) for the six.
As Strivolt is not played in many places in the Faroes nowadays and scarcely at all in Denmark, there is a danger that the game will soon die
out. Even though it has not yet reached its end, it is certainly only just alive. The game is perhaps a bit complicated to grasp at first and a lot of
terminology has to be learnt. But once the basics have been mastered the game is extremely entertaining and makes no greater demand on its
players than the rapidity of the talk while it is played. The many characteristic expressions used add a special colour to the game.
Strivolt is played in a variety of ways in the various villages in the Faroes, and the names of the cards also vary. The description given here is
of the version usually played in Kvvk, which is 26km by road from Trshavn.

Four people play, two against two in partnerships. Partners sit opposite one another. Each player has a hand of nine cards which are played out in
tricks. The team which takes the majority - at least five tricks - wins the hand. Won hands are scored on a chalk-up by erasing strokes and
marking crosses (see below). A team's objective is to collect as many crosses as they can.
The Cards and their Ranking

The tens are taken out of a normal 52 card pack, leaving 48 cards. The ranking of these cards for trick taking purposes is rather elaborate.
In each deal there are two chosen suits. The ranking of the cards in the suits that are not chosen, from high to low, is A K Q J 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2,
with the exception of certain cards, called permanent stikkar, which are depicted below.
The most powerful cards in the pack are the nine stikkar. They beat all the other cards, with the exception of a lamb (chosen seven) that has
been led.
The top five stikkar are permanent - they do not depend on what suits are chosen. From high to low they are:
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bird fyrik eight hay-yard mare mare of diamonds

Fuglurin Frikurin ttuni Hoygarsryssa Rtar-ryssa
The remaining four stikkar are the aces of the chosen suits (strivoltar) followed by the jacks of the chosen suit (karniflar). These are followed
in rank by the tkukortini (taking cards), in the chosen suits, the sixes, twos, threes and fours, which can beat some but not necessarily all cards
in the unchosen suits. Here is the full list of stikkar and tkukortini, from high to low:
2 bird Fuglurin
4 fyrik Frikurin
Permanent stikkar 8 eight ttuni
Beat all other cards
9 hay-yard mare or mare of hearts Hoygarsryssa or Hjartaryssa except lambs
9 mare of diamonds Rtar-ryssa
Chosen aces strivolts strivoltar

Stikkar
Chosen jacks karnifls karniflar
beat aces (except
Chosen sixes postmen postar or pavstar
strivolts) and below
Tkukortini Chosen twos tvists tvistar beat kings and below
(taking cards) Chosen threes trists tristar beat queens and below
lukkur (In Bur, on Vgar island, beat jacks (except
Chosen fours unfortunates
called pollar) karnifls) and below
The stikkar and the tkukortini in the two chosen suits beat one another according to the above ranking order. Cards of the two chosen suits are
interchangeable, in that a stikkar or taking card of one chosen suit can be beaten by a better card of the same suit or of the other chosen suit.
However, there is an old Danish saying "Den ene straffer ikke den anden" ("The one does not beat the other"), meaning that the first played of
equal cards in the chosen suits is better - for example if the strivolts of the two chosen suits are played to the same trick then the second cannot
beat the first one played.
The other cards of the chosen suits have no power unless they are led to a trick. The operate as shown in the following table:
Lambs cannot beat anything but also cannot be
beaten. If a lamb is led it always wins the trick.
lomb, but in Kunoy they are called hsn
Chosen sevens lambs However, a lamb cannot be led to the first trick; a
(hens)
lamb may only be led by a player who has already
won a trick.
Free cards do not beat anything. If a free card is led,
Chosen eights and nines free cards frkort
it can only be beaten by a stikkar.
They do not beat anything; the king does not even
beat the queen of the same suit, if she is led.
Chosen kings and queens kings, queens kongar, frr Nevertheless they are good leads, for when led a
king can only be beaten by a "tvist" or better, and a
queen only by a "trist" or better.
The holder of a trader exchanges it for the exposed
chosen card in the same suit. Traders have no value
keypmenn, but in Gjgv, on Eysturoy in themselves in the play. If you attempt to lead a
Chosen fives traders
island, they are called fimmikar trader to a trick, it behaves as though you
exchanged it for the exposed card of that suit, and
then led the card you had obtained.

As already mentioned, the cards in each "unchosen" suit rank in the usual sequence A, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. An unchosen card can only
beat a lower unchosen card of the same suit. An unchosen card cannot beat a card of a chosen suit in any circumstances. For example, if an
unchosen queen has been led and been beaten by a trist, the king of the led suit cannot be used to beat the trist.
If four cards of the same rank are in the same hand they all take on the value of the best of them. For example if you are lucky enough to have
four deuces in your hand they become four birds and all rank as highest stikkar, like the 2. In the same way four nines become four mares
and four jacks become four karniflar. If you have four cards of the same rank you do not need to announce this until you play the first card
whose rank is altered. At that point you say "Hesin er gur" ("This one is good") to indicate that you have four of a kind.
The Deal and Choosing Suits

The cards are shuffled, but not usually cut. The deal is clockwise, 9 cards to each player, 3 at a time. The turn to deal passes to the left after each
hand.
The dealer then uses the remaining 12 card stock to determine the two chosen suits. The dealer takes cards one by one from the top of the stock,
holding them so that he alone sees them, and continuing until he has found cards of three different suits (or to the end of the stock in the very
unlikely case that it contains only cards of two suits). As soon as a card of a third suit appears the dealer stops taking cards. The first two suits
found will be the chosen suits, and the dealer indicates these by putting the "best" card of each of these suits face up on the table. The remaining
cards which the dealer looked at are put back in the stock, which now contains ten cards and is placed face down across one end of the chosen
cards, leaving the other end sticking out so that the chosen cards' values can be seen.
When selecting which card of the chosen suit to expose, the following rules are followed:
If a trader of a suit was taken it is exposed.
If there was no trader in the suit, the highest stikkar in the suit is exposed.
If there was no trader in the suit, but the lamb was taken, the lamb is exposed, and if there were any stikkar in the suit, the highest stikkar
is exposed as well.
If there was no trader, stikkar or lamb, the highest card is exposed in the following order of priority: six, eight or nine, two, three, king or
four, queen (lowest).
For this purpose, the king and the four are considered equal, and the dealer is free to choose which of these cards to expose - see the variations
for further discussion. In the same way, the eight and nine of clubs are equal, both being free cards, and the dealer may expose either of these if
there is nothing better.
Examples of choosing suits:
Cards at the top of the stock Chosen suits Exposed cards
2, K, 3, J, 9 hearts and spades 2, 3
6, 4, A, A, 7, 5 clubs and diamonds 4, 7, A
9, 5, 4, 7, 6, 2, 9 hearts and clubs 5, 7
A player who holds the five of either of the chosen suits (called the trader) can at any stage of the game take the exposed card of that suit in
exchange for the trader. If two cards of a suit are exposed - a lamb and a stikkar - the holder of the trader can choose to exchange it for either
card.
The Play
There are nine tricks. The player to the left of the dealer leads to the first trick, and the others each play a card in turn. Any card may be played
to a trick - there is absolutely no requirement to follow suit, nor to beat the cards previously played. It is of course forbidden to take a card back
into your hand after playing it - even if you accidentally played a "stikkar" on rubbish, once the card is exposed on the table you have burnt your
boat.
If a card of an unchosen suit is led (which is not a permanent stikkar nor declared as part of a four of a kind), and no taking card nor stikkar is
played which is of sufficient power to beat the previous plays, the highest card of the suit led wins the trick. If an unchosen card is beaten by a
taking card or stikkar, the trick is won by the highest taking card or stikkar played. If a chosen card is led, it either wins the trick, or the trick is
won by the best taking card or stikkar that is used to beat it, according to the ranking of cards described above. Whoever wins a trick leads to the
next one.
Each team's object is to win at least five of the nine tricks. As soon as one team has taken five tricks they have won and there is no need to play
out the rest of the cards. If one side wins the first five tricks they are said to have kept in or made vol. If a single player takes the first five
tricks then that player has kept in on his own (made vol from a single hand). A team which "keeps in" scores extra, but instead of claiming this
score they can keep quiet and continue playing to try to take all nine tricks. Winning nine tricks is worth more than just keeping in but if you

play on and the opponents subsequently win a trick, the bonus for keeping in has slipped through your fingers and you just score for a game
ordinarily won.
Taking the Stock

If your hand is so bad that you cannot beat a free card (frkort), in other words you have no stikkar (though you might have the trader for a
stikkar) then you have the right to take the stock cards in exchange for your hand. If you have bad cards accompanied by a low stikkar, the
stikkar is called a stockhound (stammuhundur) because it prevents you from taking the stock.
If you want to take the stock, you must do so before you play from your hand. If the stock has not been taken by the time the first trick has been
put aside then no one can take it. The right to take the stock passes clockwise, so that if two players want it, the player earlier in clockwise order
starting to the left of the dealer can take it. Apart fron the process of choosing suits (described above), no one is permitted to look at any of the
face down cards in the stock without taking it.
When you take the stock, you put your hand face down in its place. There are ten cards in the stock, so after taking it you will have one more
card than the other players, but this does not matter. If you wish, you can discard a worthless card, putting it back into the stock or adding it to
one of the tricks, for example the first trick.
If both a lamb and a stikkar in either of the chosen suits were exposed, and someone wishes to take the stock, then whoever holds the trader of
that suit has a last chance to trade it for one of the two exposed cards of that suit. The other card will be taken along with the stock. It may
happen that no one trades - the trader may be in the stock, or in the hand of the player who is about to take the stock, or the holder of the trader
may decide not to trade yet, so as to fool the other players. If no one trades, player taking the stock can choose which one of the exposed cards of
this suit to take with it. The other card of that suit remains exposed and available to be exchanged for the trader.
It often happens that the stock itself is unable to beat a free card. If you take the stock and find that it contains no stikkar, you are allowed to take
your original cards back, provided that you did not discard a trader for a stikkar as part of your original hand and you have not used a trader
found in the stock to acquire a stikkar. If you have done either of these things then you must stay with the stock. If neither your original hand nor
the stock contains a stikkar nor a trader for a stikkar, you have the right to keep both sets of cards - so you will have 19 cards to play from, albeit
very weak cards.
If the stock has been taken and a second player also has the right to take it, then the second player can take up the cards that the first player
discarded, change them back or keep both sets of cards by the same rules as above. Provided that the stock was taken for the first time during the
first trick, it can be taken for the second time at any stage during the game by any other player whose original hand was unable to beat a free
card.
The Scoring
The score is kept with chalk. First a chalk-up, consisting of one vertical stroke and three cross strokes is drawn. The game is scored by erasing
the cross strokes, each partnership having its own side of the vertical stroke. When all three strokes on your side have been erased you score a
cross, or if the other team already had a cross you erase it, and a new chalk-up is drawn. If a partnership wins two strokes and have only one left
to erase then they get one erased on the next chalk-up as well as their cross. A partnership who manage to erase all three of their strokes before
the other side have erased any get a monk's cross (munkakross), which counts as two crosses and is chalked with two transversals. Sometimes
this is called a munkur krossi ('monk on the cross').
The aim is to have as many crosses as possible on your side, monk's crosses counting as two. Only one team at a time can have any cross(es)
and/or monk's cross(es). If you erase all your strokes while the opposing team has any crosses you erase one of their crosses. Only after all their
crosses are gone can you draw a cross of your own. If you win a cross when your opponents have no single crosses but only one or more monk's
crosses then half of a monk's cross is erased ("the monk is gelded"). It is not polite to erase from a monk's cross when there are ordinary crosses,
but it is nevertheless sometimes done.
The pair that win the majority of tricks in a deal have the right of access to the chalk-up and do their own chalking or erasing. If the pair who
have won a game forget to chalk or erase the other team is not forced to remind them, but in some places it is held impolite to keep quiet. The
team that have no crosses have the duty of making the next chalk-up itself and keep this duty until they eliminate all the other team's crosses and
get a cross of their own. Making the chalk-up is therefore regarded as mucky work, and there are often jokes like, "shovel some manure for us".
The first chalk-up is done by the first dealer.
The scores are as follows:
Winning an ordinary game . . . . One stroke
Keeping in (vol) . . . . Two strokes
Winning nine tricks . . . . Three strokes
Keeping in alone . . . . One monk's cross
Winning nine tricks alone . . . . Two monk's crosses
Taking up the stock with no right to it . . . . Penalty: one monk's cross to the opponents

If a single player keeps in alone, or performs the rare feat of winning all nine tricks, or a team is penalised for taking the stock illegally, the
monk's crosses scored do not affect the chalk-up. Any erased strokes previously erased from either side of the the chalk-up remain erased.
Example of Scoring
In this example team A score on the left of the slate and team B score on the right.
1. The initial chalk-up. 2. Team B wins an ordinary game. 3. Team A keeps in.
4. Team A wins an ordinary game and 6. Team A keeps in and wins a monk's
scores a cross. Team B makes a new 5. Team A wins an ordinary game. cross, since B have not erased any strokes
chalk-up. on the chalk-up.
9. Team B takes 9 tricks and can erase

7. Team B keeps in. 8. Team A wins an ordinary game. three strokes - one on the old chalk-up
and two on the new one.
11. Team B wins an ordinary game and

10. Team A wins an ordinary game.
gelds the monk.
Tactics and Customs

A common lead is a free card (chosen eight ot nine), the ace of an unchosen suit or any other card that cannot be beaten too easily. This sort of
lead indicates that the leader holds an ordinary hand; often the second and third players play low cards and the lead is first beaten by the fourth to

play.
When a low card from an unchosen suit is led it is like a sudden storm. The player who has called up the storm will be someone sitting with a
strong hand and trying to keep in. If his partner has a high stikkar he will cooperate by heading the trick with it. On the other hand, if the partner
only has a strivolt or karnifl and is sitting like a pregnant ewe waiting his time to produce a lamb, he will calm the storm and let the first trick
go. The opponents may try to stop the keeping in from storming through.
If a strong card, such as a powerful "stikkar", is led initially then the opponents will have to try to beat it if they suspect the player leading is
trying to keep in on his own. He might, after all, hold four lambs.
As suit need not be followed, it is hard to estimate where the lambs and stikkar are, especially when the stock has not been taken so that not all
the cards are in play. So it is important to fool the opposition as far as possible and to reveal one's own holding as little as possible. For example
if a player has the right to the stock after someone else has taken it he will lie in wait until he is playing fourth before taking it, hoping for a
postman or tvist.
Often players discard cards of the same rank as the lead and shuffling is not over zealous, so that there is a good chance that someone will get
four of a kind in the next deal and the game will be more amusing. For example it is common to throw dead sevens when a lamb is led.
Variations
Cutting for a stikkar
Some play that the cards are cut before the deal, and the player making the cut looks the card which will become the the bottom card of the
stock. If this card is a permanent stikkar, it is laid face up on the table and can be exchanged after the deal by the holder of the king of the same
suit. This has to be done before the end of the first trick and before anyone takes the stock (a player who wishes to take the stock must wait for
the holder of the king to take the stikkar). If the exposed stikkar is not claimed by the holder of the king, it goes with the stock. If the king is in
the stock and thus no one claims the stikkar, it can be agreed that the queen of the same suit can be used instead to trade for the exposed stikkar.
As a further variation on the above procedure, it can be agreed that the player who cuts is allowed to look 'until the fourth card' for a permanent
stikkar. This means that if the bottom card of the stock is not a stikkar, the cutter is allowed to look further until he either finds a permanent
stikkar or sees the fourth card, which is not a permanent stikkar.
Some players allow two stikkars to be exposed in this way. In this case, having found and exposed a stikkar, the player who cuts can continue
looking at cards and if he finds a second permanent stikkar he can expose that too. The cutter is still only allowed to look at a maximum of four
cards. The fifth card cannot be looked at, and in any case no further cards can be looked at after a second stikkar is exposed. The exposed stikkar
can be exchanged for the kings of their suits, which then go with the stock. [??? If the two exposed stikkar are the bird and the hay-yard mare,
the holder of the king of hearts will take the bird, and the queen of hearts can be exchanged for the mare. ???]
Choosing suits
Some play that as the dealer is choosing suits, the cards turned up from the top of the stock are laid out face up on the table, so that everyone can
see them.
Traditionally, it was left to the judgement of the dealer to expose whichever he thought was the most powerful card of each chosen suit. The
priority order given in the main rules above represents the combined judgement of five experienced players consulted by Jgvan Brentsen in
1974. For the low cards, the priority order is based on the following comparison of their powers:
Card Is it capable of beating any other cards? What is the lowest card that beats it, if it is led?
Two YES Six
Three YES Two
King NO Two
Four YES Three
Queen NO Three
There was some disagreement between the players consulted about which was to be considered "better" of a king and a four if they were the only
available cards of a chosen suit. It is generally accepted that the chooser is free to decide between these two cards.
Trading the king of hearts for the bird

Some play that if the bird ( 2) is exposed to indicate hearts as a chosen suit, and it has not been traded for the 5 before the last trick, then the
holder of the K can trade this card for the bird. Even in the last trick, if anyone does hold the 5 they have priority over the K if both want
to claim the bird.

Play with compulsory beating

The game can be made significantly simpler by imposing a rule that every player must beat the highest card so far played to the trick if possible,
unless this highest card was played by his partner.
Timing of taking the stock

Some play that the stock can be taken for the first time even after the end of the first trick. There are also many variant rules for when the stock
can be changed back and for when someone can keep both. If the players have not agreed a rule before the question arises in play there can be a
nice little quarrel, making the game even more entertaining.
Keeping Score
Chalk-ups are sometimes drawn horizontally: .
Sometimes the strokes to be erased are joined to form an 'S': .
Although strokes from the chalk-up are generally erased from top to bottom, they can be erased in any order.
Crosses are sometimes drawn diagonally: .
Monk's crosses may be drawn horizontally rather than vertically: .


Rules of Card Games: Sueca
Sueca
This page is based on a contribution from Eduardo Moitinho Vieira.
Sueca is point-trick game with trumps played in Portugal and Brazil. It is popular with students in Rio de
Janeiro because it's fast and you don't need a table to play it.
Players and Cards
The Deal
The Play
Scoring
Players and Cards

Sueca is a game for four players playing in teams, two against two, with partners sitting opposite. It is
played with 40 cards (remove the 8s, 9s and 10s from a standard 52 card deck). The rank of the cards in
each suit, from high to low, is:
ace, 7, king, jack, queen, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
As well as the high position of the seven, notice that the jack beats the queen! Probably this arose
because in old Portuguese decks the picture cards in each suit were the king, horseman and maid, the
female picture card being the lowest of the three.
In Sueca, the aim is to win tricks containing valuable cards. The card values are:
ace ..... 11 points
seven ..... 10 points
king ..... 4 points
jack ..... 3 points
queen ..... 2 points
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 ..... 0 points
There are 120 points in the deck altogether.
The Deal
The game is played clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes to the left
after each hand. The player to dealer's right shuffles the cards and the player to dealer's left cuts. The
dealer then gives 10 cards to each player, in a single batch, beginning with the player to dealer's left,
going around clockwise and ending with the dealer. The bottom card of the deck, which belongs to the
dealer, is turned face up, and its suit becomes trumps.
Alternatively, the dealer can choose to deal the first ten cards to himself, the next ten to the player to his
right, and so on counter-clockwise. In this case the dealer's first card (the original top card of the deck) is
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turned up and determines the trump suit.
The Play
The player to the left of the dealer (the one who cut the cards) leads to the first trick. Players must follow
suit if they can. A player who has no card of the suit led may play any card. If any cards of the trump suit
are played to a trick, the highest trump wins. Otherwise, the trick is won by the highest card of the suit
led. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
No signals between partners are permitted.
Scoring
The object of the play is to win tricks containing more than half of the card points. The team which takes
more than 60 card points scores one game. The first team to score four games win the rubber.
If a team takes 91 or more card points in tricks on one deal, they score two games instead of one.
If they take all the tricks they score four games and thus win the rubber immediately. This is known as
"dar uma bandeira" (which literally means to give a flag). Taking 120 points but losing a trick (with no
counting cards in it) is not sufficient to dar un bandiera. In this case the winning team would just score 2
games for having more than 90.
If there is a tie, both teams taking exactly 60 card points in tricks, no one scores, but the next hand is
worth an extra game - i.e. the winners will score two games if they take 61 - 90 card points; three games
if they take 91 or more. If the next game is another tie, the following hand would be worth two extra
games - i.e. at least three games to the winners.
The score in games is often kept by marking dots at the ends of the arms of a cross, like this:
In the example our team (Ns) has two games towards the rubber and their team (Eles) has three.



Rules of Card Games: Svoi Kozyri
Svoi Kozyri
This page is based mainly on information provided by Alexey Lobashev.
Introduction
Players, cards and trumps

The deal
The play
The endgame
Variations
Besikovich's game
Introduction
The Russian card game Svoi Kozyri ("one's own trumps") is a single attack beating game, the earliest
printed descriptions of which date from the 19th century. It has survived to the present day as Vsyak svoi
kozyri ("everyone has their own trumps"), though it is rarely played nowadays. This page describes this
modern game.
During the game, players play cards from their hand to a face-up play pile in the centre of the table, the
object being to get rid of all your cards. A player who cannot or does not wish to play must pick up one
or more cards from the top of the play pile. After all but one player has played all their cards, the last
player left holding cards is the loser.
Players, cards and trumps

While Svoi Kozyri is playable by two, three or four players, it is best for four. A standard Russian 36
card pack is used, with cards ranking from high to low A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 in each of the four suits.
Each player chooses a different trump suit. Normally the players agree among themselves before the start
of the game who will have which suit, and inform the dealer. Cards of a player's own trump suit can be
used to trump any card of any other suit.
The deal
Any player can deal the first hand; subsequently the loser of each hand deals the next. The dealer
shuffles, the player to dealer's right can cut (though in practice players often omit the cut), and the dealer
deals out all the cards to the players, clockwise, one at a time.
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Before play begins, the players look at their cards and if they have any sixes, they give them to the player
who has that suit as trumps. So at the start of the play, each player has at least one trump, though the
players may have unequal numbers of cards (unless each player was dealt just one six originally).
The play
The game is played clockwise. The player to the left of the dealer begins by leading any card face-up in
the centre of the table to start the play pile. Subsequent players in turn have two options:
1. The player can beat the top card of the play pile, by playing a higher card of the same suit or by
playing one of their own trumps on a card of a different suit. Having done this, the player must
play another card on top of it; this second card can be any card the player chooses. Both the
beating card and the second card are placed face-up on top of the play pile.
2. A player who cannot or does not wish to beat the top card of the play pile must instead pick up
some cards from the top of the play pile, as specified below. These cards are added to the player's
hand. The turn then passes to the following player, who can either beat the top card of the
remaining play pile or pick up further cards.
Note that it is not necessary to "follow suit". If the top card of the play pile is not one of your own
trumps, you may always beat it by playing one of your own trumps, even if you have cards of the same
suit as the top card in your hand. A card of your own trump suit can only be beaten by playing a higher
card of your own trump suit. When you are beating a card, it does not matter whether the card belongs to
the trump suit of the person who played it - in your turn it is only your own trumps that have any special
power.
A normal play always consists of two cards - one card to beat the top card of the pile, and a second card
which can be any card that you want to lead. The pile formed by the played cards should be stacked so
that only the top card is visible. Some experienced players play both cards together - the card to beat the
previous play with the second card on top of it. In this case the opponents are entitled to look at the first
of the two cards if they wish, to see what it is and check that it really does beat the previous play.
If you cannot or do not wish to beat the top card of the pile when it is your turn to do so, you must pick
up this card and further cards from the pile as follows:
If the top card of the pile is not one of your trumps, you pick up the top three cards from the pile,
or the whole pile if it contains three or fewer cards.
If the top card of the pile is one of your trumps other than the ace, you pick up the top five cards
from the pile, or the whole pile if it contains five or fewer cards;
If the top card of the pile is the ace of your trump suit, you must pick up the whole pile.
After a player picks up, it is the following player's turn. If there are still one or more cards in the pile, this
player must beat the now exposed top card of the play pile or pick it up, just as though this card had been
led. If the whole pile has been taken, the next player simply leads any single card, as at the start of the
game.
The player whose turn it is to play is in all cases allowed, before deciding whether to beat the top card of
the pile or to pick up, to inspect the card(s) which would have to be picked up and the following card

which the next player would have the opportunity to beat.
The endgame
The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards. As the players run out of cards they drop out of the
game and the others play on. If a player's last card is used to beat the top card of the pile, and there are
still at least two other players in the game, the next player in turn does not have to beat this card, but
simply leads any card on top of the pile for the following player to beat or pick up.
A player who holds a lot of cards will sometimes spread them out face up on the table, arranging them by
suit, to get a better overview.
The last player left holding cards is the loser. This player shuffles the cards and deals the next hand.
If the last player in the game has just one card, which can be used to beat the previous player's lead, then
the game is a draw. The loser of the previous game deals the cards again for the next game. The saying
is: "an old fool is worse than two new ones".
Variations
The number of cards which a player must pick up from the pile as an alternative to beating the top card
varies in different parts of Russia, as do several other details of the rules.
Besikovich's game
One of the few beating games whose rules have been published in English is a two-player version of Svoi
Kozyri brought to Cambridge, England by the mathematician Professor A.S. Besikovitch. The rules were
published in the journal Eureka 1953, page 8, and also under the name "Challenge" in Hubert Philips'
collection of card games, now widely available as "The Pan Book of Card Games".
The game is extremely similar to the 19th century version of Svoi Kozyri, in which the alternative to
beating the top card of the play pile was to take the whole play pile, no matter what card was on top of
the pile. The difference is that Besikovich's game is played with all the cards exposed on the table from
the start, and to begin with the cards are arranged so that both players have equivalent hands - that is,
they each have the same cards in their own trump suit, the same cards in each other's trump suit, and
equivalent cards in the other two suits. This is achieved by dealing the pack face up to the two players,
leaving the dealer's trump suit and one other suit as it is, and redistributing the cards in the other two
suits.
Besikovich's game is therefore a two-player card game of complete information in which the players
have symmetrical starting positions. This gives it a unique character, more akin to a board game such as
chess than to a normal card game. The game can be made simpler (and shorter) or more complex by
adjusting the number of cards in the pack.
The Eureka article mentions (without giving details) versions of Svoi Kozyri for three or four players,
but gives the two player game with exposed cards as the principal recommended form of the game. It

states that Svoi Kozyri was popular in Belorus, in the countryside but not in the towns. We know of no
Russian source for the symmetrical two-player version of Svoi Kozyri, and it seems possible that
Professor Besikovitch might have invented it himself.

Rules of Card Games: Table Top Cribbage
Table Top Cribbage

This page is based on a contribution from Bill Whitnack of Vernon, BC, Canada, who writes: "I don't
know where this type of cribbage originated, but I learned it a few years ago on the west coast (Surrey),
BC, at our horseshoe clubhouse, after our horseshoe pitching was finished for the evening. I find it very
interesting and entertaining, and in fact, some people that do not like to play cards will play this game.
May you get many fifteen twos, and have lots of fun".
Outline
Players and Cards

The Deal
The Play
The Scoring
Declaring a Winner
Strategies
Variation
Outline
Table Top Cribbage is a game based on Cribbage scoring. Cards are played to a 5 by 5 layout; one player
or team tries to form rows which score as highly as possible as cribbage hands, the other does the same
with the columns.
Players and Cards

There are two or four players. Four people play as partners, two against two, with partners sitting
opposite each other. A regular deck of 52 cards is used, with no jokers.
The Deal
If there are four players, deal six cards to each player. If there are two players deal twelve each. These
cards must be placed face down in front of each player in a stack. Players must not look at any card
before their turn to play. After the cards have been dealt to the players, the next card from the deck is
placed face up in the middle of the table, and a coin is placed on top of it to mark the center of the layout.
The balance of the deck (27 cards) is out of play - it is placed face down to the left of the dealer. Turn to
deal passes clockwise after each hand.
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The Play
The play consists of playing the dealt cards to form a five by five square layout centered on the card with
the coin. The player to dealer's left begins, and the turn to play passes clockwise. At your turn, you turn
up the top card of your stack, and place it face up on the layout. The card must be played on an empty
space, and it must touch at least one card already in the layout, either side to side, end to end, or corner to
corner. Cards cannot be placed more than two spaces away from the center card, as then they would be
outside the limits of the final layout.
The cards are turned one at a time - when placing a card you are not allowed to know any of your own
future cards or those of the other players. In the four player game, partners may confer on where each of
their cards should be placed, but in case of disagreement, the final decision rests with the decision of the
player whose turn it is. In the partnership game it is particularly important that you are not allowed to
know your own next card when advising on the placing of partner's card.
Here is an example of a game after three turns. East dealt and turned up the 8 in the center. South
played the 5, West the 3 and North the 7.
North
West East

South
East can play the next card in any of the spaces indicated wioth a tick. The next card cannot be played
north of the 7, because that would be too far from the center card. It cannot be played in the south row
or west column of the layout (positions marked with a cross) because then it would not be next to any
other card in the existing layout.
The Scoring
The partners (or player) facing the ends of the layout (North-South in the diagrams) will score for
cribbage combinations in each of the five columns, while the partners (player) facing the sides of the
cards (East-West) will score each of the five rows.
The counting of each row and column is done as in normal cribbage. The scoring combinations are:
15:
Any combination of cards adding up to 15 pips scores 2 points (pictures counting 10 and aces 1).
Pair:
A pair of cards of the same rank scores 2 points. Three cards of the same rank contain 3 different
pairs and thus score a total of 6 points for pair royal. Four of a kind contain 6 pairs and so score 12
points.
Run:
Three cards of consecutive rank (irrespective of suit), such as ace-2-3, score 3 points for a run. Ace
always counts as low. A row such as 6-7-7-8-8 contains four runs of 3 (as well as four fifteens and
two pairs) and so would score 24 altogether. A run of four cards, such as 9-10-J-Q scores 4 points
(this is slightly illogical - you might expect it to score 6 because it contains two runs of 3, but it
doesn't. The runs of 3 within it don't count - you just get 4), and a run of five cards scores 5.
Flush:
If all five cards of a row or column are the same suit, 5 points are scored for flush. Four card
flushes do not count in Table Top Cribbage.
There is of course no score for heels, nobs, 31 or last.
It is easiest to peg running scores on a cribbage board, but they can be written on a score pad if you
prefer.
Here is an example of scoring:

Row score
North for
East-West
12
West 4 East
Column score
for 4 8 8 6 13
North-South
South
For this layout, North-South score 39 and East-West score 32.

Declaring a Winner
The game is usually played to 121 points; that is, deals are played until one or both players (or teams)
have scored 121 or more points. The player (team) with the more points at that time is the winner of the
game. The five hands for each team are scored simultaneously, not one after the other, so there is no
question of one player winning the game with 121 points just because the other player hasn't counted as
yet, as can happen in regular cribbage. All hands must be counted after play has finished. The target total
score of 121 can be varied by agreement among the players prior to the start of the game.
Strategies
The aim of the game is to get a large score in your rows (columns) and at the same time to try to limit the
enemy's score. High opposing scores can often be "blocked" by playing an inconvenient card in a row
(column) that threatens to produce multiple runs, multiple fifteens, etc.
As in regular crib, there is luck in the run of the cards, but with a some close attention, players can
influence the outcome by watching the opposition's combinations as well as their own. When possible, it
is good to start several potential high scoring rows for your side, so that the opponent(s) will find it
difficult to block all of them.
Variation
Howard Ship describes a variation on Table Top Cribbage that he picked up from a game review in The
Game Report.
The rules are similar, but with the following modifications:

1. Both players get 14 cards (not 12). On two of their turns, they must put a card face down into the
crib instead of playing it to the layout. Each player must put exactly two cards into the crib, which
will be scored for the dealer.
2. Cards need not be placed adjacent to other cards, just anywhere within the 5x5 grid.
3. You can form a flush with only four cards.
4. At the end of each round, both sides count up their points (including the crib for the dealer). These
are the hand points.
5. Whoever scored the more hand points gains the difference between the two scores as game points.
So if I score 37 hand points and you score 32, I will get 5 game points. Thus, only one player will
score game points in each hand.
6. The first player to accumulate 31 or more game points wins. This usually takes at least 5 hands.
The addition of the crib brings the game to a new level since getting the timing just right on when to
ditch a card into the crib can be delicious agony.



Rules of Card Games: Taroky
Taroky
Technical note - this page uses ISO 8859-2 (Latin 2) encoding to display Czech accented letters. Here is a test page, which you can use to check whether these
characters are displayed correctly by your browser.
Introduction
Outline of the game

The cards and their values
The deal
The bidding
The possible contracts; exchanging with the talon and calling a partner
The announcements
The play
The scoring
Varava
Variations
Other Taroky WWW Sites
Introduction
Taroky is a tarot game for 4 players, played in the Czech Republic (especially in Moravia) and also in Slovakia. It is played with a 54 card pack similar to that
used for Austrian Tarock. There are several local variations in the rules; the version described on this page is played in Hlun, near Ostrava in the Czech
Republic. It was taught to John McLeod by Alois Nasadil, Drahomr Navrtil, Oldich Cibulec, Jindich Cibulec and Ji Uhk.
Taroky is also played by the Czech community in central Texas, USA - for example in the towns of Temple, West and Fort Worth. There are enough players
that Taroky cards are available in the shops there, and regular tournaments are held.
Outline of the game

Taroky is a point trick game - the object is to take tricks containing valuable cards. There are four active players and the whole game is played anticlockwise.
The 54 card pack consists of four suits of eight cards plus 22 permanent trumps, called taroky. Twelve cards are dealt to each player and the remaining six form
the talon.
In each hand, the four players play in two temporary teams, either one against three or two against two, depending on the bidding. When playing two against
two, the bidder calls a tarok, usually the XIX, and the holder of the called card becomes the declarer's partner. Depending on the bid, the bidder's hand may also
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be improved by drawing some cards from the talon and discarding. As in all tarot games, in the trick play it is compulsory to follow suit, and to play a tarok if
you have no cards of the suit led. At the end of the play the teams count the value of the cards they have won in tricks to determine which side has won and by
how much. Players can also win bonuses by declaring certain combinations of cards held in hand, and for winning the last trick with the lowest trump. If no one
wishes to bid, a game of Varava is played, in which the noraml objective of the play is reversed: the aim is to avoid winning card points in tricks, and whoever
takes most of them loses.
It is normal to play for money, settling up after each hand by passing coins across the table. The scoring will be given throughout in terms of payment in Czech
crowns (K).
The cards and their values
A Taroky pack consists of 54 cards and is almost identical in appearance to an Austrian Tarock pack.
There are 22 taroky (singular: tarok) which function as permanent trumps. The highest of these is
the kz, which is unnumbered and looks a little like a joker. The remaining taroky bear roman
numbers XXI, XX, XIX, XVIII, etc. down to I. The XXI - the second highest tarok - is also known
as the mond and the I - the lowest tarok - is called the pagt.
In addition there are four suits - hearts (srdce or herce), diamonds (kra or koule), spades (piky) and
clubs (kie), each consisting of eight cards, ranking from high to low as follows:
in the black suits: king (krl), queen (dma), rider (kavall), jack (kluk), 10, 9, 8, 7;
in the red suits: king, queen, rider, jack, ace, 2, 3, 4.
kz mond pagt
The four kings The four queens

When counting the point value of the cards won in tricks, they are counted as far as possible in batches
The values of the cards are as follows: of three, and two points are subtracted from the value of each group. For example a queen and two 1
kz, mond and pagt ..... 5 points each point cards are worth 4 altogether (4 + 1 + 1 - 2 = 4); a king, a rider and a jack are worth 8 (5 + 3 + 2 -
2); three one-point cards are worth one (1 + 1 + 1 - 2). If two cards are left over, they are worth the sum
taroky II to XX ..... 1 point each
of their individual values less one point - for example a taroky XXI and IX are worth 5 points (5 + 1 - 1 =
kings ..... 5 points each 5). A single card left over is worth one point less than its face value - for example king by itself is worth
queens ..... 4 points each 4, and a one-point card by itself is worth nothing.
riders ..... 3 points each
If you are unfamiliar with this way of counting, see the page on counting cards in tarot games for further
jacks ..... 2 points each
explanation. It turns out that it does not matter how a pile of cards is arranged into threes - its total value
10, 9, 8, 7, ace, 2, 3, 4 ..... 1 point each is always the same. The total value of the pack is 70 points, and the card point totals taken by the two
teams always add up to 70.
The four riders The four jacks
The deal
The first dealer is chosen by cutting cards (highest card deals); subsequently the turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The dealer shuffles and the
player sitting opposite to the dealer cuts the cards. The dealer deals a packet of 6 cards face down to the centre of the table to form the talon, and then deals out
the remainder of the cards to the players, anticlockwise in batches of 6, so that everyone has twelve cards.
The player opposite the dealer can knock instead of cutting the cards. In that case the cards will be given out in batches of 12. Starting with the player to dealer's
right, the players can choose which batch they want to receive - for example this player might ask for the second batch, the player opposite the dealer might ask
for the fourth, the player to dealer's left might ask for the first, and the dealer would then have to take the second batch. The dealer deals the first six cards to the
talon as usual, and then deals the remainder in batches of 12, giving each batch to the player who asked for it.
In the event of a misdeal, the dealer should pay K 1.00 to each of the other players.

The bidding
The possible bids, in ascending order are:
povinnost, or zkladni povinnost (first duty) - in which the bidder exchanges with the talon and calls a partner;
druh povinnost (second duty) - which is similar to zkladni povinnost, with the additional condition that the bidder undertakes to try to win the last
trick with the pagt;
trojka, or preferanc - in which the bidder exchanges with the talon but plays alone;
slo - in which the bidder plays alone without exchanging cards with the talon.
The meanings of these bids will be explained in more detail below.

Each player has only one turn to speak, beginning with the player to the right of the dealer (the first player - known as pedk in Czech) and continuing
anticlockwise around the table. The first player is not allowed to pass, but must bid povinnost, trojka or slo. Subsequent players can either pass or name a bid
higher than the previous bid.
Notice that:
the first player cannot bid druh povinnost (in fact there would be no point in doing so as the intention to win the last trick with the pagt can be
announced later);
the other three players cannot bid zkladni povinnost, but if the first player starts with povinnost, one of the others can bid druh povinnost if they hold
the pagt;
as there is only one round of bidding, if you want to bid trojka or slo you need to say so at your turn. If you start with povinnost and someone else bids
higher, you have no opportunity to increase your own bid.
The player who makes the last and highest bid is known as the bidder (in Czech the word is vydraitel). This player may now call a partner and draw cards
from the talon, according to the bid.
The possible contracts; calling a partner and using the talon

Zkladni povinnost (first duty)
The bidder, who is the first player in this case, calls a card - usually tarok XIX, also known as star (the old one). The holder of the
called card will be the bidder's partner, but this player must not say or do anything to reveal who they are - the partnerships are only
discovered during the course of play, for example when the called card is played. A bidder who holds the XIX is allowed to call the
XVIII (mlad - the young one) instead. If the bidder holds the XIX and XVIII, the XVII can be called, and a bidder who holds the XIX,
XVIII and XVII can call the XVI. Taroky below the XVI cannot be called.
Alternatively, if you bid povinnost you are always allowed to call the XIX even if you hold it yourself. If you hold the called card you
will of course not have a partner - you will be playing alone against the other three players, though they will not realise this at first. It is
only with the XIX that you are allowed to call yourself in this way; calling the XVIII, XVII or XVI promises that you do not hold the
called card, and that you do hold all the higher callable taroky up to and including the XIX. If you badly wanted to play alone, you could
of course have bid trojka instead of povinnost.
Having called a tarok, the bidder draws the top four cards of the talon, without showing them to the other players, and then discards any
four cards face down. The next two players in turn (the player to the bidder's right and the player opposite the bidder) also each draw one
card from the talon and discard one. The discarded cards must not include any 5-point cards (kings, kz, mond and pagt). It is not permitted to discard taroky
unless you have no alternative (your remaining hand consists entirely of taroky and kings). Any taroky discarded must be placed face up, so that all the players
know which taroky are in play. All discarded cards count at the end of the game along with the tricks won by the player who made the discard, in favour of that
player's team.
If the bidder draws from the talon without first calling a card, it is assumed that the XIX is called.
The bidder of a povinnost must always draw four cards and discard four. It is possible that one of the other two players entitled to draw a card may not wish to
draw - probably because they wish to preserve a declaration. In this case, the player who does not want a card from the talon can pass instead, and the player to
the left of the bidder will draw the last card from the talon. It is not possible for two players to pass the option to draw from the talon.
If the called card is in the talon, then the player who draws it will of course become the bidder's partner. If the called card is drawn by the bidder, the bidder has
no partner. In this case the bidder is allowed to surrender immediately, without playing the hand, and must pay K 1.00 to each opponent. Alternatively, the
bidder can play on alone against the other three players.
If the first player bids povinnost and everyone else passes there is another option, which the first player will prefer with a hand weak in taroks and high cards.
Instead of calling a tarok, the first player can choose to play a game of Varava, in which the object is to avoid winning tricks containing card points. The
details will be explained later.
Druh povinnost (second duty)

This is almost the same as the zkladni povinnost. The differences are:
1. the bidder undertakes to win the last trick with the pagt - this is paid for independently of the game, exactly like an announced pagt in any game, as
explained below;
2. there is no opportunity to play Varava instead;
3. if the bidder draws the called card from the talon, the game must continue - there is no opportunity to surrender.
Trojka, or preferanc
If you bid trojka, you play alone; the other three play as a single team against you.
You begin by looking at the top three cards from the talon, without showing them to the other players, but keeping them separate from your hand. You have two
options:
1. add these three cards to your hand and discard three cards (the restrictions on discarding are the same as for povinnost - no 5-point cards and no taroky
unless forced); the other three talon cards are counted with your opponents' tricks but no one sees these cards until the end of the play; this is called
playing on the first level;
2. place the first three talon cards face up on the table and pick up the second three, again without showing them to the opponents and keeping them separate
from your hand.
If you look at the second three cards from the talon you again have two options:
1. add these three cards to your hand and discard three face down; the first part of the talon, which you rejected and exposed on the table, is turned face
down and counted with your opponents' tricks at the end of the play; this is called playing on the second level;
2. place the second three cards face up on the table, pick up the first three cards again and add them to your hand, and discard three cards face down; the
second part of the talon, which you rejected and exposed on the table, is turned face down and counted with your opponents' tricks at the end of the play;
this is called playing on the third level.
Slo
If you bid slo, you play alone; the other three play as a single team against you. No one sees the talon until after the play. The six talon cards are then counted
with your opponents' tricks.
The announcements
Before the play begins, players can make announcements. The players speak in turn, beginning with the bidder, and continuing anticlockwise around the table.
There are three possible types of announcements:
1. announcements of an intention to score a bonus in the play;
2. declarations which give information that one holds certain combinations of cards;
3. doubling the score for the game or an annoucement made by an opponent.
Bonuses
Pagt
The pagt bonus occurs when someone plays the pagt (tarok I) to the last trick. If the pagt wins the trick, the team wins a bonus of K 1.00; if it does
not win (because some other player still has a tarok), the team which played the pagt loses K 1.00. Note that the team with the pagt loses this bonus
even if the last trick is won by a partner of the person who played the pagt.
The holder of the pagt can announce the pagt bonus before the start of play, promising to win the last trick with the pagt. If this succeeds, the team
wins K 2.00 instead of K 1.00. It can fail in two ways:
the announcer is forced to play the pagt before the last trick;
the announcer plays the pagt to the last trick but some other player (opponent or partner) beats it with a higher tarok.
In both cases the announcement is lost and the team has to pay K 2.00.
Note that if you announce pagt, you must keep the pagt in your hand for as long as you can, subject to the rules of play - if possible until the last trick.
You are not permitted to play it early to save the card, if you notice that the bonus has become impossible.
Valt
A team which wins every trick is paid a bonus of K 7.00. This is in addition to what they win for the game. If you announce valt, you are promising
that your team will win every trick. If this succeeds your team wins a bonus of K 14.00 instead of K 7.00 in addition to the payment for the game. If
your team does not manage to take every trick, your team must pay K 14.00 for the failed valt.
Declaring a combination
There are certain combinations of cards which you can declare:
Declaration Cards held Payment (K)

Taroky 10, 11 or 12 Taroky 1.00

Taroky 8 or 9 Taroky 0.50
Barvy No tarok, or the pagt only 1.00
Barviky One tarok (not the pagt) or two taroky 0.50
Trul kz, mond (XXI) and pagt (I) 0.50
Honery Four or more of the seven 5-point cards 0.50
Krlovsk honery Four kings 1.00
If you have four kings you must automatically have honery as well. The payment of K 1.00 for krlovsk honery already includes the 0.50 for honery - in fact
it is made up of 0.50 for honery and another 0.50 for the kings.
Declarations can be combined. For example if you have trul plus one or more kings you can declare Trulhonery (trul plus honery) for K 1.00. If you are lucky
enough to be dealt all seven five-point cards, you have trul and krlovsk honery and can claim K 1.50. On the other hand you might have barvy or barviky
together with honery or krlovsk honery. Again, the payments for the declared combinations are added.
Doubles and redoubles

Any player can double the payment for the game or for a pagt or valt announced by the opposing team by saying kontra, or more usually flek. The game,
pagt and valt can be doubled independently, so if pagt or valt has been announced, the player saying flek must specify exactly what is being doubled. Any
player belonging to the team whose game or announcement has been doubled can double the score for it again by saying reflek (or rekontra). If this happens,
either member of the team that said flek (kontra) can double the score a third time by saying super (or superkontra).
Procedure for making announcements

Normally, each player, beginning with the bidder and going around the table anticlockwise, speaks just once, making any appropriate announcements or
declarations, or passing if they have nothing to say. A player who has already had their turn may speak again to say flek, reflek or super, but announcements of
pagt or valt and declarations of card combinations may no longer be made at this stage.
The play
The player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick. Players are obliged to follow suit. A player who has no card of the suit led must play a tarok. If a
tarok is led, the other players must play taroky if they have them. A player who has no card of the suit led and no tarok is free to play any card. The trick is won
by the highest tarok in it, or (if it contains no tarok) by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
Players keep the tricks they have won in a face-down pile in front of them, along with any cards they discarded. When the called tarok is played in a povinnost,
the partnerships become clear and partners can combine their tricks and discards into a single pile.

The scoring
At the end of the play, each of the teams counts the card points they have taken. The points taken by the two teams should add up to 70. The team with more
points are paid for each point they have above 35, the rate being as follows:
Bid Payment per point (K)
Zkladni povinnost 0.10
Druh povinnost 0.10
Trojka - first level 0.10
Trojka - second level 0.20
Trojka - third level 0.30
Slo 0.60
If the two teams take 35 card points each, the bidder's team has lost and the opponents win a fixed amount of K 0.10.
In the case of a flek, reflek or super, the relevant payments are multiplied by 2, 4 or 8 as appropriate.
All payments, whether for the game, for bonuses or for declarations, are won or lost equally by all members of a team. When the bidder calls a partner and two
play against two, each player pays to or receives from one player of the other team. When the bidder plays alone, the bidder is paid by all three opponents, or
pays to all three opponents.
It is possible for a team to win some items and lose others on the same deal.
Example: South deals. East is the first player, and plays a povinnost, calling the XIX, which turns out to be held by North. West declares barviky, and South
says flek. East and North take 39 card points. East and North win 0.80 for having 4 points more than 35, and South and West win 0.50 for West's barviky. The
net gain for East and North is 0.30, so West plays 0.30 to North and South pays 0.30 to East.
Example: East deals, and South plays a trojka on the third level, declares taroky and trulhonery, takes 47 points, and succeeds in winning the last trick with
the pagt, without having announced it. East wins 3.60 for the game, 0.50 for the taroky and 1.00 for the pagt. Each of the other three players pays 5.10 to
East.
To save time, it is generally agreed that a povinnost bid with no flek and no pagt or valt announced is thrown in without play. The bidder and partner are
assumed to win the minimum amount of K 0.10, and any valid declarations of card combinations are also paid for.
Varava
If the first player says povinnost and the other three all pass, the first player has the option, instead of calling a card, to declare a Varava (Warsaw). This is a
special game in which all four players play as individuals and try to avoid taking tricks containing card points. The player who takes most card points has to pay
the others.
In a Varava, no declarations, announcements or bonuses are available. As usual, the player to the dealer's right leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit,
and play a tarok if they have no card of the suit led. There are three additional constraints.

1. Compulsory overtaking. Subject to the rules of following suit, each player must if possible play a card which beats all the cards so far played to the
trick.
2. Playing the pagt. It is illegal to play the pagt until it is the only tarok left in your hand.
3. Playing the mond. It is illegal to lead the mond (XXI), or to play it to a trick to which the kz has already been played, unless the mond is the only tarok
left in your hand, or the only taroky you have left are the mond and the pagt. However, the mond can be played (subject to the rules of following suit) to
beat a lower tarok or to trump a suit card.
The six talon cards are given to the winners of the first six tricks. This is done by the first player, who at the end of each of the first six tricks turns over the
talon and places it face up on top of the trick. The talon card does not have any effect on who wins the trick, but the winner takes all 5 cards and leads to the
next trick.
At the end of a Varava, all four players separately count the card points they have taken. The loser is the player who has taken most points, and must pay all
three of the other players. The payment depends on the number of points taken by the loser:
up to 29 points ........ pay K 1.00
30 to 39 points ........ pay K 2.00
40 or more points ........ pay K 4.00
Any player who takes no tricks is paid double.
If two players tie for most points, they must share the payment. For example, if two players take 26 points each and one player takes no trick, the player without
a trick is entitled to receive K 2.00 and the other winner receives K 1.00, so the losers must pay K 1.50 each.
Variations
Abeles
This is a variation in the deal. If the player opposite the dealer knocks instead of cutting the cards, the dealer can choose to deal the cards as follows: six to the
talon, then six to the dealer, then twelve each to the other players in turn, and the final six to the dealer.
Exposing the talon in trojka

Some play that in a trojka, the top three cards of the talon are never exposed to the opponents, and the bottom three are only exposed after the bidder decides to
reject them and play on the third level.
Declarations
In place of barvy and barviky, some players only recognise a single declaration, called barvy, for which the player must hold not more than two taroky. In this
variation barvy is worth 0.50.

Variations of Varava
There are other ways of scoring Varava. For example some play that the loser pays 0.50 to each other player, doubled if the loser took 35 or more points, and
with a double payment to anyone who took no trick.
Some players do not impose restrictions on playing the mond.
Other Taroky WWW Sites

Here is Branislav Hanaek's Taroky page, which gives the rules in Slovakian.


Card Games: Tarot Games
Card Games Home Page | Alphabetical Index | Classified Index | Trick Taking Games

Tarot games originated in Italy in the early 15th century. They are still played in a number of European
countries, namely: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Switzerland. Each of these countries has its own rather different version(s) of the game.
Tarot games require special cards - a Tarot pack normally consists of:
four suits, which may be the French suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades or the Italian suits
of cups, coins, batons and swords)
a series of 21 special cards which serve as trumps
another special card (looking a bit like a joker, though there is no historical connection) called the
fool or excuse.
Tarot was the one of earliest games to introduce the concept of trumps. It is possible that Karnffel had
trumps a few years earlier, but it is probable that Karnffel trumps were invented independently of Tarot
trumps, since they work in a rather different way. In any case, it is clear that virtually all modern
trick-taking card games that have trumps inherited the idea ultimately from Tarot games.
Tarot games are point-trick games in which you must trump if you have no card of the suit led. The
values of the cards are common to most games of the group: 5, 4, 3, 2 for the court cards in the suits; 5
for the 1 and 21 of trumps and the fool; and 1 for each other card. However, the method of adding up
these values in most games is quite unusual and characteristic of Tarot games - see the page on counting
points in Tarot games for a discussion.
In "Il Mondo e l'Angelo" (Bibliopolis, Napoli, 1993), Michael Dummett classifies Tarot games into three
types. Games of type I, found only in Italy, depart from the usual card values in that besides the fool, 21
and 1 there are other trumps with a value greater than 1 point. This group includes:
the Florentine game of Minchiate, played with 97 or sometimes 98 cards, which was very popular
in central and southern Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, but seems unfortunately to have died
out early in the twentieth century;
the various forms of Tarocchi still played in Sicily with 63 or 64 cards, which are described in
detail in Michael Dummett's book "I Tarocchi Siciliani" (la Zisa, Palermo, 1995).
the forms of Tarocchi played in Bologna with their special 62 card pack. An example is:
Ottocento
Games of type II and type III use the normal card values already described, but are distinguished by the
way that the fool is used. The classic role of the fool is as a card which can be played at any time instead
of following suit or trumping, but loses the trick. It is used this way games of type I, and also in the type
II games:
French Tarot
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Danish Tarok
Troccas (Switzerland: Graubnden)
Droggn (Tyrol: Stubai valley)
In Central Europe, the standard card values are still used, but the role of the fool has been changed. It is
simply the highest trump (effectively the 22), ranking above the 21. These games in which the fool has
its modern role began to appear in the eighteenth century. Michael Dummett classifies them as type III
Tarot games.
Hungarian Tarokk (Paskievics)
Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk (Palatinusz)

Knigrufen (Austria)
Zwanzigerrufen (Austria)
Slovenian Tarok
Taroky (Czech Republic / Slovakia)
Cego (Baden, Germany)
There is one Swiss Tarot game which seems to be intermediate between types II and III. The card values
are standard but the fool can be used in either the classic or the modern way.
Troggu
There are a few examples where a tarot pack is used to play a game which is not really of the tarot
family. An example is Vier-anderle.
Since the late eighteenth century, Tarot cards have also been used for occult purposes. In the twentieth
century the occult interpretation of the cards has become more popular and widespread than the games
for which the cards were originally intended. If you are interested in this aspect of Tarot, you are
recommended to visit the Tarot FAQ or Mary K Greer's Tarot site for further information.
Jan Frec has made a German translation of this page, with a link to the rules of his version of Slovenian
Tarok.

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Rules of Card Games: Tiu U
Tiu U
Tiu U means "fishing". This is a game for two or three players, using two sets of Chinese dominoes (64
tiles in all). Each set consists of all pairs of numbers from 1-1 to 6-6, with the following eleven tiles
duplicated: 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-1, 5-5, 5-1, 4-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 1-1.
Here is a link to the rules of Tiu U, compiled by Joe Celko.

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Rules of Card Games: Toepen
Toepen
A well known Dutch drinking game, described by Nick Wedd, with additions by Jihn McLeod based on
information from Paul Stuurop.
Players and cards
Deal
Play of the cards
Knocking
Endgame
Announcing tens and jacks
Etiquette
Advice on skilful play
Variations
Other Toepen WWW pages and software
Players and cards

Toepen is a very fast trick-taking game for three to eight players who are drinking. It is played with a
32-card pack, with the cards in each suit ranking 10 (highest), 9, 8, 7, A, K, Q, J (lowest). The basic
object of each hand is to win the last trick.
Deal
The cards are dealt clockwise so that each player receives four cards.
After the deal, the undealt portion of the pack is left face-down in the middle of the table. Then any
player whose hand consists entirely of As, Ks, Qs, and Js may discard her hand face downward and deal
herself a new one. Indeed, any player may discard her hand face downward and deal herself a new one,
but there is a risk. When a hand has been discarded in this way, it may be challenged by any other player,
by turning it face upwards: if it is found to contain a 10,9,8 or 7 the discarder loses one life (but keeps her
new hand) while if it really consists entirely of As,Ks,Qs and Js the challenger loses one life. Once all the
cards in the pack have been dealt, it is impossible for any more hands to be dealt.
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Play of the cards

The player on dealer's left leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible, otherwise they may
play any card. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next
trick.
The winner of the fourth and last trick will deal the next hand. Each of the other players loses a life or
lives as described below.
Knocking
At any time during a hand, once all the players have had an opportunity to pick up their cards, a player
may knock by rapping the table sharply. This increases the value of the hand by one life. When a player
knocks, the other players may stay in, risking losing an extra life; or may fold, losing the current stake
and taking no further part in the hand. A player folds by discarding her hand immediately face down on
the table.
It often happens that someone will knock during the last trick, after some players have already played
their last card. A player who wishes to fold but has no cards left in her hand (having already played to the
last trick) does so by calling out "fold" immediately. A player who hesitates has stayed in: it is too late
for her to fold.
The last player to knock may not knock again on the same hand, until someone else has knocked.
Those who stay in to the end of the hand lose one more life than the total number of knocks. So for
example if there are no knocks, everyone except the winner of the last trick loses one life; if there was
one knock everyone who stayed in, except for the winner of the last trick, loses two lives, and so on.
Those who fold on the first knock immediately lose one life; those who fold on the second knock lose
two lives and so on - that is, by folding you lose the same amount you would have lost if the game had
gone to the end with no further knocks and you lost the last trick.
If a player knocks and everyone else folds, the player left in wins that hand (losing no life) and deals the
next.
If the winner of a trick folds after playing the winning card to the trick, but before the following trick has
begun, the turn to lead to the next trick passes to the next player to the left who has not yet folded.
If the winner of the last trick folds, everyone will lose lives: the winner of the last trick will lose because
she folded and all the others still playing will lose because they did not win the last trick. (Example: on
the last trick, with no previous knocks, A leads the 7. C knocks and A folds, believing C has a high
diamond, but then B plays the 9 and C plays the 10. A loses one life for folding and B and C each
lose two lives for staying in and not winning the last trick.)
A player may not knock and fold on her own knock.

Endgame
When a player has lost ten lives, she buys a round of drinks, the score is wiped clean and the next rubber
starts. (In practice, this will cause drinks to arrive at an excessive rate. It might be more realistic if she
just puts a dollar in the drinks kitty).
A player who has already lost nine lives may not knock. Similarly, a player who has already lost eight
lives may not make the second knock, one who has already lost seven lives may not make the third
knock, etc.
Announcing Tens and Jacks

A player who holds three tens must whistle. A player who holds three jacks may whistle. A player who
holds four tens must stand up. A player who holds four jacks may stand up. If a player is obliged to
whistle but cannot, she must sing loudly. Such behaviour may encourage other players to fold, if they
notice it.
Etiquette
Players should avoid making sounds which might be mistaken for knocks: e.g. glasses should be put
down gently. Players must not whistle, sing or stand up without the requirements described above.

If you never knock, and fold whenever you hear a knock, you will never lose a rubber. If you are able to
follow this advice, you have not been drinking enough to enjoy this game.
Note that a player who is allowed to knock may do so at any time. This includes knocking in the middle
of a trick, or even at the end of the last trick. A player who hears a knock and fails to fold immediately
has stayed in: so you should always be ready to fold unless you expect to win the last trick.
Conventions
There are two conventions which may be found useful, as they allow play to proceed without interruption
while players are drinking. A player who is absent from the table attending to her own needs is dealt a
hand in the usual way, but is deemed to have folded on the first knock. A player who is absent from the
table so as to buy drinks for everyone loses no lives at all during her absence.
Variations
There are several local variations of the rules.
The number of lives varies. It is common to start at the target number (10 or 15) and count down, the

loser being the first to reach zero.

One group of variations concern the case where a player who folds during a trick turns out to have played
the card which would have won the trick. There are two alternative treatments of this position:
1. The player who has folded wins the trick, but loses the appropriate number of lives for folding. If
it was not the last trick, the lead for the next trick passes to the left. If it was the last trick everyone
loses lives (as in the rules above).
2. You cannot win a trick after you have folded. The winner of the trick is the player among those
who have not folded who played the highest card of the suit led. If all the players who played the
led suit have folded the winner of the trick is decided according to a ranking of suits: the player of
the highest ranking suit wins the trick, and if several played that suit the winner is the player of the
highest card in it. The suit ranking order varies. The Toep Club de Laaier (see below) uses hearts
(high), spades, diamonds, clubs (low), but others in Waalwijk use hearts (high), diamonds, spades,
clubs (low).
Some play special rules when a player has only one life left. This state is called "armoede" (poverty).
Some play that in this case the stake for the game is immediately raised to two lives, as though the poor
player had knocked, and the others must decide before the first lead whether to stay in or drop out for the
loss of one life. After that, players are allowed to knock only if they have enough lives left to cover the
raised stake, and the poor players are not allowed to knock.
Other Toepen pages and software

The "Not At Home Page" of the Toep Club de Laaier, with rules and tournament information (in Dutch)
Fabian Kratz has written a Windows Toepen program, which is available from his Toepen home page.


Rules of Card Games: Toonerville Rook
Toonerville Rook
This is a version of Contract Rummy played with several Rook decks. See also Rook Shanghai - another
Contract Rummy game played with Rook cards.
The information below is more or less a copy of Steve Simpson's Toonerville Rook page, which has now
moved to http://people.ne.mediaone.net/ssimpson/tooner.html.
Toonerville Rook Card Game Directions

Object
To have the lowest score at the end of the game. This is achieved by discarding your cards onto the play
field and as few points against you as possible (which are left in your hand when someone wins the
round).
Number of players
Three to five players per table. You can play tournament style in groups of three to five people. At the
end of each round, move to another seat. Keep a master score sheet to record everyone's score as in
single table Toonerville Rook.
Materials
One deck of Rook cards per person at the table. All decks are shuffled together so if you are sharing
decks, it is helpful to have different backs for easy separation. Usually, the host provides a set of cards;
four or five decks that can be used for play by everyone at the table.
Runs
A run is four or more cards of the same color (suit) in sequential order. "Wrap around" (13, 14, 1, 2, for
example) is not allowed.
Sets
A set is three or more cards of the same number (and can be any combination of colors).
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The Rook Card

The Rook card is a wild card. If the Rook is in a run on the play field, a player, during his turn may
substitute the card that the Rook card represents, taking the Rook card and using it to play in his own
hand. However, whenever a Rook card is taken in this fashion, it must be played during the player's turn.
Note: Only Rook cards that are in runs may be substituted. Rook cards in sets may not be substituted.
A Player's Turn
At the beginning of a player's turn, a player must draw one card from either the deck or the discard pile.
At the end of a player's turn a player must discard one card onto the discard pile, except when ending a
round. (At the end of Round 11, a player must not discard when ending the round.) A player may not
pick up from the discard pile and discard that same card.
At the beginning of a player's turn, if the player does not want the top card of the discard pile, the other
players have the option to buy that card before the player draws a card from the deck.
Buying a Card
An opponent states that he wants the card on top of the discard pile by saying "I'll buy that!" If more than
one opponent wants to buy the card, the buyer closest to the player's left receives the card. The player
buying the card draws an additional card from the deck (two cards total). Then play resumes with the
player whose turn it is drawing his card from the deck. After a card is bought in a turn, the player whose
turn it is may not then draw from the discard pile and must draw from the deck.
Playing a Round
A player must obtain the specified number of runs and sets for any given round and play them on their
field. When to play your cards is a matter of strategy.
A player may play cards on an opponent's play field if
1. the player has played on his own play field with the required number of runs and sets for that
round and
2. the card played on an opponent's play field follows the rules for runs and sets.
Since play field points are not awarded, playing cards on an opponent's play field is simply a way of
ridding your hand of extra cards.
When a player plays his last card on the field or discards his last card on the discard pile the round is
over. Cards left in opponent's hands are tallied up and recorded. The player who plays his last card
receives zero points.
Round 11 differs from the other rounds in that you must not discard at the end of the round. In other
words, the card that you draw at the beginning of your turn must fit into the two runs and two sets you
have been gathering so that you can lay your whole hand down at once. So take care in the amount of
buying you do in Round 11.

Rounds
1. Two sets (deal 12 cards)
2. One run and one set (deal 12 cards)
3. Two runs (deal 12 cards)
4. Three sets (deal 12 cards)
5. One run and two sets (deal 12 cards)
6. Two runs and one set (deal 12 cards)
7. Four sets (deal 12 cards)
8. Three runs (dea1 12 cards)
9. Five sets (deal 15 cards)
10. Four runs (deal 16 cards)
11. Two runs and two sets (no discard at the end of the round) (deal 12 cards)
Scoring
Cards 1 through 9 are 5 points each
Cards 10 through 14 are 10 points each
Rook cards are 25 points each
Rook rules were transcribed by Mark Metcalfe <metcalfe@cadence.com>
Originally posted on the Web by Steve Simpson. This copy maintained by John McLeod.

Last updated 2nd April 2000

Rules of Card Games: Tonk
Tonk
This page was written by John McLeod and is based on various sources, including articles posted in
rec.games.playing-cards, and information on variations from many correspondents.
Introduction
Players, Cards and Stakes

The Deal
The Play
End of the play - payments
Variations
Other Tonk WWW pages
Introduction
Tonk, also known as Tunk is a kind of knock rummy played in the USA. Most correspondents agree that
it is particularly popular among black Americans. It is also much played by prisoners and ex-prisoners.
There are numerous variations, and there are many players who are certain that their way of playing is
the only correct one. Before starting a game of Tonk with unfamiliar players, it is wise first to agree what
house rules are in force. I have tried to give a typical version of the game first, followed by a selection of
the alternative rules that may be encountered.
Players, Cards and Stakes

In theory any number can play, but it is widely agreed that Tonk is best for two or three players. A
standard 52 card deck is used. The cards have values as follows: picture cards count 10 points, aces count
1 point and other cards count face value.
Tonk is usually played for money. Before beginning, the players should agree on the basic stake (the
amount which the winner of each hand will normally be paid by each of the other players). In certain
cases the winner can win a double stake - this is generally known as a tonk.
The Deal
Five cards are dealt to each player, clockwise, one at a time. The next card is placed face up on the table
to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards are placed face down in a stack beside the
discard pile to form the stock.
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Any player whose initial hand contains 49 or 50 points must declare this immediately and show their
cards. In this case the hand is not played and the player with 49 or 50 is paid twice the basic stake by
each of the other players. If more than one player has 49 or 50, the hand is a draw - there are no
payments, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
The Play
If no one tonks the play begins. The aim is, by drawing and discarding, to form your cards into spreads,
which can be books of 3 or 4 equal ranked cards or runs of 3 or more cards in suit, or to dispose of your
cards by adding them to existing spreads. You win if you manage to get rid of all of your cards, or if you
have the lowest value of unmatched cards when someone stops the play. Note that once the play has
begun, it is no longer any use to collect 49 or more points; this only wins in your original hand, before
the play starts.
The person to the left of the dealer plays first and the turn to play passes clockwise. At your turn, you
have two options.
1. If you wish, you can end the play at the start of your turn by placing all your cards face up on the
table. This is called dropping (or sometimes knocking). By doing this you are claiming to have a
lower point count total in your hand than any other player.
2. If you choose not to drop, you must either draw ("pluck") the top card from the face down stock,
or take the top card of the discard pile into your hand. You may then be able to reduce your hand
by putting a spread face up on the table, or by adding to a spread already on the table. You end
your turn by discarding a card face up on top of the discard pile.
If after drawing from the stock or discard pile you have a spread of three or more cards, you may place
them face up on the table. These cards then no longer count towards the total in your hand. There are two
types of spread:
A book consists of three or four cards of the same rank, such as Q- Q- Q or 4- 4-
4- 4.
A run consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, such as A- 2- 3 or
8- 9- 10- J. The ace counts as low, next to the two not the king.
Another possibility to reduce the cards in your hand is to extend a spread previously put down by
yourself or another player. Putting down a card to extend a spread is sometimes called hitting. For
example if there is 5- 6- 7 on the table and you have 4 or 8 in your hand you can put it on the
table, adding it to the run. Cards can only be put down like this in your own turn, after drawing and
before discarding.
If by putting down cards, you get rid of all the cards in your hand (by making a second spread or using
all your cards to hit existing spreads), the play ends and you win the hand (see below). Otherwise, you
complete your turn by discarding one card face up on top of the discard pile. If this leaves you with no
cards you win; otherwise the turn passes to the next player to your left and play continues.

End of the play - payments

Assuming that no one claims 49 or 50 points immediately after the deal, the play can end in four ways.
Someone gets rid of all their cards without a final discard
This may happen as a result of a player putting down a second spread or hitting existing spreads on
three occasions. This is usually called a tonk, and the winner is paid a double stake by each other
player.
Someone runs out of cards by discarding their last card
The player with no cards wins and each of the other players pays the agreed basic stake to the
winner.
Someone drops or goes down or knocks at the start of their turn.
In this case everyone exposes the cards that remain in their hands and adds up the values of the
cards they held.
If the player who dropped has the lowest point count, that player wins and is paid the basic
stake by each of the other players.
If the player who dropped does not have the lowest count, the player who dropped must pay
twice the basic stake to everyone who has an equal or lower count. In addition, the player
(other than the one who dropped) who actually had the lowest count receives the basic stake
from everyone else. In the case of a tie for lowest between two players other than the one
who dropped, both are paid.
The stock runs out.
The player with the lowest count receives the basic stake from each other player.
Variations
Some play that after the deal, no card is turned up to begin the discard pile. The first player must draw
from the stock and the discard pile begins with the first player's discard.
Many people play that it is illegal to hold a spread in your hand. As soon as you have a three-card spread
you must put it down. This is a strange rule, as in many cases it would impossible for an opponent to
detect that the rule had been broken. Some play this rule with the exception that a spread of three aces
can be held.
Some play that if you get rid of all your cards you only win a single stake, even if you do it without a
final discard (for example by putting down a second spread).
Here are four alternative ways of paying if the lowest scoring player is not the player who dropped:
1. The low scorer collects the basic stake from every other player and double from the player who
dropped (so the player who dropped only has to pay one person even if several people beat the
dropper's score).
2. If the player who drops is not the low scorer, the dropper pays everyone's stake to the low scorer.
3. The dropper pays the basic stake to everyone who has the same or a lower score, and in addition

the player with the lowest score collects a basic stake from each other player. This is equivalent to
saying that the dropper pays a double stake to the winner, plus a single stake to the winner for
everyone who had an equal or better score, and the winner collects a single stake from everyone
who had a worse score than the knocker.
4. The player who dropped simply pays a double stake to each other player.
Some play that if the stock runs out, the hand is dead and there are no payments.
Many people play with waiting. This works as follows:
If you put down a new spread, you cannot drop on any of your next three turns; you must wait
until the start of your fourth turn after putting down your book or run before you are allowed to
drop. This is to make it less easy for the first person who puts down, reducing their hand to two
cards, to win simply by dropping at their next turn when the other player(s) still have five cards.
If you "hit" someone by adding a card to their spread, they cannot drop in their next turn; they
must wait until the start of their second turn after you hit them before they are allowed to drop.
This provides a way of delaying someone you think is about to drop until you can improve your
own hand. Also, if you hit your own spread, then you yourself cannot drop at your next turn, buyt
must wait another turn.
Waiting is cumulative; if you put down a spread and are then hit, or if you are hit twice, you add
together the number of rounds you have to wait.
Waiting does not stop you from winning by getting rid of all your cards - any time that you have
no cards in your hand, you automatically win without needing to drop.
There are variations on the number of rounds you have to wait. For example, some play that if you are hit
you must wait three extra rounds, not one.
Some play that if you are dealt 50 points at the start you are paid a double stake, but if you have 49 points
you are only paid a single stake.
Some play that if you are dealt a hand containing 15 points or fewer, you must immediately declare it (as
with 49 or 50) and you are immediately paid a double stake by each other player (unless someone else
also has an automatic win (with 49, 50 or 15 or fewer) in which case the hand is thrown in without
payment. Others play that if you are dealt a hand containing 9 points or fewer, you are automatically paid
a triple stake by each of the other players.
Scott Sauri, who plays in Washington DC, reports that an initial tonk is possible with 49 or 50 points or
with 11 or fewer. If more than one player tonks with different totals, the best tonk is paid: 50 beats 49, 11
beats 50, and apart from that the lowest number is best.
Phil, from Baton Rouge, Lousiana, tells me that there, Tonk is played with a 40 card pack, lacking 8's, 9's
and 10's. In runs the seven is next to the jack, so 6-7-J or 7-J-Q would be valid. At the start of the game,
you can tonk with 47 or 50, but not with any other number. (48 and 49 are impossible in any case). This
40 card version of the game also used to be played in the US Army.
Hank T Hebhoe describes the version of Tonk played in Rushville, Indiana. There are the following
differences:
1. The terms "drop" and "knock" are not used. To stop the game claiming to have the lowest point

count in hand is to "tonk".

2. On the deal (and only on the deal), a hand with five face cards is an automatic rummy (this is not
called a "tonk" in this version). Tens cannot be used in this situation, and counts of 49 or 15 or
fewer do not give an automatic win.
3. To set someone on a tonk - i.e. to have an equal or lower score - is called to "bump his head".
4. The payoff is a nickel from every player for a successful tonk, a dime for a rum (rummy), where a
player gets rid of all their cards. The stakes can be set higher: two bits / four bits, even a dollar /
two dollars.
5. If you get your head bumped, you pay double rum (e.g., 20 cents in a nickle/dime game) only to
the player or players who bump your head, and no other payoffs are made. A player with a
higher count than yours does not pay you or anyone else, and you do not pay him or anyone else;
he's simply out of the money.
6. When the deck is down to the same or fewer number of cards as players in the game, it is said to
be "boobed." When the deck is "boobed," no player can rummy; you can only tonk. So, for
example, if you should happen to rum out when the deck is boobed, your count is down to zero, of
course; but after rumming out, you must wait your turn again to tonk your zero hand, by which
time another player also may have rummed out. If no one rums out or tonks before the deck is
exhausted, the hand with the lowest count wins a tonk when the deck is exhausted.
7. In case of ties when the deck is exhausted, there is no payoff at all; it's simply a dead hand.
Some people count Jack as 11, Queen as 12, King as 13. In this case the automatic win with 49 or 50
would become too frequent and is not allowed.
Eric Dee reports that in Seattle, USA, Tonk is a popular union card game, played by the longshoremen
and laborers. The main difference is that seven cards are dealt to each player, not five. Several books also
give a version of Tonk in which seven cards are dealt, but the version with five cards seems to be far
more widespread.
Some books also say that twos are wild, but in fact very few people play this way.
Here are some other variations found in books, which seem to be rare in real life:
Some say that you cannot add the fourth card to a three card book on the table, though you can
extend a run.
Some say that you can only play one card in a turn to extend an existing spread.
Some say that if you put down a card to hit an existing spread, you do not discard a card to the
discard pile.
Some say that if you take the top card of the discard pile, you must not put it in your hand, but
must immediately use it as part of a book or run.
Some people play that if you touch the stock when it is your turn, you must draw the top card from the
stock. You are no longer permitted to take the face-up discard having touched the stock.

Other Tonk WWW pages

The Game Cabinet has a Tonk page, with a brief account of the rules.


Rules of Card Games: Treikort
Treikort
Translated by Anthony Smith from pages 142-143 of "Spilabk AB" by . Gumundsson, 1989,
Reykjavik.
Treikort was played quite a lot in Iceland up to the last century. A Treikort is described in old Danish
games manuals, but it is unlike the Treikort which was played in Iceland. Some people call this game
"3-man Alkort". Here is laf Davsson's work describing the game, from his writings on Icelandic
amusements (slenzkar gtur, skemmtanir, vikavikar og ulur", lafur Davsson, 1887-1903,
Copenhagen).
Number of Players and the Cards

As alluded to in the name, Treikort is a 3-player game. Just 27 cards out of an ordinary 52 card pack are
used.
23 of the 27 cards are as follows: QC (highest unless a 7 is led), 2S, KD, 2H, 4C, 8S, 9H, 9D, Aces,
Jacks, Sixes, Eights (except 8S). In addition to these there are the four sevens (bsefarnir): these cannot
be beaten if they are led out, but are useless if you have to follow with them to a trick as they cannot beat
any card. You are not allowed to lead a seven until you have won a trick. Among equally high cards
played to the same trick (e.g. more than one Jack), the card which was played first beats the others.
The Deal and Play

Each player gets 9 cards, dealt three at a time.
Forehand leads to the first trick and each other player in turn plays a card. Whoever plays the highest
card takes the trick and leads to the next trick.
The object of the game is to take as many tricks as possible. A player who wins 13 tricks in 3 games
takes the title of Pope, and has the right at the start of the next game to take the highest card from one of
his fellow-players and a seven from the other, and to give them in exchange any cards he wants to get rid
of. The Pope chooses which player he wants the seven from, and if the chosen player has no seven the
Pope gets no card from that player.
The Pope loses his title and the rights described above as soon as he fails to take 13 tricks in any 3
consecutive games.
http://www.pagat.com/karnoeff/treikort.html [04/05/2001 9:58:31]

Rules of Card Games: Tresillo
Tresillo
This page is mostly based on information contributed by Joan C de Gispert
Introduction
General description
The cards
The scoring equipment
The deal
The auction
Exchanging cards with the heap
The play
The scoring
Etiquette and conventions
Variations
Books, proverbs and legends
Other WWW pages
Introduction
El Tresillo is a trick-taking card game for three players. It originated in Spain at the beginning of the
17th century, when it was also known as El Hombre ("The Man"). This name was lost in Spain, where
the game is nowadays known only as El Tresillo (this name simply refers to "three" - the number of
active players in the game). In the rest of Europe the game was generally known as Hombre (or
variations of this name such as l'Hombre, Ombre, Lomber and Lumbur). In South America it is called
Rocambor, and in Portugal it was known as Mediator.
El Tresillo or Hombre spread rapidly across Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries and became a
very famous and fashionable game, enjoying a position of prestige similar to Bridge today. During the
18th and 19th century, Hombre was progressively displaced in most of Europe by other games - first by
the four-player variation Quadrille and later by Whist. Although it has by now died out in most parts of
Europe, El Tresillo is still played in Spain, though unfortunately it is far less widespread than formerly.
The game also survives in Denmark as l'Hombre, in the Faroes and Iceland as Lomber, and in Peru and
Bolivia as Rocambor.
An excellent account of the early history of Hombre can be found in a series of three articles by Thierry
Depaulis in The Playing-Card (Journal of the International Playing-Card Society). They are entitled
http://www.pagat.com/lhombre/tresillo.html (1 de 21) [04/05/2001 9:58:37]

"Ombre et Lumire. Un Peu de Lumire sur L'Hombre" and appeared in Vol XV, No 4, pp 101-110, Vol
XVI, No 1, pp 10-18, and Vol XVI, No 2, pp 44-53.
This page describes how El Tresillo is currently played in Spain.
General description
El Tresillo is a plain-trick game, which is basically for three players. It is very common for four people to
take part, but there are only three active players in each hand. A deck of 40 spanish cards is used. Each
active player is dealt 9 cards and the remaining 13 are placed in a face down heap, which the players can
later use to try to improve their hands.
After the deal there is an auction (the bidding is known as "cantar" - singing). The purpose of this is to
decide who will be the declarer - known as "el hombre" (the man) or "el jugador" (the player) - and
what will be the contract. In all contracts, the declarer plays against the other two players, who are
known as "los contrarios" ("the opponents").
The declarer has the privilege of choosing the trump suit ("cantar un triunfo"), and must take more tricks
than either opponent in order to succeed in the contract. The declarer also has the first chance to discard
some cards in the hope of drawing better cards from the heap, if the contract allows this. The opponents
cooperate against the declarer, and will decide between themselves which is to be "el primer contrario"
("the first opponent"), who will try to defeat the declarer by taking at least as many tricks, and which is
"el segundo contrario" ("the second opponent"), who will play to help the first opponent. The first
opponent has the chance to discard and draw replacement cards from the heap after the declarer has done
so, and finally the second opponent can do the same.
The cards are played out in nine tricks. After the play, payments are made in tokens ("fichas"),
acccording to whether the contract was successful. The main payments are made to and from a pool ("el
plato"). There are other payments between the players, which increase with the rank of the contract.
The whole game - the deal, the bidding and the tricks - is played anticlockwise.
The Cards
El Tresillo is played with a deck of 40 Spanish cards. Many Spanish packs are sold with 48 cards - in this
case the eights and nines are not used. The standard Spanish suits are swords (espadas), batons (bastos),
cups (copas) and coins (oros), and the cards in each suit are
the king (El Rey), with index 12
the horse (El Caballo), with index 11
the jack (La Sota), with index 10
the numeral cards 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
the ace (El Uno), with index 1.
In El Tresillo, as in many of the oldest card games, the numeral cards in the round suits (cups and coins)
rank in the reverse order from the numeral cards in the long suits (swords and batons). When these suits

are not trumps, the ranking order of the cards from high to low is:
in swords and batons: 12, 11, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
in cups and coins: 12, 11, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
In El Tresillo, there is always a trump suit. The ace of swords and the ace of batons are permanent
trumps (which is why the 1 of these suits is missing from the non-trump ranking above).
The ace of swords, which is the highest trump, is called "la espada" (abbreviated S).
The ace of batons, which is the third highest trump, is called "el basto" (abbreviated B).
The second highest trump is "la mala" (sometimes abbreviated M). It is the card which would
have been the lowest in the suit if it had not been chosen as trumps - i.e. the 2 of a long suit or the
7 of a round suit.
There is one other complication in the order of trumps. If cups or coins are trumps, the ace of the
suit - called "el punto" - becomes the fourth highest trump, ranking above the king instead of
below the jack.
In summary , the ranking of the trump suit from high to low is:
in swords and batons: S, 2, B, 12, 11, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
in cups and coins: S, 7, B, 1, 12, 11, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
The highest three trumps (espada, mala, basto) are collectively known as estuche.
The scoring equipment

The scoring equipment for Tresillo may seem elaborate, but in practice, when the players are familiar
with it, the scoring process works smoothly and efficiently. All scores and payments are in units known
as tantos. Tresillo is normally played for stakes, and at the start the players should agree the monetary
value of a tanto. A moderate value could be 1 tanto = 5 pesetas. Normal values could be: 1 tanto = 10
pesetas or 1 tanto = 25 pesetas.
The equipment required is as follows.
Fichas (tokens)
Each player has a supply of tokens in their own colour. If there are four players the usual colours
are blue, green, yellow and red. There are normally 30 tokens of each colour, in shapes
representing different values as follows:
10 rectangular tokens, each token representing 1 tanto
10 round tokens, each representing 5 tantos
10 square tokens, each representing 10 tantos
Bowls
Each player has a bowl to hold their tokens. These bowls are kept to their owners' right. Initially
they contain the 30 tokens of the owning player's colour, but during the game the players may win
or lose tokens from other players. Because each player's original tokens were a different colour, it
is easy to see how much each player has won or lost, and to settle up at the end. Also it does not
matter if some players begin with a few tokens more or less than the standard amount.

El plato (the dish or saucer)

This dish is used to hold the pool of tokens that are being played for at any particular time. It is
kept to the current dealer's right - i.e. next to the dealer's bowl. After each hand it is passed to the
next dealer.
El plato para los pajaritos (the dish for the initial stakes)
This second dish is kept in a convenient fixed place on the table throughout the session. It is used
to store the parajitos (initial stakes) of the players while they are waiting to be transferred to the
plato.
El papel (the paper)
In addition to the tokens, bowls and dishes described above, a paper and pen is needed for
recording certain debts that occur during the game, which are not immediately settled in tokens.
These are debts to the common pool, and are also known as puestas reservadas (reserved puestas).
The players' names are written on the left side of the paper, one under the other. Each player has a
row, to the right of their name, and their debts are listed in the player's row. As soon as a reserved
puesta is won, the player whose debt it was pays the amount in tokens to the player who won it,
and the corresponding figure on the scoresheet is crossed out. This system will be explained in
more detail in the scoring section.
At the start of the session, each player must put one pajarito into the plato para los parajitos. One
pajarito is just one round token, that is, 5 tantos. These parajitos will gradually be used during the game.
If at any stage the plato para los parajitos becomes empty, it must be replenished by each player once
again putting in one parajito (5 tantos).
The deal
The first dealer is chosen at random. Before dealing, the dealer should check that the pack of cards is
complete. The cards are shuffled by the dealer and cut by the player to the dealer's left.
If the plato is empty, and there are no outstanding debts recorded on the scoresheet, the dealer takes one
of the parajitos from the plato para los parajitos and transfers it to the plato. The dealer then adds one
tanto from his own bowl to the plato and places it to his right. It will then contain 6 tantos.
If the plato already contains some tokens left over from the previous hand, or if there is a debt on the
scoresheet to be played for, the dealer simply adds one tanto to the plato from his own bowl and places it
to his right.
The dealer now deals out the cards face down, anticlockwise, in batches of three cards to the active
players, until each of them has nine cards. If there are four players at the table, the dealer is inactive and
deals only to the other three players. The remaining 13 cards are placed face down in the centre of the
table. They are the sleeping cards ("las cartas que duermen"), also known as the heap ("el montn").
The turn to deal passes to the right after each hand.

The auction
The player to dealer's right speaks first, followed by the other active players in anticlockwise order.
Speaking in the auction is actually called "cantar" (singing). It continues around the table, for several
circuits if necessary, until a declarer is determined, the other players having passed.
There are just three possible contracts. In all cases, the declarer has to take more tricks than either
opponent, but there are different conditions concerning how trumps are chosen and whether new cards
can be drawn from the heap. In ascending order, the contracts are:
Entrada or Juego simple
An ordinary game in which the declarer chooses trumps and can exchange cards with the heap.
Vuelta
The top card of the heap is turned face up; the suit of this card is trump. When declarer exchanges
with the heap, he gets the face up trump card as the first card drawn from the heap.
Solo
The declarer chooses trumps, but does not exchange cards with the heap, though the opponents
exchange in the normal way.
In the auction, there is a priority order among the players. The player to dealer's right (el mano) has
highest priority, the player opposite the dealer (el medio) is second, and the player to the dealer's left (el
postre) has lowest priority - assuming that there are four players at the table. When there are only three,
the player to dealer's right is still el mano and has priority over the others, the player to dealer's left is el
medio, and the dealer is el postre, and has lowest priority.
The declarer ("el hombre") will be the player who is willing to play the highest contract. If two players
want to play the same contract, the player who has higher priority will be the declarer.
When bidding, the players do not normally state the contract they wish to play, but instead use the
following expressions:
Paso ("I pass"): The player does not want to be declarer, and takes no further part in the auction.
Juego ("I play"): The player wants to be declarer. The contract can be chosen later, depending on
the other player's bids.
Juego ms ("I play more"): If a previous player has already bid, a later player who is prepared to
compete in the auction can say "juego ms". Since the first player was prepared to play at least an
entrada, the player who competes against this with "juego ms" must be ready to play at least a
vuelta.
Va bien ("It's good"): A player, having previously bid, says this to drop out of the auction,
allowing another player's bid to stand.
Here are some examples of possible auctions.
Example No. 1
Player A: "Paso" (I pass)
Player B: "Juego" (I play)

Player C: "Paso" (I pass)

Player B: "Juego a oros y robo 4 cartas" (I play [an ordinary game] in coins [as trumps] and
exchange 4 cards [with the heap])
Example No. 2
Player A: "Juego" (I play)
Player B: "Paso" (I pass)
Player C: "Juego ms" (I play more)
Player A: "Va bien" (OK)
Player C: "Vuelta" [At this point, player C, having offered to play a higher game than A's, had a
choice between vuelta and solo]
Example No. 3
Player A: "Juego" (I play)
Player B: "Juego ms" (I play more)
Player C: "Paso" (I pass)
Player A: "Juego ms, solo a bastos" ("I play more, solo batons") [A has priority, and therefore
can always play a solo - the highest bid, even if B was also intending to play a solo]
Example No. 4
Player A: "Juego"
Player B: "Juego ms" [Player B has the option of playing vuelta or solo]
Player C: "Paso"
Player A: "Juego ms, vuelta"
Player B: "Juego ms" [Player B bids more than A's vuelta, and will therefore have to play solo if
player A passes]
Player A: "Paso" [At this point, player A could theoretically call solo, but this is very unlikely to
happen in an actual game]
Player B: "Solo a copas" (solo in cups)
When everyone passes: espada forzada and penetro

If all three players pass, the player who has the espada (the ace of swords, which is the highest trump)
must play as declarer in an ordinary game. This is called "espada forzada" (forced espada).
In a four-player game, if all three active players passed and no one has the espada (because it is in the
heap) then the fourth player (the dealer) must say "Yo penetro" ("I enter"). The dealer now plays the
equivalent of an ordinary game, taking 10 cards from the heap and discarding one. One of the other three
players will drop out, so that the dealer has two opponents. The details of this are explained later.
In a three-player game, if all three active players passed and no one has the espada (because it is in the
heap), then the deal is cancelled, and the turn passes to the next dealer, who must place one more tanto in
the plato as usual.

Exchanging cards with the heap

After the declarer has determined the trump suit, by simply announcing it in the case of an entrada or a
solo, or by turning the top card of the heap face up in a vuelta, the players can try to improve their hands
by exchanging some cards with the heap.
If the contract is entrada or vuelta the declarer can discard any number of cards face down, announcing
the number of cards discarded. The declarer then draws an equal number of cards from the top of the
heap, including the face-up trump card if the contract is vuelta. So the declarer has nine cards again. If
the contract is solo, the declarer is not allowed to exchange any cards.
Next, the two opponents decide between themselves which will have the first chance to exchange cards
for any that have been left in the heap by the declarer. It is an advantage for the opponent with the
stronger hand to exchange first, so as to become even stronger and have the best chance of defeating the
declarer. The opponent who exchanges first is called "el primer contrario" (the first opponent) and the
other is "el segundo contrario" (the second opponent). The agreement is achieved by means of a
formalised conversation in which the two opponents speak alternately. The opponent to the right of the
declarer speaks first. The only statements allowed are:
"Vienen" or "Puedo ir" or equivalent, which means "I would like to be the first opponent" and
indicates that the player has a good hand
"Van y vienen" or "Como quiera" or equivalent, which means "I am not sure, it depends on
you" and indicates that the player has an average hand
"Van" or "Usted" or equivalent, which means "You should be the first opponent" and indicates
that the player has a poor hand.
If one opponent says "vienen" and the other says "van", then the conversation is over. Quite often,
however, both will begin by saying "van", or both say "vienen", or one or both are not sure. In that case
they continue speaking alternately until an agreement is reached. Through this conversation the
opponents get an impression of the strengths of their hands, but the declarer of course also gets this
information, which can be useful during the play.
The first opponent can now discard any number of cards face down, from none up to the number of cards
that remain in the heap. For example if the declarer exchanged 6 cards, the first opponent can discard as
many as 7 cards. If the declarer is playing solo there are 13 cards in the heap, and the first defender could
in theory discard all nine cards, though in practice this is unlikely. Having discarded, the first opponent
draws an equal number of cards from the top of the heap, so as to have a hand of nine cards again.
If any cards are left in the heap, the second opponent can now discard face down any number of cards up
to this number, and draw an equal number of replacements from the heap. If any cards remain in the heap
after the second opponent has exchanged, these remain face down and unknown until the end of the play.
They are "permanently sleeping cards".
The cards that have been discarded by the players also remain face down until the end of the play. The
players are not allowed to look again at the cards they discarded - they are supposed to remember what
they were.

The procedure in case of penetro

In the four-player game, when the three active players pass and none of them has the espada, the
procedure is as follows.
The dealer must say "Yo penetro" (I enter) and become the declarer. The dealer takes 10 cards from the
heap - either the top 10 or the bottom 10 cards - but is not allowed to look at the heap cards before
deciding which 10 to take.
The dealer then looks at the 10 cards, and is at this point allowed to surrender, and pay as though the
result was puesta (see scoring below), thus avoiding a possible codillo. If the dealer wants to surrender,
the other players cannot prevent this. If the dealer decides to play on, the next step is for the dealer to
choose and announce a trump suit, and to discard any one of the ten cards face down.
Next, the other three players must decide which of them will be the first opponent, which will be the
second and which will drop out. First, the player who will drop out is decided by a formal conversation,
beginning with the player to the right of the dealer and continuing anticlockwise. The possible statements
are:
"Me quedo", which means "I stay" and indicates that the player has a good hand.
"Puedo quedarme", which means "I could stay" and indicates that the player has an above
average hand
"Puedo irme", which means "I could drop out" and indicates that the player has a below average
hand
"Me voy", which means "I drop out" and is said when the player's hand is so bad that he definitely
wants to drop out
As soon as one of the players says "Me voy", that player drops out. The other two players then agree
between them as above which is the first opponent. There are only three cards left in the heap after the
declarer has taken 10, so the first opponent can discard up to three cards, replacing them from the heap,
and if any are then left the second opponent can discard up to the number remaining.
The play
The play is anticlockwise. The player to the right of the dealer leads to the first trick. (In a penetro, if this
player has dropped out, the next player in turn leads, i.e. the player opposite the dealer). A trick is won
by the highest card of the suit led, unless it contains a trump, in which case highest trump wins it. The
winner of a trick leads to the next.
Players must follow suit if they can, playing any card they wish from the suit led. A player with no card
of the suit led may play any card, including a trump.
The obligation to follow suit does not apply fully to the estuche (the highest three trumps: espada, mala
and basto). When a trump is led, the holder of an estuche need not play it unless a higher estuche has
been led, and the player has no other trumps. It follows that the espada can never be forced out. The
mala is forced out when the espada is led and the holder of the mala has no other trumps. The basto is
forced out if the espada or the mala is led and the holder of the basto has no other trumps.

Only the highest three trumps enjoy this privilege - all other trumps can be forced out by the lead of a
lower trump. Note also that if the first player to a trick leads a small trump, the second player plays the
espada and the third player's only trump is the basto, then the third player need not play the basto,
because the espada was not led to the trick.
Although players are not allowed to look at the discards, they are allowed to inspect the cards played to
previous tricks - for example to check what trumps have been played - irrespective of who won the
tricks.
The declarer tries to take more tricks than either opponent, and the opponents cooperate to arrange that
one of them takes at least as many tricks as the declarer. Note, however, that this cooperation takes place
in silence - there is no conversation or signals between the players other than the formal discussion to
decide who is the first opponent, that was described above.
There are three basic possible outcomes of the play.
Juego sacado
The decaler wins, taking more tricks than either defender. This happens as soon as the declarer has
5 (or more) tricks, or if the declarer takes 4 tricks and the other 5 tricks are divided 3-2 between
the opponents.
Puesta
There is a tie for most tricks. Most often this happens when the declarer and one opponent win 4
tricks each, the other opponent winning one trick. There are however, two other possibilities.
When everyone takes three tricks, it is called a puesta sabia ("wise puesta"). If declarer takes just
one trick, but cleverly arranges for the opponents to win 4 tricks each, it is called a puesta real
("royal puesta").
Codillo
The declarer fails, and one of the oppopnents wins, by taking more tricks than the declarer and
more than the other opponent. The winning opponent takes 5 tricks, or takes 4 tricks with the
remaining tricks divided 3-2 between the other players. It is said that the defender "ha hecho
codillo al Jugador" ("The defender made codillo to the declarer").
The declarer's best result is to win a juego sacado, next best is puesta, and worst is to lose codillo. Note
that the "puesta real" in which the tricks are divided 1-4-4 is not codillo, so it is better for the declarer to
win one trick with the possibility of puesta real than two tricks, which inevitably leads to codillo.
An opponent's best result is to make codillo, second best is puesta, third best is for the other opponent to
make codillo, and worst is for the declarer to win juego sacada.
It is normal not to play out the cards to the bitter end when the result is inevitable. If you can demonstrate
that you are certain to take at least five tricks, it is polite to show your cards and claim a win, to save
time.

The surrender
If the contract is entrada (juego simple) or vuelta, the declarer can propose to surrender, just before
playing to the fourth trick. The declarer will choose this option when the risk of codillo outweighs the
chances of winning. If the opponents accept the surrender, the result is a puesta. But either opponent has
the right not to accept the surrender, but to say "yo sigo" ("I continue" or "I follow"). In this case the play
continues, and the opponent who demanded the continuation takes over the role of declarer, while the
original declarer becomes an opponent.
A solo contract cannot be surrendered, and a penetro can only be surrendered at the start, not at the
fourth trick.
The bola
Winning all nine tricks is called bola and is rewarded with an extra payment. If you win the first five
tricks you must decide whether to claim a win or to play on. If you lead to the sixth trick rather than
claiming, you are considered to be trying for bola. If you succeed you get the additional payment for
bola, but if you lose a trick you have to pay the others for your failed bola, though you are still paid for
the basic contract.
Scoring
When the outcome of the contract is known, payment is made in tokens. There are two parts to this:
1. The puesta system. On each deal there is an "amount in play". This is the amount that the
declarer will win from the common pool of tokens in the "plato" if successful, or pay to the plato
if the result is puesta, or pay to the plato and the winning opponent in case of codillo.
2. Las condiciones (the conditional payments). These are direct payments between the declarer and
the other players, depending on the contract undertaken, and certain other events.
The puesta system

The amount in play depends on the value of tokens in the plato, the amounts (if any) recorded on the
paper, and whether the plato already contains an amount paid in by a previous losing declarer. There are
three main possible cases:
The first puesta
This is the case when there are no outstanding debts on the paper scoresheet, and the plato
contains only a parajito and the amount added by the dealer - i.e. it does not contain an amount
paid in by a losing declarer. In this case the amount in play is whatever is in the plato plus one
tanto for each player at the table. For example, in the first hand of a session with four players there
will be 6 tantos in the plato - a parajito plus the tanto that the dealer put in, and so the amount in
play is 10 tantos. According to the result of the play, the payments are handled as follws:
Juego sacado: the declarer wins the contents of the plato, plus one tanto from each of the
other players (including the inactive player in a four-player game).

Puesta: the declarer pays the amount in play to the plato.

Codillo: the declarer plays the amount in play to the plato, and pays the same amount to the
winning opponent.
Puesta in the plato
This is the case where the plato contains an amount paid in by an unsuccessful declarer. As with
the first puesta, the amount in play is whatever is in the plato plus one tanto for each player at the
table. For example, in the second hand of a session with four players, if the result of the first hand
was puesta, there will be 17 tantos in the plato - the 6 that were there during the first deal, plus the
10 paid in by the previous declarer, plus the tanto added by the second dealer - so the amount in
play is 21 tantos (17+4). The payments are handled similarly to the first puesta, except that no
further tokens are put in the plato. Instead, any further puestas are recorded on the scoresheet as
debts; these "puestas reservadas" (reserved puestas) are played for after the contents of the plato
have been won.
Juego sacado: the declarer wins the contents of the plato, plus one tanto from each of the
other players (including the inactive player in a four-player game).
Puesta: the amount in play is written on the scoresheet in the row belonging to the declarer.
This is a debt that the declarer will have to pay later.
Codillo: the amount in play is written on the scoresheet in the row belonging to the declarer,
and the declarer pays the same amount to the winning opponent.
Reserved puesta
This is the case where there the scoresheet has one or more debts on it that have not been
cancelled, but the plato does not contain the amount paid in by a previous unsuccessful declarer. In
this case the plato will only contain the single tantos put in by the players who have dealt since the
contents of the plato were last won. The amount in play is the largest debt (reserved puesta)
recorded on the scoresheet, plus the amount of tantos in the plato. The payments are handled as
follows:
Juego sacado: the declarer wins the contents of the plato and the reserved puesta that was
being played for. Therefore, the player against whom the reserved puesta was written has to
pay that amount to the successful declarer, and the corresponding number on the scoresheet
is crossed out, because the debt has been paid. If the successful declarer is the the same
player whose reserved puesta is being played for, then the declarer simply wins the contents
of the plato and the debt is crossed out.
Puesta: the amount in play is written on the scoresheet in the row belonging to the declarer.
This is a debt that the declarer will have to pay later.
Codillo: the amount in play is written on the scoresheet in the row belonging to the declarer,
and the declarer pays the same amount to the winning opponent.
Extra complications can arise when the original declarer tries to give up (before playing to the fourth
trick), but one of the opponents insists on continuing and becomes the new declarer. There are now
several possible results, which are handled as follows.
Event Scoring Description

Original declarer gives up; an opponent The original declarer pays the amount in play to the new
becomes the new declarer and wins. declarer. The plato and scoresheet are left as they are.
Declarer abandons and a defender becomes Two new puestas are generated. One by old declarer and
declarer, but the result is puesta. another by new declarer.
Declarer abandons and a defender becomes Old declarer generates a puesta. New declarer generates a
declarer, but the new declarer loses codillo. puesta and pays the amount in play to the winner.
Twin puestas.
When the original and new declarers are both unsuccessful, both have to pay the amount in play to
the pool.
If this is the first puesta, in that the scoresheet has no outstanding debts (puestas reservadas) and
the plato does not contain any previous declarer's losses, then both declarers pay the amount in
play into the plato, which will make the amount in play in the next hand larger than usual.
If it is not the first puesta, but there is already a puesta in the plato or a puesta reservada on the
scoresheet, then two new puestas reservadas are generated: each of the declarers has a new debt
equal to the amount in play written in their row on the scoresheet. When the time comes, these two
equal puestas reservadas will be played for separately - the order does not matter.
In general, when a Tresillo game session finishes, there may be tokens remaining in the plato and in the
plato para los parajitos, and puestas reservadas reamining on the paper. Normally the tokens in the
dishes would be distributed equally among the players, so that they can settle up in money corresponding
to the quantity of tantos they have won or lost in the session. This paper with the puestas reservadas will
be kept to use in next Tresillo session between the same players. At the start of this new session, the
dealer will put one tanto in the plato, but no parajito, and the first hand will be played for the largest
puesta reservada on the paper. If the same group of players are not expecting to play again in the near
future, then each of the players should pay the money equivalent of their debt recorded on the paper into
a common fund, which is then distributed equally among the players.
Las condiciones
Conditiones are additional payments, paid either to the declarer from each of the other players or from
the declarer to each of the other players. They are in addition to payments due as part of the puesta
system, which was explained above. If there are four players, the inactive player also takes part in these
additional payments.
Event Payment Comment or explanation
Juego simple (entrada) none These extra payments for the higher contracts are paid to the
declarer for a juego sacada. If the declarer loses (either puesta or
Vuelta 1 tanto codillo) the declarer has to pay the equivalent amount. In an
Solo 2 tantos ordinary game there is no extra payment for the contract - just the
payments under the puesta system and any other condiciones that
Penetro 1 tanto apply.

If the declarer has the highest three trumps (espada, mala, basta)
Estuche 1 tanto and wins, everyone pays the declarer one extra tanto for estuche.
There is no payment for estuche if the result is puesta or codillo.
A declarer who wins the first five tricks and stops there gets one
Primeras 1 tanto
extra tanto from each player for primeras.
A declarer who wins all nine tricks gets 8 extra tantos from each
player. If you continue after winning five tricks and fail to win all
the tricks you have to pay everyone 8 tantos for a failed bola,
Bola 8 tantos
though you are still paid for winning the contract and any other
applicable condiciones. There is no payment for primeras if bola is
attempted.
Notes:
Opponents cannot score for estuche or primeras.
In the event that the declarer gives up, the declarer still has to pay condiciones as though the result
were puesta. This is not affected if another player takes over as declarer - the original declarer has
to pay, and condiciones do not apply to the new declarer.
Example of scoring
Since the scoring system is rather complex at first sight, it may help to give a specific example. The table
below represents a sample game between four players, North, West, South and East. The events are listed
in order, with the resulting number of tantos in the bowls of the four players, the two dishes and on the
paper.
Plato para
Comment or
Event North West South East Plato los Paper
explanation
parajitos
Everyone starts
with 160 tantos, of
Start of session 155 155 155 155 0 20 empty which they place 5
in the plato para
los parajitos.
North transfers a
North is chosen parajito (5 tantos)
154 155 155 155 6 15 empty
as the first dealer to the plato and
adds one tanto.

South takes the

pool plus 3 tantos
from each player -
South wins a
one as part of the
vuelta with 151 152 170 152 0 15 empty
puestas system,
estuche
one for the vuelta
and one for the
estuche.
West transfers a
parajito (5 tantos)
to the plato
(because it is
West deals 151 151 170 152 6 10 empty
empty and there is
nothing on the
paper) and adds
one tanto.
North has to pay
the amount in play
North plays a to the plato. The
simple game and amount in play is
141 151 170 152 16 10 empty
the result is the amount in the
puesta. plato plus one for
each player:
6+4=10.
South adds one
South deals 141 151 169 152 17 10 empty
tanto to the plato.
South must pay 1
All pass and no tanto to each
one has the player (the
espada. South condicin for
says "Yo penetro) and a
142 152 166 153 17 10 South: 21
penetro", looks debt of 21 (the
at the top 10 amount in play is
cards of the heap 17+4) is written
and surrenders. against South on
the paper.
East adds one
East deals 142 152 166 152 18 10 South: 21
tanto to the plato.

The value of the

West plays a game is now 22
simple game but (18+4). West pays
West: 22
the result is 164 130 166 152 18 10 this to North (the
South: 21
codillo; North is winner) and also
the winner. has it recorded as a
debt.
West: 22 North adds one
North deals 163 130 166 152 19 10
South: 21 tanto to the plato.
East wins the plato
and 1 tanto from
each player as part
East plays a solo
of the puestas
with estuche,
West: 22 system, plus 2
tries for bola but 167 134 170 159 0 10
South: 21 from each for solo
loses the last
and 1 for estuche,
trick.
but has to pay
them each 8 for
the bola.
West adds one
tanto to the plato.
West: 22 This hand will be
West deals 167 133 170 159 1 10
South: 21 played for the
largest puesta
reservada.
All pass; South
has the espada
The amount in
and is compelled
play is 23 (the
to play; South
largest number on
tries to give up at West: 22
the paper plus the
the fourth trick 167 133 170 159 1 10 South: 21 23
1 in the plato) so
but East insists East: 23
South and East
on continuing;
each get a debt of
South and East
this amount.
win 4 tricks each
(puesta).
South adds one
tanto to the plato,
West: 22 so the amount in
South deals 167 133 169 159 2 10 South: 21 23 play is now 25
East: 23 (that is 23 on the
paper plus 2 in the
plato).

West collects the

plato and 23
tantos from East;
East's debt is
West plays a
West: 22 erased. West could
simple game and 167 158 169 136 0 10
South: 21 23 equally well have
wins.
collected from
South - South's
debt will be played
for next.
East adds one
West: 22 tanto to the plato;
East deals 167 158 169 135 1 10
South: 21 23 the amount in play
is now 24.
South's largest
debt is erased and
South collects the
South plays a West: 22
166 157 173 134 0 10 plato and an extra
vuelta and wins. South: 21
tanto from each of
the others for
vuelta.
The game could continue, but if it were to stop at that point, there would be 53 tantos to be shared among
the players: these represent the two unused parajitos and the two remaining puestas reservadas. Giving
13 each and the odd one to the loser (East) the players end with North:179, West:148, South:165,
East:148. So if a tanto is worth 10 pesetas the final result is that North wins 190 pesetas, West loses 120,
South wins 50 and East loses 120.
Etiquette and conventions

In addition to the actual rules of the game, there are a number of rules of etiquette and other conventions
that have evolved over time. These are not indispensable to play, but they are strictly observed in many
circles of players. Here is a list of those observed in the family of Joan C de Gispert, who provided most
of the information for this page.
1. A currency value equivalent to tokens must be agreed before play begins. It is important that all
players feel comfortable with the level of the stakes.
2. Before starting, the players agree a time at which the session will end. The ending time can be
changed later if all the players agree to a new ending time.
3. The first time that each player deals, the dealer should say to each other player "Que vaya bien"
("Have good luck"). Each other player will answer "Gracias" ("Thank you").
4. Fair play must be assumed. For example, it is considered impolite for a player to pass having a
very good hand, particularly if that player has previously bid but prefers to see another player fail.

It also is considered impolite to intentionally play badly or play to favour a particular player.
5. The opponents cooperate to make sure the declarer does not win, but as soon as they are sure of
puesta, their cooperation ends. Once it is clear that the declarer cannot win a juego sacado, the
weaker opponent should cooperate with the declarer to stop the stronger opponent making the
declarer codillo.
6. As soon as the outcome of the contract is clear, declarer should face his cards and say "extiendo"
("I face"). If all agree, play ceases and payment is made. Of course, if an opponent disagrees,
considering that the outcome is not clear, then that opponent can compel the declarer to continue
playing.
Variations
The above account is based on the version of Tresillo played in in the family of Joan C de Gispert. It is
clear from the Spanish literature on this game that there were and probably still are many variations
played in different parts of Spain and among different circles of players. Here are some examples of
variations. I would be interested to hear from any Tresillo players who play these or other variations of
the game.
Palo de favor
Many play with a palo de favor - a preferred suit, which is selected at the start of the game. In the
auction, a bid with the palo de favor as the trump suit outranks a bid at the same level with another
suit as trumps. So when a player says "juego ms", it is sufficient that they are able to play an
ordinary game with the preferred suit as trumps.
In this variation the possible contracts in ascending order are: entrada sencilla, entrada a palo de
favor, vuelta, solo sencillo, solo a palo de favor. In vuelta, of course you cannot control what suit
will be trumps, so you cannot bid a "vuelta a palo de favor". but if the turned trump happens to be
in the palo de favor, the score is adjusted accordingly.
If the palo de favor is trumps, all the condiciones are doubled. Also, when playing the first puesta
or for a puesta in the plato, the amount in play becomes the conents of the plato plus two tantos
for each player, rather than one. If the declarer wins, the other players will pay two tantos in
addition to the condiciones. When playing for a puesta reservada, the amount in play is not
affected by the trump suit.
Penetro with four active players
Some play that no one drops out of a penetro - all four players take part. The results and scoring
are the same, except that other configurations of tricks are possible. It is even possible to win with
three tricks, if the other players are careless enough to win two tricks each.
Scoring variations
From the literature, it looks as though there were many slightly different scoring systems. It was
traditional, and may still be common to work with scores which are 5 times the scores given on
this page. In that case you should agree a smaller stake per tanto and the different shapes of fichas
are worth 5, 25 and 100 tantos. The dealer puts 5 tantos in the plato, the parajitos (also known as
enchiladas) are 25 tantos, and so on.
In this scoring system the condiciones are somewhat different. A typical scale of condiciones in

this scoring system would be:

Entrada - 0 tantos
Vuelta - 2 tantos
Solo - 20 tantos
Bola - 100 tantos
Estuches - 3 tantos for the first three top trumps. If you have any more top trumps in
sequence with these, there is one more tanto for each extra card, up to a maximum of five
tantos for the top five trumps. If you make bola, the maximum of five does not apply: you
can then score one tanto for each top trump in sequence, up to a possible nine tantos. Only
trumps in unbroken sequnce count and you must have the top three to score anything at all
for estuche.
Contraestuche - 3 tantos for three, plus 1 tanto for each additional, up to a maximum of
five. Contraestuche are top trumps that are held by the opponents. If the declarer wins and
the opponents had the top three (or more) trumps between them, the declarer is paid for
contraestuche.
Primeras - 1 tanto
Since the smallest kind of token is worth 5 tantos, all payments are rounded up to the next higher
multiple of five.
Payment for codillo
In earlier versions of Tresillo (and Hombre), a declarer who lost by codillo paid the amount in play
only to the opponent who won. Nothing was paid to the plato or recorded as a debt in this case.
With this rule it remains true that it is worse for the declarer to lose codillo than puesta, as you
would prefer to pay your loss to a common pool, where for the moment you still own a share of it,
than to an opponent, wherby you lose it completely. This version also makes it clear that an
opponent should cooperate with the declarer to prevent a codillo: as the weaker opponent you
would prefer the declarer to increase the pool than to pay your rival.
From the literature it seems that the rule changed in Spain in the early 19th century to the version
given in the main account where codillo causes the declarer to pay a puesta and pay the winner.
Books, proverbs and legends

This section was contributed by Joan C de Gispert
Some books and publications with rules of Tresillo

El Tresillo - Barcelona 1817 (the anonymous author is "a lover of Tresillo")
Circasiano Dorilovo: Reglas del Tresillo - Madrid, 1890
Pedro de Veciana: El Tresillo - Barcelona 1886
Luis Jaramillo Lara: Quiere Usted Jugar al Tresillo? - Barcelona (no date)
Arturo Hermosilla: Quiere Usted Apprender a Jugar al Tresillo - Barcelona (no date).
Carmia Verdejo: Juegos de Cartas - Salvat, 1995

Coleccin por fascculos Juegos de Cartas, Editorial Altaya, Barcelona 1997
Proverbs
El Tresillo was a game deeply embedded throughout a wide spectrum of old Spanish society. It was
played in cities, towns and villages all around Spain, and it inspired some interesting writing. References
are found in the works of some of the most important Spanish writers, such as Lope de Vega, who wrote
in the 16th century. A range of amusing and interesting proverbs also shows how firmly El Tresillo was
established as a part of Spanish life.
There are many proverbs referring to El Tresillo. In general, they give specific advice about how to play
in particular situations. It is difficult to give satisfactory translations into English, because they are often
involve word play and rhyming. In any case, a free translation is included. As well as being amusing,
they can be useful for players, especially beginners. Here are some examples:
"Ms juega el que mucho pasa que el que mucho juega"
"Juego con poco, juego de loco"
"El que bien pasa, bien gana"
"Juega y paga como un bobo, quien todo lo fia al robo"
"Si ligero entras, hars muchas puestas"
"Saber pasar es saber jugar"
"Jugar sin juego es jugar con fuego"
All these first seven proverbs convey tha same idea: be prudent. Perhaps the sixth is the best: "To
know when to pass is to know how to play", in other words, "a good player passes often".
"Fuerza al basto la malilla y a ambos fuerza la espadilla"
It explains exactly the privileges of withholding an estuche when a lower trump is led.
"Quien con dos bazas se arriesga, poco sabe o mucho juega"
Two sure tricks do not justify a bid, because is not very likely that exchanging cards will give you
5 tricks (or 4).
"Rey muy acompaado tiene cerca el fallo"
If you have the king with many cards of the same suit, someone is almost sure to be void of the
suit.
"Mira cmo y quin va al robo y lo vers claro todo"
Look who and how exchanges cards with the heap, and all will be clear"
"Solo sin fallo, dejallo"
A solo with out a void - don't play it.
"Con la espadilla y dos reyes, ir a Vuelta debes"
With the espada and two kings, you have to bid vuelta
"Ms vale mala Entrada que buena Vuelta"

A poor entrada is better than a good vuelta

"Solo con fallo y rey, adelante con el"
Solo with void and king - OK, play it.
"Ms vale peueo solo que grande Entrada"
A poor solo is better than a good Entrada
Legends
El Tresillo has created its own historical legends. One of them is found in an old spanish book entitled
"Quiere usted aprender a jugar al Tresillo?" ("Do you want to learn to play Tresillo?") by Arturo
Hermosilla, published in Barcelona (no date sepecified, but probabily 100 years ago). Legends do not
supply scientific information, but often indicate the historical and sociological context of a subject. Here
is a summary of this legend.
Original Translation / commentary
"Una casita alegre y coquetona circundada de
frondosa alameda, alzbase como blanca paloma This sounds like old Spanish. Note the location:
sobre la extensa pradera de un pueblecito de nuestros a nice little house in the Pyrenees Mountains.
Pirineos ...."
"Un venerable anciano que vesta el honroso
"A retired military gentleman ... his wife ... and
uniforme militar ... su esposa ... y sus dos hijos eran
two sons living in the house ...."
sus moradores ..."
"... Corra a la sazn el ao 1778. ... El anciano
militar, recordando lo pasado, senta entonces renacer The date is surprising: as late as 1778! ... The
su espritu juvenil y su ardiente imaginacin guerrera old soldier remembers old times. When he looks
le haca ver que la densa neblina era el humo intenso at the landscape around the house, his intense
que esparcan los caones en el campo de batalla ... imagination confuses fog with cannon smoke ...
Creca su entusiasmo y, aumentando su ilusin, and he sees his soldiers fighting hand to hand
divisaba a lo lejos la vanguardia de su ejrcito, que the with enemy ... (remembering Don
en formidable choque luchaba cuerpo a cuerpo con el Quijote!)...
enemigo ...."
" ... Pasaba la mayor parte de las veladas jugando al
solitario y haciendo mil combinaciones. Un dia,
estando de sobremesa, anuncia a los suyos que haba ... He spent his evenings playing patience ... and
hallado la manera de pasar las veladas lo ms amenas one day announced to his family that he had
y agradables que pudieran imaginarse por medio de discovered a way to have the most enjoyable
los naipes. Pasaron al saloncito l con su esposa e evenings imaginable ...
hijos, les invit a que tomaran las cartas y jugaran
segn las indicaciones que l les hiciera ...."

" ... Cierto da nuestro anciano recibi la visita de un

hijo de su antiguo amigo y compaero de armas, a
quien invit a pasar una temporada, pues deseaba
ensearle un juego desconocido para l que con ... One day our old man is visited by a friend's
seguridad podra proporcionarle agradable son. He teaches the new card game to the boy
pasatiempo si tena cordura, o bien serios disgustos si and urges him to conceal his name. The boy
lo tomaba como medio especulativo para hacerse replys saying: "If somebody asks me 'Who
rico. Despus que se lo ense le dijo: - Ah tienes invented this game?', I will simply answer: 'A
ese juego, pero no quiero que en modo alguno se Man' ..."
sepa mi nombre ...- Pues bien mi general, si acaso me
preguntara alguien quin fue su inventor, dir que un
Hombre ...-
Well, this amusing legend relates Tresillo's origin to a happy family living in a nice house in the
Pyrenees Mountains in 1778. It also suggests a military connection, converting hand to hand fighting to a
card game. It also reveals the risks of the new game, recommending that it be played prudently, avoiding
speculation. Finally, this history attributes the origin of the game's name to its inventor, "A Man" (El
Hombre) who wants to conceal his name.
In more recent times it has been said that "Tresillo is played in our inner country, on Saturday and
Sunday evenings in winter, when wind, snow and darkness encourages families to stay near the chimney
around a table, and time passes slowly ...". Another saying goes: "Tresillo is a game of lawyers, doctors
and priests ..." (Just three people!) This "rural" image of Tresillo in Spain fits well with the way of life in
towns and villages in old times. But it is well known that El Tresillo was also played in cities - for
example it was played in two of the most prestigious societies in Barcelona ("Cercle del Liceu" and
"Crculo Ecuestre").
Other WWW pages

Here is a link to a page to Carlos de la Riva about Tridge, which is his English adaptation of the Bolivian
game Rocambor. Rocambor is similar to Tresillo in its basic structure, though there are several notable
differences.

Rules of Card Games: Tressette
Tressette
Players
The Cards
The Deal
The Play
The Scoring
Variations
Other Tressette WWW Sites
Players
Tressette is a partnership trick-taking game for four players, with partners sitting opposite. Variations for
other numbers of players are listed at the end of the page. Like most Italian games, Tressette is played
anticlockwise.
The Cards
A 40 card pack is used, usually with the Italian suits: swords, batons, cups and coins. In each suit the
cards rank as follows: 3 (highest), 2, A, Re, Cavall, Fante, 7, 6, 5, 4 (lowest). It is also possible to play
with French suited cards: from a 52 card pack you need to remove the 10s 9s and 8s, and the cards rank 3
2 A K Q J 7 6 5 4.
The cards have point values and the object is to take tricks containing valuable cards. There is also a
score for winning the last trick. The values are as follows:
Each 3, 2, re, cavall or fante 1/3 of a point
Winners of last trick 1 whole point
The Deal
Deal (anticlockwise) 10 cards to each player, 5 at a time. Turn to deal passes to the right after each hand.
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The Play
must play a card of the suit led if they have one. A player with no card of the suit led may play anything.
The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads to the next trick.
There are certain card combinations which score points when held in the hand of one player. These are:
Four 3's, four 2's or four aces 4 points
Three 3's, three 2's or three aces 3 points
Napoletana (3, 2 and ace of a suit) 3 points
A player with such a combination declares it at the end of the first trick, and scores for it immediately (it
does not matter if one of the cards of the combination was played to the trick). When declaring a
Napoletana you must specify the suit, and when declaring three of a kind you must say which suit is
missing. It is possible to use the same card in a Napoletana and another combination - for example you
could declare for a Napoletana in cups and four twos for 7 points.
When leading to a trick, certain remarks or signals are allowed:
Busso indicates that you want your partner to play his highest card in the suit you led, and lead the
suit back if it wins. Instead of saying busso you can strike the table (or the led card) with your fist.
Volo (or piombo) indicates that you have no further cards of the suit led. Instead of saying volo
you can throw the card so that it glides onto the table.
Striscio (or liscio) (not allowed by all players) indicates that you have, besides the card you are
leading, one or more low cards (king or lower) of the suit led. Instead of saying striscio you can
slide the card led onto the table.
Some players allow additional remarks, or elaborations of these remarks.
The Scoring
When all 10 tricks have been played each side scores the value of cards it has won in tricks, plus the
point for winning the last trick if applicable. The total points available amount to eleven and two thirds,
but fractions are disregarded in scoring, so the total points scored on each deal (apart from any points for
declarations) are actually 11, two thirds of a point being thrown away.
The side which first reaches 21 points wins. This will take several deals. A player can stop the play at
any time and claim to have reached 21 points with the tricks already won up to that point. If the claim is
correct that side wins (irrespective of the other side's total) and if it is incorrect they lose.
There are some ways of winning the game outright, irrespective of the score, or in fact winning several
games at once (by which I mean that supposing you were playing Tressette for a bottle of wine, then by
winning two games you would get two bottles):
Cappotto (or collada): if one team win all 10 tricks, they win two games
Stramazzo: if one team wins all the points but not all the tricks - that is, if the trick(s) won by their
opponents contains less than one point (the point for the last trick does not count in this case), they
win three games.

Cappottone (or colladone): if a single player wins all 10 tricks, that player's team wins six games.
Stramazzone: if one player wins all the points, the opponents winning at least one trick but the
other three players together winning less than one point (the point for the last trick does not count
in this case), that player's team wins eight games.
Variations and related games

There are quite a few of these, all having in common the unusual card ranking and values and the lack of
trumps. Other versions for four players are:
Tressette con la Chiamata del Tre, in which the partnerships instead of being fixed are
determined by the player right of the dealer calling a three.
Mediatore, a version with simple bidding and a monte (a talon of undealt cards which can be used
by the winner of the bidding).
Quadrigliati, a version with bidding but no monte.
For other numbers of players there are:

Tressette in Due, for two.
Terziglio, formerly also known as Calabresella, an excellent game for three, with bidding, one
player playing against two on each deal.
Quintiglio, for five.
There is also Rovescino, also known as Traversone or Ciapan, a reverse version of Tressette in which
the object is to avoid taking card points.
Tressette in Due
Cards, play and scoring are the same as in the 4 player variant. The only difference is in the deal. Instead
of dealing all the cards to the players, only 10 cards are dealt to each player, while the remaining 20
remain in a face down pile (monte) on the table.
After each trick, each player, beginning with the player who won the trick, takes the top card from the
monte, shows it to the other player, and puts it in their hand. Then the player who won the trick leads to
the next.
When there are no cards left in the monte, play continues without drawing cards until all the cards have
been played.
Other Tressette WWW Sites

The freeware and PRO versions of Gianfranco Marzano's Tressette computer program are available from



Rules of Card Games: Tribello
Tribello
This game from Illinois, USA was contributed by Mary Beale whose family (from Dekalb county) have
played it since the 1930's or 40's
Tribello is a trick-taking game of the Whist type for three players, using a standard 52-card deck with no
jokers.
Deal out four hands of 13 cards each - one for each player and a spare hand called the pickup. The cards
are dealt out one card at a time, with the last card going to the dealer. The order of dealing to the two
opponents of the dealer and to the pickup is not specified, but whatever order you choose, you must be
consistent.
There are four rounds of play with three dealss per round (twelve deals in all). The turn to deal passes to
the left after each hand, so that each player plays once in each of the three positions in each round. In the
first three rounds the object is to win tricks; in the fourth the aim is to avoid winning tricks. The rounds
are as follows:
1. In the first round, before dealing, cut the cards - the suit of the cut card is the trump suit.
2. In the second round, dealer names trump after looking at his hand.
3. In the third round, there is no trump.
4. The fourth round is also played without trumps and the objective is to avoid taking tricks (This is
called nullo.)
In the first three rounds, the dealer has a quota of six tricks, the person to the left of the dealer has a quota
of four tricks, and the person to the right of the dealer has a quota of three tricks. If you take more than
your quota you score one point per extra trick; if you take less than your quota you score minus one point
per trick below quota.
In the fourth (nullo) round, the dealer has a quota of three tricks, the person to the left of the dealer has a
quota of four tricks, and the person to the right of the dealer has a quota of six tricks. If you take more
that your quota you score minus one point for each surplus trick; if you take less than your quota you
score plus one for each trick below.
For each round, after the players have looked at their hands, the dealer decides how many cards he wants
from the pickup (zero to 13). He discards this number of cards from his hand, and then draws an equal
number from the top of the pickup, which remains face down. If there are cards remaining in the pickup
(which there virtually always are), the player to the left of the dealer can then discard as many cards as he
wishes, up to the number remaining in the pickup, and draw replacements from the pickup. If there are
still some cards left, the person to dealer's right can discard and draw in the same way. The discards are
placed face down in a separate discard pile to be shuffled with the rest of the cards for the next deal.
The dealer leads to the first trick. Players must follow with a card of the suit led if they have one. A
player who has no card of the suit led may play any card. If any trumps are played to the trick, the
highest trump wins it; otherwise it is won by the highest card played of the suit that was led. The winner
of the trick leads to the next trick.
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Rules of Card Games: Tribello
In round three there are no trumps, so each trick is simply won by the highest card of the suit led. In the
fourth (nullo) round, the point is to avoid taking tricks, but the highest card of the suit led wins just as in
the third round.
The total score for each hand must equal zero, as must the total score for the twelve hands of the game.
The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the fourth round.

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Rules of Card Games: Troccas
Troccas
Troccas is a Tarot game played with the 78 card Italian suited Swiss Tarot pack, known to some people
as the 1JJ pack. It is played in Canton Graubnden, especially in the region around Disentis / Muster.
The basic rules are given on Nicolette Deplazes' Troccas page.
A more detailed description can be found in "Troccas - Das Tarockspiel in Graubunden" in the
Schweizerische Archiv fur Volkskunde 83. Jahrgang, Heft 1/2, Basel 1987 (pp 41-59).

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Rules of Card Games: Troggu
Troggu
This page is based partly on information gathered by John McLeod, who took part in games at the
Restaurant au Moulin in Grchen in 1987 and observed a game in the Martinikeller in Visp in May
1999. It also makes use of material collected by Max Ruh: typescript descriptions of the versions played
in St Niklaus and Visp and newspaper articles about the game played in Visp.
Introduction
Cards
Players and deal
Bidding
Exchanging
Play
Scoring
Misere
Special rules for 7 or 8 players
Variations
Introduction
Troggu, also known as Trogga or Tapp, is a form of Tarot played in the German speaking part of
canton Wallis in Switzerland. It seems unfortunately to be on the verge of extinction. As far as we know
it only survives in a small region to the west of Brig, and the younger generation show little interest in
the game.
Troggu is especially interesting from a historical point of view, because of the use of the fool - here
known as der Narr, der Mat, der Gschgser, or most often der Bttler. In classic Tarot games the fool
is played as an excuse: it is exempt form the rules of following suit and has no trick taking power. In the
more modern type of Tarot games characteristic of central Europe, the fool has become the highest
trump, beating the XXI. The rules on the use of the fool in Troggu are intermediate between the classic
and modern traditions. It is usually played as the highest trump, but if it is your only trump you have the
option of withholding the fool when a trump play would otherwise be required, and playing any other
card instead. If you exercise this option to renege then your fool then becomes powerless to win a trick,
though you still benefit from its point value.
Because of this hybrid role for using the fool, it seems possible that Troggu is a surviving example of a
transitional stage of Tarot between the classic and modern versions. According to Michael Dummett in
"The Game of Tarot" (pp 437-438), Tarot games in which the fool is the highest trump began to appear in
the late eighteenth century, so it could be that the game of Troggu as now played in Wallis also
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originated at about that time.

Even though Troggu is only played in a small region, there are minor variations of the rules from place to
place. The decription below is based mainly on the version played in Visp. There are notes on the
differences in other versions in the variations section at the end.
Cards
The Italian suited Swiss Tarot pack is used. This pattern, known to collectors as the Tarot de Besanon,
is fairly easy to obtain because it is also exported for use by occultists. It is similar to the Tarot de
Marseilles except that trumps II and V depict Juno and Jupiter instead of the popess and pope
respectively. The packs now used to play the game in Wallis have German titles on the trumps, though
the players in Grchen told me that formerly the traditional cards with French titles were used.
The full pack contains 78 cards but only 62 are used for this game. The cards omitted are the I, II, III and
IIII of the long suits (swords and batons) and the X, IX, VIII and VII of the round suits (cups and coins).
The pack thus consists of:
suits of cups (Goppe), and coins (here called Roos - flowers), ranking from high to low: king
(Kinig), queen (Frouwwi), cavalier (Ritti), jack (Bob), I, II, III, IIII, V, VI
suits of swords (Schwrti) and batons (Schtchn), ranking from high to low: king, queen,
cavalier, jack, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V
21 permanent trumps ranking from XXI (Mund) down to I (Bagatt or Bagatji) (low)
the fool (der Bttler), which is normally the highest trump, ranking above the XXI.
Each card has a point value as follows:

fool, trump XXI, trump I: ... 5 points each
trumps II - XX: ... 1 point each
kings: ... 5 points each
queens: ... 4 points each
cavaliers: ... 3 points each
jacks: ... 2 points each
numeral cards of suits: ... 1 point each
The cards are counted singly, so the total value of the cards in the pack is 114 points.
Players and deal

The game can be played by any number of players from 3 to 8. The 6- and 7-player versions are said to
be best. The first dealer is chosen at random and the turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The
cards are shuffled by the dealer and cut by the player to dealer's left. The dealer then places a packet of
cards face down in the centre of the table to form the Tapp (or talon), and deals the rest of the cards out
to the players in packets, starting to the dealer's right and going aroung the table anticlockwise. The size
of the Tapp and the packets to be dealt varies according to the number of players, and is shown in the

following table.
Deal to the Tapp to each player
3 players 8 cards 6+6+6
6 players 8 cards 4+5
Bidding
In the game for up to six players, one player (the Tappist) plays alone against all the rest, who form a
temporary team. The Tappist is allowed to improve his or her hand using cards from the Tapp. When
there are seven or eight players the Tappist can also call on the help of a partner, and these two play
together against the remaining 5 or 6 players. The rules of the game for six or fewer players are described
first. The adjustments needed when seven or eight play are explained later.
The player to the dealer's right speaks first. The options are to pass, to offer play a normal game by
saying "ich nehm's" or "ich gehe", or to play a Solo (play alone without looking at the Tapp). If the first
player passes, the next player has the same options, and so on anticlockwise, the dealer being the last to
speak.
If someone offers to play a normal game, there should be a pause to see whether anyone later in the
speaking order wants to play a Solo, which takes priority. If there is no Solo, the normal game is played.
In the game with up to 6 players, if everyone passes a misere is played (see below).
Exchanging
In a normal game, the Tappist picks up all of the Tapp cards, without showing them to the other players,
and then discards an equal number of cards face-down in their place. The cards discarded may include
some of the cards picked up. It is illegal to discard any of the seven 5-point cards, except that if you hold
four kings youn are allowd to discard all of them if you wish. 1-point trumps can be placed in the discard,
and you do not have to notify the other players of this. The point values of the discarded cards count for
the Tappist.
In the case of a Solo, there is no exchange with the Tapp. The Soloist plays with the cards as dealt. The
Tapp is not looked at until after the play. The points in it will then count for the Soloist as usual.

Play
The Tappist or Soloist leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can; if they cannot they
must play a trump. A trick is won by the highest trump in it or, if none are played, by the highest card of
the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
The fool usually ranks as the highest trump. However, if it is the only trump you have left in your hand,
you do not have to play it when a trump is led or when you are void of the suit led. Instead you can throw
a card of another suit. After you have exercised this option to withhold the fool, it loses all its
trick-taking power. You must keep it in your hand until it is your turn to play to the last trick. Then you
show the fool and add it to your team's trick pile. In exchange you extract a low value card from your
team's trick pile to be given to the winner of the last trick, along with the other cards played to that trick.
If the holder of the withheld fool has to lead to the last trick, the fool is shown as usual, and the next
player's card determines the suit of the trick.
Scoring
At the end of the play, each side counts the card points in their tricks. The Tappist or Soloist also adds in
the value of the cards in the Tapp. The side that has more than half of the points - i.e. 58 or more - wins.
The normal basic stake is 10 Rappen, paid to the Tappist or Soloist by each opponent, or to each
opponent by the Tappist or Soloist. If the card points are divided 57-57 neither side wins, and there is no
payment. If the losers have 30 points or fewer the payment is doubled (20 Rappen each), and if they took
no tricks at all it is trebled (30 Rappen). The payment is also doubled if a Solo was played (20, 40 or 60
Rappen each).
Misere
If everyone passes, a Misere (or Misr) is played. The Tapp is not used. The player to the right of the
dealer leads to the first trick, and everyone plays for themselves, the object being to avoid winning
points. The player who takes the most points must pay 10 Rappen to each other player.
Special rules for 7 or 8 players

Bidding
If everyone passes, the holder of the Bttler (fool) is forced to play a normal game. If no one has
the Bttler (because it is in the Tapp), the holder of the Bagatt (trump I) must play a normal game.
If both the Bttler and the Bagatt are in the Tapp, a Misere is played.
Calling a partner
The Tappist chooses a temporary partner by calling any trump except the XXI or the Bttler.
Normally the XX is called, unless the caller already has it. The player who holds the called card is
the partner of the caller, but must not say or do anything to reveal his or her identity as the partner.
This will only become apparent during the play, for example when the called card is played.

If the called card is in the Tappist's hand or in the Tapp, the Tappist plays without a partner,
though the other players will not realise this initially. It is legal to call a trump that you have in
your hand if you wish to play alone.
In the case of a Solo, there is no calling and no exchange with the Tapp. The bidder plays alone
with the cards as dealt.
Scoring
As usual, the team with more than half of the points wins. In a basic game (where the losers had
more than 30 points), the Tappist's opponents pay or receive 10 Rappen each, the Tappist's called
partner receives or pays 20 Rappen and the Tappist receives or pays the balance (30 Rappen with 7
players, 40 Rappen with 8). If the losers have 30 or fewer points or no tricks at all these payments
are doubled or trebled as usual.
Variations
The exact method of dealing the cards to the players and the Tapp varies. The Visp rules do not allow for
a three-player version of the game, while the St Niklaus rules envisage at most 7 players. In Grchen the
Tapp is dealt after the first round of dealing: in the five-player game the deal can be 5 + Tapp + 6 or
6 + Tapp + 5, at the dealer's discreton; with 4 players the deal is 7 + Tapp + 7.
In St Niklaus and Grchen the special discard of four kings is not permitted, but a player who has all of
the 5-point cards - the four kings, the I, the XXI and the Bttler - is allowed to discard all seven of them.
In Grchen there is no Misere - if everyone passes the deal passes to the next dealer. In St Niklaus,
instead of the player who takes most points losing, the player who takes least points wins a basic stake
from each player.
The threshhold at which the losers have to pay a double stake varies. In Visp the losers pay double if they
have 30 points or fewer, as described above. In St Niklaus a double stake has to be paid if the losers have
31 points or fewer. In Grchen the double stake applies only if the losers have 20 points or fewer.
In both St Niklaus and Grchen the normal stake was 5 Rappen rather than 10.

Rules of Card Games: Truco
Truco
This page is partly based on a contribution from Enric Capo, with further details added by John McLeod.
Introduction
The cards and card ranking
The players and the deal
Outline of the game
Flor
Envido
The Play (Truco)
Conversation and Signals
The scoring
Procedure and tactics of betting
Two player Truco
Six player Truco
Variations
Other Truco WWW pages
Introduction
Truco is widely played in South America. It is derived from the simpler game Truc, which is played in
Catalonia and Southern France. Each player is dealt three cards, which are played out in tricks, and points
are also scored for holding combinations of cards in the same suit. It is the possible to bet extra points on
who has the best combination or will win the tricks, and the bluffing, talking and joking that goes with this
are an important part of the game. Truco is usually played by four players in partnerships, but it can also be
played by two or six.
The following description is of the version of Truco played in Argentina and in the south of Brazil. Later I
hope to add information on the different versions played in other parts of Brazil, in Uruguay, in Venezuela
and maybe other places.
Cards and Card Ranking

Truco is played with a standard Spanish 40 card deck of four suits:
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coins (oros) cups (copas) swords (espadas) batons (bastos)
Each suit consists of numeral cards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and and picture cards 10, 11 and 12. The 10 is called
Sota (Valet), the 11 Caballo (Horse) and the 12 Rey (King). The 1 is called As or Ancho.
There are four special cards, called cartas bravas, which are the highest in the pack. From high to low,
these are the ace of swords, the ace of batons, the seven of swords and the seven of coins.
Below the seven of coins the remaining cards rank in descending order: 3, 2, 1 (cups and coins), 12, 11, 10,
7 (cups and batons), 6, 5, 4. Among these lower cards only the rank counts; the suits are not important for
trick taking - so for example all threes are equal, and the aces of cups and coins are equal. The low aces and
sevens are known as "false cards" - los ases falsos or los anchos falsos are the aces of coins and cups and
los siete falsos are the sevens of cups and batons. The kings, horses and valets are collectively known as las
negras (the black ones).
The cards also have point values, used in valuing and comparing Flor and Envido announcements. For this
purpose pip cards ace to seven count face value, and pictures (las negras) count zero.
The Players and the Deal

Truco is usually played four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. There are also versions
for two players and six players, which will be described later. The game is played anticlockwise.
The partnerships may be arranged by mutual agreement, or determined by "drawing kings" - the players take
turns to draw a card from the pack, and the first two who draw kings are partners. The player who drew the
first king will be the first dealer. Thereafter the turn to deal passes to the right after each hand. The dealer
gives three cards to each player, dealing them one at a time anticlockwise.
The player to the right of the dealer is the mano (hand). This player will begin the play of the cards. The last
player of each partnership to play (that is the dealer and the player to dealer's left) is called the pie (foot).
Usually the pie will act as the captain of the partnership, deciding whether to bet and what to play on the
basis of signals from partner.

Outline of the game

There are three ways of scoring points:
Points can be scored for Flor (flower), which is a hand of three cards of the same suit;
If no one has a Flor, points may be scored for Envido - a combination of two cards in a suit, or failing
that, a single card;
In addition to Flor or Envido, points are scored for the Truco, which involves taking the majority of
the three tricks, or the first trick if one trick is tied.
Bets on Flor or Envido are made during the first trick, while bets on Truco can be made at any time.
Logically, the bets are made in the order Flor-Envido-Truco, and each player must respect this order. In
practice they may appear to come out of sequence, because a player who has (for example) no interest in the
Flor or Envido can immediately bet on the Truco. However, if another player wants to bet on the Flor or
Envido, they would have to do so before answering the Truco bet.
All betting is done by means of reserved words. Anyone who says one of these words at a time when the
corresponding bet is legal is considered to have made that bet - so careless talk can cost points. Because this
version of Truco is played in Argentina, the reserved words are in Spanish. To play the equivalent game in
English, it would probably be best to devise English reserved words for at least some of the bets, so that
betting could be incorporated into the conversation and banter that accompanies the game as in Spanish.
A game is won by the first team whose score reaches 30 points or more, which will usually take several
deals. It is usual to play the best of three games, but it is possible to play a just a single game to 30 points
("un 30 seco").
Within each game the first 15 points are called malas (bad ones) and the next 15 are called buenas (good
ones). Thus a team which has 12 points has "12 malas", and a team with 18 points has "3 buenas". A Truco
player would never announce the score as 20-7, but would say "5 buenas - 7 malas". This terminology is
traditional, but has no actual effect on the play.
Flor
Flor does not occur very frequently, and the rules for betting on Flor are quite complicated. It also introduces
a larger element of luck into the game. Perhaps for these reasons, many people in Argentina play without
Flor.
A player whose three cards are of the same suit is said to have a Flor (flower), and must announce this,
saying "flor". If more than one person has a Flor, and all of these are simply announced by saying "flor", the
team of the person with the best Flor scores 3 points for each Flor that was announced.
The value of a Flor, for comparison purposes, is the sum of the values of the three cards (Ace to 7 are worth
their face values, 10 to 12 are worth zero), plus 20. Therefore the best kind of Flor is 5-6-7 of a suit, which
has a comparison value of 38. If there is a contest for the Flor, it is won by the team of the player who has
the highest Flor. For example if North has a Flor 4-10-12, South has a Flor 2-3-10 and East has a Flor 1-3-5
then East's Flor wins (it has a value of 29 which is better than South's 25 or North's 24), and if all three of
them announced Flor, the East-West team will win 9 points for the three flores. If two or more players have
a Flor of equal point value, the best is the one which comes earliest in the order of announcements, starting

with the mano and going around the table anticlockwise.

If you have a Flor you must announce it (or risk a penalty for not doing so), and you are not allowed to
announce a Flor if you do not have one. These are the only announcements in the game that have to be
honest - in the case of envido and truco you can bet irrespective of what cards you hold.
If you have Flor you must announce it before playing to the first trick, and before making or accepting any
other kinds of bets. If no one has announced a Flor before you, or only your partner has done so, you just say
"flor". A Flor announcement cancels any Envido bets which may already have been made, and any betting
on the Truco is suspended until the Flor has been dealt with. After announcing Flor, you must wait a
moment to see whether any subsequent players have a Flor, as all betting on the Flor must now be completed
and settled before anything else can happen.
When a player announces Flor, all other players who have Flor announce it in turn, going anticlockwise
around the table (players who have already played to the first trick cannot take part - if they had Flor they
should have announced it earlier). If an opponent has already announced Flor and you also have one, you
have four possible replies:
Flor (flower) - you simply announce your Flor. If nothing further is said, the team with the best Flor
will score 3 points for each Flor announced like this. It is also possible that the original announcer will
continue by saying Contraflor, in which case you have to make one of the three possible answers to
this ("Con flor quiero", "Con flor me achico" or "Contraflor al resto") as explained below.
Con flor me achico (I reduce my flower) - you announce that you have a Flor, but you concede that
your opponents will win the Flor and you reduce the value of the Flores belonging to your team to one
point. In this case the betting on the Flor is closed and the opponents will automatically score 3 points
for each Flor they hold, plus one for your announcement (even if your Flor was in reality better).
Contraflor (contra-flower) - you announce your own Flor (scoring 3 points so far) and challenge the
opponents to speak again.
Contraflor al resto (contra-flower for the rest) - you announce your own Flor and propose to raise
the bet to the amount needed by the team with the higher score to win the game plus 3 for each Flor.
When "Contraflor" has been said, the opponents have three possible replies:
Con flor quiero (with a flower, I want) - confirming that the Flores will be worth 3 points each.
Con flor me achico (with a flower, I don't want) - admitting defeat and reducing your score for their
Flores to one point.
Contraflor al resto - proposing to raise the bet to the amount needed by the team with the higher
score to win the game plus 3 for each Flor.
When "Contraflor al resto" has been said, the other team has only two possible replies:
Con flor me achico - admitting defeat and allowing the other team to score their own Flores plus one
point
Con flor quiero - accepting the bet. If the leading team have the best Flor they win the whole game.
If the other team win the Flor, they score the number of points the leading team needed to finish the
game plus 3 points for each Flor in play.
Example: Suppose the score is 8 buenas - 6 malas, two opposing players have Flor and a bet of
"Contraflor al resto" is accepted. If the 8 buenas team have the better Flor they win the game. If
the 6 malas team have the better Flor, they score the 7 points the leading team needed for game

plus 6 points for the two Flores, a total of 13 points, bringing their score up to 4 buenas.
If both teams have announced "Flor" and neither has said "Con flor me achico", then when the betting on
Flor is over, the players announce the point value of their Flores in turn, starting with the mano or the first
player in anticlockwise order from the mano who has a Flor, and continuing around the table to the dealer. If
when it comes to your turn someone has already announced a better Flor than yours you can simply say "son
buenas" (they are good), admitting that your Flor is not the best one. The player with the winning Flor
should show the cards at the end of the hand, to show that it was genuine and allow the points to be scored.
Only players who actually hold a Flor can take part in the betting on Flor. Any bet on the Flor (as opposed
to a simple announcement of Flor) is made on behalf of the whole team. Here are some more examples of
Flor betting and scoring:
East North West South Result Comment
Only one
N-S team has
- Flor - Flor score 6 Flores so no
points betting is
possible.
3 for North's
N-S
Flor Contraflor - - Flor and 1 for
score 4
Con flor me achico - - - E-W's
points
surrender
Once West
has
N-S surrendered,
Flor Flor Contraflor -
score 4 there is
- Contraflor al resto Con flor me achico -
points nothing more
that East can
say
South
E-W
surrenders on
Flor Flor - Con flor me achico score 4
behalf of the
points
partnership

This is
different from
the previous
example.
North tried to
surrender
before South
had had a turn
to speak.
The
South's Flor
team
announcement
with
overrides
the
North's
Flor Con flor me achico - Flor best
surrender.
Flor
North could
scores
now say Con
9
flor me achico
points
again,
surrendering
on behalf of
both partners,
or even
change his
mind and say
"Contraflor al
resto".
The
team
with
the
best
Flor
By simply
score 9
announcing
plus
Flor Contraflor al resto Flor - Flor, West
the
Con flor quiero - - - leaves it to
points
East to answer
needed
North's bet.
by the
leading
team
to win
the
game.
All the above expressions for bets are reserved words. Announcing Flor is usually taken as a pretext to show
the audience your skills as a (bad) poet. Here are two examples:

Por el rio Paran Down the Paran river

viene bajando un piojo a louse is coming
con un hachazo en el ojo with an axe blow in his eye
y una flor en el ojal. and a flower in his buttonhole.
Pintor que pinto la luna Painter that paints the moon

pinto la luna y el sol that paints the moon and the sun
pinto a tu hermana desnuda paints your sister naked
y en cada teta una flor. and a flower on each tit.
Pedir Flor
It was mentioned above that if you have a Flor but fail to announce it you risk a penalty. At the end of the
play, any player who suspects another player had a Flor which they did not announce can challenge, saying
"pido flor". If the challenged player had a Flor, the challenging team scores three points for it. If the
challenged player can show two cards of different suits, proving that the hand was not a Flor, the challenged
player's team scores one point. A player could challenge both opponents in this way, scoring separately for
each challenge.
Envido
For Envido, the hands are valued as follows: if you have two cards of the same suit, the value of your hand
is their sum plus 20; if your cards are all of different suits, your hand is simply worth the value of the highest
card in it. Thus the highest Envido is worth 33 (7-6 of the same suit), and the lowest is worth zero (pictures
in three different suits).
If all your three cards are of the same suit, you should normally have announced Flor, and if Flor is
announced no betting or score for Envido is possible. If you are playing the game without Flor, then you can
take part in the Envido using the best two of your cards - for example 6-3-2 of a suit would count 29 in the
Envido (6 + 3 + 20).
Any player may bet or answer a bet on the Envido, and all bets and answers are made on behalf of the
partnership. You cannot make the first bet on the Envido after you have played your first card or after you
have bet or accepted a bet on the Truco. If an opponent has already bet on the Truco before you say Envido,
that player can still reply to your Envido bet; after the Envido betting is over, you or your partner should
reply to the Truco.
If nobody bets on the Envido, there is no score for it. You can bet by saying Envido, which proposes that the
Envido should be worth two points, Real envido (royal envido), which proposes that it should be worth
three, or Falta Envido (envido the rest), which proposes that it should be worth the number of points that
the leading team needs to win the game.
If a team bets Envido, the other team have five possible answers:
Quiero (I want): accepting the bet (the Envido will be worth two or three as proposed) and closing the
Envido betting;
Envido: accepting the bet and proposing to raise by a further 2 points;

Real envido: accepting the bet and proposing to raise it by a further 3 points;
Falta envido: accepting the bet and proposing to "raise" it to the number of points the leading team
needs to win the game;
No quiero: rejecting the last bet and closing the Envido betting - the team which bet automatically
scores one point (if it was the first bet), or the amount of the bet they accepted (if there have been two
or more bets).
If a team bets "Real Envido", the same answers are possible, except that a bet of "Real Envido" cannot be
answered by the (lower) bet of "Envido".
If a bet of "Envido" or "Real envido" is anwered by another bet of "Envido" or "Real envido", this new bet
needs to be answered again in one of the above ways. There can be several such raises on one deal and they
can be any number of "Envido" bets followed by any number of "Real Envido" bets. As soon as either team
says "Quiero" or "No quiero" no further bets on the Envido are possible. If the betting ends in "Quiero", the
players announce the value of their Envido (as described below) and the team with the best Envido wins the
accepted amount. If the betting ends by a team saying "No quiero", the other team automatically wins the
amount of the previously accepted bet (or one point if there was only one bet), irrespective of who actually
had the best Envido.
Example: East: "Envido", North: "Real envido", West: "Real Envido", South: "Quiero".
Whoever has the best Envido, their team will win 8 points (2 + 3 + 3).
Example: East: "Envido", North: "Real envido", West: "Real Envido", South: "No quiero".
East-West automatically win 5 points (2 + 3), as West's bet was rejected.
Falta envido is the highest possible bet. It cannot be raised; the only possible answers are "Quiero" or "No
quiero". If the answer is "Quiero" there is a showdown and the team with the better Envido scores the
number of points the leading team needed to win the game. If the betting ends by a team saying "No quiero",
the other team automatically wins the amount of the previously accepted bet (or one point if there was only
one bet), irrespective of who actually had the best Envido.
Notice that if a team is very close to winning the value of "Falta envido" can be worth less than than the
current bet, and can thus be used as defensive play when a team is far ahead.
Example: If North-South have a score of 14 buenas (29 points); East-West have 2 buenas (17
points). East says "Real envido" and North answers with "Falta envido", which proposes a bet
of 1 in this case, since N-S need only one point to finish. If E-W say "No quiero" now, N-S will
score 3 points and win, so the only sensible course for E-W is to say "Quiero", and the winners
of the Envido will score just one point.
Remember that Quiero closes the betting, so an answer of "Quiero, Envido" does not raise the bet by 2
points; it accepts the current bet and the second word is not taken into account.
When a bet on Envido has been accepted, the players in turn announce (cantar) the value of their Envido.
The mano speaks first, followed by the other players in anticlockwise rotation. If an earlier player has
already announced a higher valued Envido than yours, you do not have to announce your value - you can
simply say "son buenas" (they are good), admitting that your Envido is not best. If your partner's envido is
the highest so far, you do not need to announce yours unless and until an opponent announces a higher one.
You should not announce the value of your envido unless you must, as doing so gives away information
which could be useful to your opponents when betting or playing the Truco.

The winning Envido is the one with the highest point total. In case of equality, the one earlier in
anticlockwise order around the table from the Mano to the dealer has priority (so if East deals, North has
highest priority, then West, then South, and East loses all ties). The cards that constitute the winning Envido
should be shown to the other team at the end of the play to allow the points to be scored.
Example: East is dealer and the Envido holdings are: North 28; West 26; South 31; East 31. In
this case North would declare 28; West would say "son buenas". South would be silent at this
point as North-South are currently winning the bet, but when East declares, South would then
happily announce 31 and North-South would win, since South has priority over East.
The Play of the Tricks (El Truco)

The mano leads to the first trick, and the other players in turn (anticlockwise) each play a card. There is no
restriction on what cards can be played. The trick is won by the highest card played (see the ranking order of
the cards explained above). The played cards are not gathered together, but remain face up in front of the
players. The winner of the first trick leads to the second, which is played in the same way, and the winner of
the second leads to the third and last.
It can easily happen that there is no single highest card played to a trick, but two or more equally high cards,
for example two threes. If the highest cards are all played by the same team, that team wins the trick, and
whoever played the first of them leads to the next trick. If the highest cards are played by opposing teams
then the trick is a tie (parda) and belongs to neither side. In the case of a tie the player who led to the
previous trick leads again. Example: East leads a king and North, West and South all play twos. The trick is
tied and East leads again.
If there is no betting on the Truco, it is worth one point. This point is won by the side that takes the majority
of the tricks (two out of three). If a trick is tied, the Truco is won by whichever team takes the earlier of the
other two tricks. If two tricks are tied, the Truco is won by the winners of the only untied trick. If all three
tricks are tied then the Truco is won by the team of the mano - that is, the non-dealing team. Note that if just
one of the first two tricks is tied, the third trick does not need to be played.
Truco
At any time, any player can propose to raise the value of the Truco to two points by saying "Truco".
Either member of the opposing team can answer on behalf of the team; the possible answers to this are
"Quiero" (I want), accepting that the Truco is worth two points, or "No quiero", admitting defeat. If
the answer is "No quiero", play ceases and the side which said Truco scores one point for it.
Retruco
The team which answered "Quiero" to a bet of "Truco" can immediately or at any later time say
"Retruco", proposing to raise the stake to 3. Their opponents can answer "Quiero" accepting that
the Truco is worth 3, or "No Quiero", in which case play ceases and the team which said "Retruco"
scores 2.
Vale Cuatro (It's worth four)
The team which answered "Quiero" to a bet of "Retruco" can immediately or at any later time say
"Vale cuatro", proposing to raise the stake to 4. Their opponents can answer "Quiero" accepting
that the Truco is worth 4, or "No Quiero", in which case play ceases and the team which said "Vale
cuatro" scores 3.

"Vale cuatro" is the highest possible bet on the Truco. Once it has been accepted, nothing more can be said.
The cards are played out and the side which wins the Truco scores 4 points.
Note that each Truco bet must be accepted explicitly. If the opponents say Truco and you want to raise to
three the correct answer is "Quiero, Retruco". If you just say "Retruco" without saying "Quiero" first, your
bet is not valid.
Conversation and Signals

Players are allowed to talk freely during the game (except that any reserved words used will be interpreted
as bets if legal). In addition, you are allowed to signal to your partner the cards that you hold. The signals
vary from one region to another, and you are allowed to develop your own code, but this is a widely used
set:
Ace of swords: raise eyebrows.
Ace of batons: close one eye.
7 of swords or 7 of coins: move your mouth to one side. (No distinction on the 7's).
any 3: bite the lower lip.
any 2: make a kiss.
Ace of coins or Ace of cups: Open the mouth (like in "Oh!").
Bad cards: close both eyes.
Strong cards for Envido: move the head to one side. (Something like: "Go on!").
Obviously you try to exchange these signals while the opponents are not looking. Normally the pie of each
team receives the signals and makes decisions about the betting. You may also try to confuse the opponents
by making false signals if you wish.
The Scoring
Traditionally, specially in the countryside, beans ("porotos") are used to keep the score. You need at least 28
of these - 14 for each team. At the start of the game they are all kept in a container. Each team appoints a
scorer, who at the end of each deal takes out a number of porotos equal to the number of points scored by
the team. The porotos are kept in front of the scorers in view of all the players. When a team's score reaches
15 malas, they put all their porotos back in the container and begin taking out porotos to represent their
buenas score. The players have to remember whether each team's score is malas or buenas.
On each deal, the Flor or Envido is scored before the Truco, so if winning the Flor or Envido takes a team to
15 buenas or beyond, that team automatically wins the game, and the Truco is no longer relevant.
If no porotos are available, any other convenient token may also be used, or just a pencil and a piece of
paper. Also some enterprising person has designed a "trucometro", a wooden box inside which you keep the
cards, with a cover containing at each side two rows of 15 holes (for "buenas" and "malas"). Pins are used to
mark after each hand is played the accumulated score of each side.

Procedure and Tactics of Betting

The bets for Flor or Envido must be done during the first trick. Flor is declared by the holder before playing
to the trick. In practice, Envido bets are usually announced by the pie - the last player of each team to play to
the trick. As a bet on Truco can come at any time, it may be that a bet of Truco may be made before Flor or
Envido. A player that wants to announce Flor or bet on Envido can still do so, and the bet for Truco will
wait until Flor or Envido bets are resolved; then Truco is in effect and should be answered accordingly.
Envido is only valid place if no one holds a Flor. A Flor announcement cancels any Envido betting that has
already taken place. Here is an extreme example: East says "Truco", North says "Falta envido", West says
"Quiero", and South says "Flor". North's and East's bets are cancelled, North-South will score 3 points for
the Flor, and North-South must now answer East's original bet of "Truco".
In the game of Truco, the words for betting, accept and rejecting bets are absolutely fixed. No substitutes are
allowed and any use of a reserved word can count as a bet. Here, making conversation and trying to confuse
the opponents is part of the game. If you can make them say one of the reserved words, it counts as valid,
even if they did not intend to say it.
The only implicit valid action is "folding": if both members of a partnership place their cards face down on
the table it counts as if they said "No quiero" to the Truco. Even here you can try to confuse the opponents:
if in reply to your Truco just one opponent puts their cards face down, they have not folded. If you now
carelessly show your cards the opponents can still accept your bet and play on, though they will have to play
with just the cards of the players who did not put down their hands.
Notice if you play a card while a Truco bet is pending, this does not implicitly accept the bet. You can use
this as a way of letting the opponents think the bet is accepted and seeing what card they play next; you can
say "quiero" or "no quiero" later.
As stated early, trying to confuse the opponents is basic. Here are some examples; the partnerships are
North-South and East-West.
Example 1: North-South have strong cards and have already said "truco" to which East-West
have replied Quiero. The following conversation takes place:
North: Retruco.
West: It's not your turn to retruco.
North: Quiero, vale cuatro.
West was right, North could not retruco because it is East-West's turn to do so, having
accepted a Truco; but unfortunately in pointing this out West uses the reserved word "retruco",
and thereby makes the bet which North gladly accepts and raises to 4. Poor West!
Example 2: North-South have weak cards. West's beer glass is full.
North: Retruco
South: To the waiter: A beer, please. To West: Do you want one?
West: To South: No thanks, I don't want another beer.
West really is having a bad day. By saying "No quiero" ("I don't want") he has accidentally
rejected the bet and loses the hand, even with good cards!
Example 3: West says 'envido'. North has some points but suspects that West may have more.
So North says 'falta el vino' (there isn't any wine). West, who has a lot of points, and was not

listening carefully enough, thinks that North said 'falta envido' and automatically replies
'quiero!' Now North knows that West really does have a lot of points, so North explains that he
said 'falta el vino' and not 'falta envido'. North can now validly reply 'no quiero!' to West's
original 'envido' bet. East-West win just one point.
In the play of the tricks, you can profitably use information from the Flor or Envido values that were
announced. Here are a couple of examples:
1. A player who announced an envido of 28 and plays the 7 of swords is quite likely to hold the ace of
swords with it. Don't bet against this player.
2. If a player who announced a Flor and plays a cup, you know this player cannot have any of the top
four cards.
Two player Truco

Two people can play Truco using exactly the same rules as for four players, except that obviouly there are
no partnerships.
Six player Truco

For a really fun evening, try playing the six player version of Truco. Each team consists of three players
seated alternately around the table. Each player needs to be able to see clearly the faces of the others, to
intercept the signals as they are passed (and pass his own signals without being caught). The scope for
joking and bluffing with six people increases considerably.
In six player Truco, two different kinds of deal are played alternately: "Redonda". This is played between
two teams of three, under the same rules as the four player partnership game; "Pica-pica", also known as
"De Punta" or "Punta y Hacha". This is three games of two-player Truco played in succession, each
player playing against the opponent sitting directly opposite. The cards are dealt out anticlockwise to all six
players. First the mano plays against the opponent opposite, then their right hand neighbours play, and
finally the dealer plays against the player opposite. The scores for these three separate deals of Truco are
added to the totals of the players' teams.
When either team reaches 10 buenas (25 points) or more, only redonda is played; there are no more
Pica-pica deals. The game finishes as soon as one team wins by scoring 15 buenas (30) or more.
It is usual for the other players to signal to the pie (foot) of each team. On the basis of this information, the
foot gives instructions to the other players which cards to play, so as to make best use of the team's high
cards. Do not underestimate the skill needed to win; with 18 cards dealt from 40, a good team captain with
the right information from the partnership and perhaps a few signals intercepted from the opponents will
consistently win against a team with no director or a poor one.
Remember that to reject a bet of Truco by folding, all three players of the team must put their cards face
down, not only the one whose turn it is to play or two of them.

Variations
The Deal
If agreed in advance, a player who is dealt two fours and a card with no signal (i.e. a king or lower) can
claim a maldon (misdeal). The hand is thrown in and the deal passes to the next player. Some players only
allow maldon to be claimed by the mano; again this must be agreed before playing.
The Flor
As already mentioned, Truco is frequently played without Flor. In this case, there is of course no
announcement, betting or scoting for Flores. If you have three cards of the same suit, you can use two of
them to form an Envido.
Some play that a Flor consisting of three pictures (negras) is worth 30 points rather than 20.
Some play that you are not obliged to announce a Flor if you do not wish to. If an opponent has already
announced a Flor and you think yours is too small to win, you just don't mention it. In this variation there is
no "pedir flor" of course.
There are some variations on the meaning of Contraflor al resto:
Some play that if both teams are in the malas, it is a bet only of the remaining points needed for the
leading team to reach the half-way point (15 malas), plus 3 points for each Flor in play;
Some play that it is just a bet for the score needed for the leading team to win the game, without the 3
points for each of the Flores.
Some play that after a betting sequence like N: "Contraflor" - E: "Contraflor al resto" - N: "Con flor
me achico", E-W win 3 points for each Flor, rather than just 3 for their own Flores plus 1 for E-W's
surrender. The idea is that the "Contraflor" bet has already been made by East and implicitly accepted
by North, so cannot now be taken back.
The Envido
Some players allow two further types of bet:
Dos Reales Envido seeks to increase the bet by six points;
Tres Reales Envido seeks to increase the bet by nine points.
The principle that a smaller bet cannot follow a larger bet still holds, so for example "Real Envido can be
answered by "Dos Reales Envido", but not vice versa.
Drawn Game
It is normal to score the Flor or Envido before the Truco, so that if a team gains enough points from the Flor
or Envido to win the game, the result of the Truco is irrelevant. In this case a draw is impossible.
However, some people play that the points for Flor or Envido are added together with the points for Truco at
the end of the play. With this way of scoring, it is possible, but very unusual, for a game to be drawn. A
draw can occur if one team has 14 buenas (29 points) and the other team reaches 15 buenas (30) by means of

a Flor or Envido. If the first team then wins the Truco both sides have 15 buenas and no one wins. If the side
which lost the Flor or Envido had less than 14 buenas, then the other team would say "no quiero" to any bet
on the Truco, thus winning the game.
Other Truco WWW pages

Marcelo Marques has a page in Portuguese about Truco Cego - a game played in Rio Grande do Sul in
Brazil, which is similar to the version described on this page.
Sergio Eidi has a page, also in Portuguese, about Truco Paulista, a different Brazilian version of Truco. This
page includes rules, tips, images, rankings and downloadable software for Truco (Windows and DOS).
The site El Juego de Truco describes the version of the game that is played in Venezuela.


Rules of Card Games: Verish' ne verish'
Verish' Ne Verish'
The name of this game means "Trust - don't trust". It is the Russian equivalent of Bullshit, contributed by
Leo Broukhis.
Number of players: - 2-6, rarely more.
Deck: - a standard 52 card deck for 3-4 players or more; a shortened deck (36 cards - 6 to A) may be
used for 2 or 3 players, as it is hard to hold more than 18 cards.
Dealing: - after the deck has been shuffled, one card is picked at random and put away face down; all
remaining cards are distributed clockwise one at a time among the players face down. The player to make
the first move is the one who has the first card dealt.
Goal: - to get rid of one's cards.
Course of play: - a game consists of several rounds, and each round consists of several moves.
The player to make the first move in a round puts one, two or three of his cards on the table face down
and names a rank (not necessarily the rank of the card(s) he just put on the table). For each subsequent
move there are two possibilities:
1. The player to make the move (B) has the right to say "I don't trust" and expose the card(s) the
previous player (A) put on the table. If the card(s) played by A are not all of the rank that A said, A
picks up all the cards on the table and adds them to his hand, the current round terminates, and B
starts the next round. If the card(s) played by A were all of the stated rank, then B picks up all the
cards on the table, the round terminates, and the next round is started by C, the next player
clockwise from B.
2. If B decides not to expose A's play, he says "I trust" (or says nothing, because "I trust" is assumed
if nothing is said) and puts one, two or three of his cards on top of the pile of cards already on the
table, repeating aloud the same rank which was said by the previous player.
At the end of each round, whoever picked up the cards may remove all groups of 4 cards of the same
rank, if any, from his hand, show them to other players and put them away. Note that the rules don't force
a player to throw away all groups of four equal cards, but experience shows that this is best done as soon
as possible. This is the only case when the number of cards in play decreases.
A player who gets rid of all his cards either by making a move with his last cards, which the next player
does not expose, or by being able to throw away all his cards in sets of four at the end of a round, does
not participate in the current game any more.
Since one card was put aside at the start of the game, the other three cards of this rank remain in the
game until the end. The loser is the last player who is left holding one or more of these cards when
everyone else has run out of cards.
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Rules of Card Games: Verish' ne verish'

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Rules of Card Games: Ugly
Ugly
Ugly was invented in Australia in the 1980's by the Committee for the Advanced Research into Deck
Statistics (CARDS), a group of bored university students. It is loosely based on Hearts and Knaves, and is
played in Canberra, Perth, and perhaps other places in Australia.
This description was contributed by Gavin Longmuir.
Players and Cards

Ugly is played by three or four players. The Deck is a regular 52 card pack. For three players one card is
removed (the 2 of Spades). The Dealer then deals the cards equally to each of the players (no more than 2
cards at a time), until the deck is exhausted.
Trumps
After the deal the person to the left of the dealer after viewing his or her hand selects a suit which is to be
trumps. No-Trumps is also a valid choice.
Passing Cards
Each player then has to pass cards to the person to his or her left. In the first hand one card is passed;
successive hands increase this number by two each time (ie. 3, 5, 7.. ).
The Play
The player left of the dealer leads for the first trick of the hand. Play goes clockwise. Players must follow
suit if they can. A player who cannot follow suit is free to trump the trick or discard an unwanted card.
The winner of the trick is the person who played the highest card of the suit led (if not trumped) or the
highest trump card (if trumped).
Scoring
Winning a trick counts as plus one point, but there are negative points for having Jacks in your tricks:
Jack of Spades - minus one

Jack of Clubs - minus two
Jack of Diamonds - minus three
Jack of Hearts - minus four
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Rules of Card Games: Ugly
The Seven of Diamonds is called the Ugly Card, and has the effect of
doubling the negative value of any Jacks collected by the player who
wins a trick containing this card. If the player who takes the Ugly card
manages to avoid having any Jacks in any tricks for that hand, then the
player has the value of his or her tricks doubled for that hand.
The Seven of Clubs is called the Charm Card. It has no effect by itself, but if the same
player takes both the Ugly card and the Charm card, the effect of the Ugly Card on jacks
is cancelled (i.e. any Jacks won in the current hand are worth their normal negative
value). If the player who took the Charm and Ugly cards has no Jacks in any tricks for
the current hand, each trick taken by the player scores plus four points.
End of the Game

The game is completed after the final hand is played. The final hand is the one in which players are
passing all of their cards to the left (ie. all 17 in a three player game, or all 13 in a four player game).
The winner is the person with the highest number of points at the completion of the game.

Last updated 29 August 1996
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Rules of Card Games: Vier-Anderle
Vier-Anderle
This description was written by Nick Wedd, who learned the game from Walter Strunz.
Vier-anderle is a simple trick-taking tarock game, suitable for gambling. It is played in the vicinity of
Furtwangen, in the Black Forest in Germany.
Players
It is best with from 5 to 8 players, though it is possible to play it with any number from 2 to 13. It is a
gambling game, and the players should agree on the value of the stake to be played for. In some
circumstances, the sum lost on a hand can be a large multiple of the basic stake. It may be found more
enjoyable when the players are drunk.
Cards
It is traditionally played with a Cego pack with the pip cards removed, leaving 38 cards. If a Cego pack is
unavailable, it can be played with any tarock pack from which the pip cards have been removed. There
are twenty-two tarocks, ranking with the Gstie at the top, then the 21, 20, 19 etc., down to the 1. There
are four side-suits, with the black ones ranking king-queen-knight-jack-10-9-8-7 and the red ones ranking
king-queen-knight-jack-1-2-3-4 (though the pip cards 10, 9, 8, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4 are normally not used).
If more than nine players wish to play, it will be necessary to have the pip cards in the pack so that there
will be enough cards to go round.
Deal and Play

The cards are dealt clockwise, with each player receiving four. Vorhand (on dealer's left) leads to the first
trick; the winner of each trick leads to the next trick in the hand. Players must follow suit if they can. A
player who cannot follow suit must play a tarock if he can. The trick is won by the player of the highest
tarock in it; or if there is none, by the highest card of the suit lead. A player who is able to head a trick,
by playing a higher card than any so far in it, must do so. After each hand, the deal rotates to the player
on the previous dealer's left.
Payments
There are two types of hand. The first type is played at the start of the game, and on subsequent
occasions when the pot is empty. The second type is played when there is already money in the pot.
In the hands of the first type, all the players must take part. The dealer puts four stakes in the pot, and
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Rules of Card Games: Vier-Anderle
deals. In the play, each player will try to take at least one trick. At the end of the hand, each player who
failed to take a trick will pay as much money into the pot as was already in it. Example: there are six
players. When play starts there are four stakes in the pool. A takes two tricks, B and C take one trick
each, D, E and F take no trick. D, E and F must each pay four stakes into the pool, which then contains
sixteen stakes.
In hands of the second type, the dealer adds four stakes to the pot, and deals. He then asks each player in
turn, starting with Vorhand and finishing with himself, whether he wishes to take part. Those who do not
wish to take part (perhaps because they have no large tarocks) discard their hands face-down on the table
and take no further part in the hand: they will neither win nor lose money on the hand. The hand is then
played among those who wished to take part. The winner of each trick receives for it a quarter of the
money in the pot; and each player who took part but won no trick then pays into the pot as much as it
originally contained. Example: continuing from the previous hand, after the deal there are twenty stakes
in the pool. A and F decide not to take part. C wins one trick and D wins three tricks. C receives five
stakes from the pot, and D receives fifteen. B and E, who took part but won no tricks, then pay twenty
stakes each into the pot.
Notes on play:
1. It is possible for suit-cards (non-tarocks) to win tricks, but they should not be expected to do so.
2. The rule obliging players to head tricks is important. Example: You hold the 21 and three small
tarocks, and the player on your right leads the 18. You would prefer to play a small tarock as the
gshdees is probably held by a player on your left who will use it to beat your 21. But you are
obliged to play the 21.

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Rules of Card Games: Vira
Vira
The original version of this page was compiled by Anthony Smith from various sources, including
demonstration games at the IPCS conferences in Stockholm in 1993 and Leinfelden in 1990. It was
revised in 1999 by Anthony Smith and John McLeod, making use of extra information and material
contributed by Sten Helmfrid of the Stockhom Vira Society (Stockholms Wirasllskap).
Introduction
Deal
Bidding
Exchange and Surrender
The Play
Payments
The Contracts
The bergs bid table
Some comments on passing conventions in Vira
Historical note on the payments
Note on the evolution of Vira bid-tables
The new bid table of the Stockholms Wirasllskap
Some advice on bidding
The offensive value of a hand
The defensive value of a hand
Some advice on exchanging cards
Some advice on the play of the cards
Card signalling during the play
Introduction
Vira is a Swedish three-handed plain trick game using an ordinary 52-card pack. Each player is dealt 13
cards and the undealt stock of 13 cards can be used by the players to improve their hands. Bidding
determines who plays alone against the other two. There is a large range of contracts, involving various
ways of using the stock and various possible objectives for the lone player, the aim being either to take at
least a certain number of tricks or to lose all the tricks. Contracts to lose every trick are called misr
contracts, from the French misre (misery).
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If there are four players at the table, then the player to the dealer's right is dealt no cards and takes no part
in the play of that hand.
Deal
The turn to deal rotates clockwise. Usually two packs are used in alternate hands. The spare pack is
shuffled ready for the following hand and also used to indicate the "Preference" suit for the hand. This is
achived as follows.
Before each deal, there should be a shuffled pack lying face up at the new dealer's left. Dealer picks this
pack up passes it across, face down, to the player sitting to dealer's right, who cuts it and returns it to the
dealer. When there are three players, the player to the dealer's right also shuffles the second pack; when
four play the second pack is shuffled by the player opposite the dealer. The shuffled pack is placed face
up to the shuffler's right; it will therefore be at the next dealer's left. The suit of the card exposed on top
of the face up pack is Preference for that hand, and the other suit of the same colour is Second
Preference. The suits of the other colour are Common Suits.
The dealer deals clockwise from the cut pack, a packet of 4 cards to each of the three active players, then
three rounds of a packet of 3 to each, so that each player has 13 cards. The 13 cards that remain form a
face-down stock (or talon), which is placed in the centre of the table. At the discretion of the dealer, the
packets can be dealt in the sequence 3-3-3-4 rather than 4-3-3-3.
Bidding
Forehand (the player to the dealer's left) must open the bidding and may not initially pass. Each bid
names a contract, which the bidder will undertake if no one bids higher. In the usual form of the game
there are 40 possible contracts. These are listed in ascending order of rank in the bergs bid table below.
This table comes from "Viraboken", a booklet issued on 1945 by the card manufacturer berg. It is
probably the most widespread in use at present, but others are given (in Swedish) on the Stockholm Vira
Society web pages and in several Swedish text books. Since the bergs table contains some anomalies,
the Stockholm Vira Society has recently adopted an improved bid table, which is reproduced later on this
page.
The turn to bid passes clockwise. Each player must either pass or bid higher than the previous bidder.
Jump bids (bids that are higher than the minimum level necessary to overcall the previous bidder) are
allowed. A player who passes may not normally reenter the bidding; when two players have passed the
third player becomes the declarer and plays the contract named in the final bid.
When the most recent bid is "gk" (in which the declarer tries to lose every trick), players are penalised if
they pass without cards which offer a prospect of beating this contract. Specifically, a player who has not
previously passed, and passes a bid of "gk" is penalised one bet into the pot (see payments, below) if
the "gk" is successful, unless the passer held certain cards. The player immediately following the bidder
needs two "low guards" in different suits to pass without penalty. If this player passes, the second player
needs at least one "low guard". A "low guard" is a set of up to four cards of a suit which if led in
succession would be certain to lose a trick against a player holding the rest of the suit. The following suit

holdings therefore count as low guards: any 2, 4-3, 6-5-4, 6-5-3, 8-7-6-5, 8-7-6-4, 8-7-6-3, 8-7-5-4,
8-7-5-3. In some but not all circles five-card low guards are also recognised; these consist of the ten
together with four cards lower than the ten in the same suit. A holding such as Q-J-9-8-5-4 which
requires six leads to lose a trick does not count as a low guard - the risk is too great in practice that the
other player would run out of cards of the suit before being forced to take a trick. Of course a six card
holding like Q-10-8-7-6-3 does qualify as a low guard, because the 8-7-6-3 allows the lead to be lost
within four tricks.
Exceptionally some circles (for example the Vira club "Gken" in Gothenburg) allow a player who
passes over a bid of "gk", having not previously passed, to reenter the bidding if the third player
overcalls the "gk".
Bids of "solo", "gask" and "kpmisr" need not be specified numerically. If no level is specified, they can
be outbid as if they were at the minimum level needed to overcall the previous bid. If the other players
pass, such bids can be played at any level from this minimum upwards which the declarer chooses.
"Turn" and "vingel" can also be bid without stating the number. They can then be outbid as if they were
at the minimum level needed to overcall the previous bid. If the other players pass, these bids can be
played only at precisely this minimum level.
Among suit bids ("begr", 7-, 8-, 9-"spel", "solo", "vira" and "solo vira") a plain bid (in which the bidder
does not disclose his trump suit) can be overbid by one in "colour" (where he commits himself to making
either Preference or Second Preference trumps) and this can in turn be overbid by the same bid in
Preference.
A plain "gask" bid can also be overbid by one in "colour" (where the bidder commits himself to making
either Preference or Second Preference trumps) and this can in turn be overbid by the same bid in
Preference. However only the plain version can be converted to misr.
Among exactly equal bids, forehand has precedence over the other two players and can therefore "hold" a
bid. The player to forehand's left has similar precedence over the third player once forehand has passed.
Exchange and Surrender

Before the play begins there is the opportunity for some or all players to improve their hands by using the
stock. In some contracts the declarer uses the whole stock, in some only part, and in some the declarer is
not entitled to use the stock at all.
In the last two cases, when the declarer does not use the whole stock, each opponent in turn has the
opportunity to exchange some cards with the part of the undealt stock that the declarer has not used. First
the opponent to declarer's left may discard any number of cards, from none at all up to the number left
untouched by the declarer, and replace them by drawing an equal number of cards from the top of the
stock. If any cards are left, the other opponent may discard any number of cards up to that number and
replace them from the stock in the same way. Any cards left in the stock by the second opponent remain
unseen, and cannot be looked at until after the play. Players may consult their own discards only until
play starts.
In contracts where the declarer uses the stock, the declarer is allowed after exchanging to surrender the

contract without play, accepting a simple loss. If the declarer used only part of the stock, the surrender
must be announced before the opponents exchange.
When the declarer uses only part of the stock, he has a third option after exchanging. Instead of
continuing or surrendering, the declarer can perform the exchange a second time (omkp). This
sometimes involves a small net loss even if the contract after second exchange is successful, but the loss
is less than would have been incurred by surrendering after the first exchange. If the second exchange is
unsuccessful, the declarer again has the option to surrender rather than inviting the opponents to
exchange; the loss is the same as for a simple loss on a second exchange.
Consultation between opponents about exchanging is not allowed, except in the contract "solo grande
misr ouverte royale".
The Play
Forehand always leads to the first trick. Thereafter the winner of each trick leads to the next. Play is
clockwise. Players must follow suit if they can; a player who cannot follow may trump or discard from
another suit at will. The highest trump played wins the trick, or if no trumps are played, the highest card
of the suit led.
Normally the cards rank from high to low A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2 in each suit. However, it is often
agreed that in the misr options of "gask", a declarer who holds all four aces at the start of play can
announce that aces will for that hand then rank as the lowest card of each suit, below the 2. This option is
sometimes extended to all misrs.
In some misr contracts, the declarer plays with only twelve or eleven cards. In these cases the declarer
discards one or two cards after exchanging with the stock. If the contract allows the opponents to
exchange cards with the stock, the declarer's hand is reduced before the opponents exchange. In these
contracts the play ends when the declarer runs out of cards, at which point the other players will have one
or two cards left over, which are not played.
Only in the contract "solo grande misr ouverte royale" are the defenders allowed to consult during play.
Payments
The score is traditionally kept using chips. Each player has a supply of these in their own colour. Their
values are expressed in betar and pinnar. One bet is equal to eight pinnar. The chip values are
distinguished by their shape:
= 1 pinne = 2 pinnar = 1 bet = 8 pinnar = 5 betar
Each player starts with a number of chips, typically 10 of the long pinnar, 10 round 2-pinnar chips and 5
betar (short rectangles). Not all sets contain the traingular 5-betar chips, but when they are present, each

player typically has 5 of these. During the game there is also a common pool of chips kept in a container
(called pulla in Swedish). At the start of the game and whenever the pool becomes empty or insufficient,
each player contributes one bet to the pool. The initial payments to the pool are called lar or stambetar.
If real chips are not available, it is possible to keep account of the scores on paper, with an extra column
showing the state of the pool.
A successful declarer wins betar from the pool and sometimes also pinnar from the other players. If
unsuccessful the declarer has to pay betar to the pool and sometimes also pinnar to the other players. The
number of betar won or lost depends on the type of contract and the result. The number of pinnar
depends on these and also on the trump suit. The details are shown in the bid table. When there are four
players at the table, the pinnar payments take place only between the declarer and the two active
opponents. The player who is sitting out neither gives nor receives any pinnar.
When a contract fails, there are two possible levels of failure. If it fails by just one trick, the declarer
loses simply. If it fails by two tricks or more, the declarer loses codille, which is more expensive. Note
that this concept applies equally to positive contracts and to misrs (where the object is to lose every
trick). When the declarer of a misr takes one trick, the contract is lost simply. If the declarer can be
made to take a second trick the loss is a codille.
When the declarer plays a contract which involves an exchange using only part of the stock, the declarer
can exchange a second time if the first was unsatisfactory. Before the second exchange the declarer must
pay the opponents pinnar as though the first contract has been lost simply, but does not pay the pool.
When the declarer eventually wins or loses after the second exchange, he receives or pays further pinnar
according to the final trump suit, and his payments from or to the pot are altered - see the bid table. Most
of these payments result from combining (1) payment for a simple loss for the abandoned first exchange
and (2) either ordinary winning or doubled penalties for going simply off or losing codille in the game
actually played. The exceptions are "turn 8", "vingel 8" and "tringel 9". Therefore in most cases winning
after a second exchange results not in an overall gain, but in a smaller loss than losing after a first
exchange.
Hands involving exchange can be surrendered before declarer has invited the defenders to exchange for
the cost of a simple loss. If the declarer surrenders after exchanging for a second time, the declarer pays
as though the game was lost simply after a second exchange. Contracts in which the declarer does not
exchange can only be surrendered for the cost of losing codille. Pinnar are paid in surrendered gask and
solo as for a common suit, unless the surrendered game was bid in a higher suit. For games where a
trump suit is determined before the exchange the suit announced by the declarer determines the pinnar to
be paid.
The word bet is presumably a form of the French "bte" (beast), used to describe the penalty paid by an
unsuccessful player in various games, including l'Hombre. Pinne is Swedish, meaning literally a "stick",
and is also used of a "chopstick".
If a player runs out of betar, any shape of chip of his own colour can be used to pay into the pool, and
once inside the pool it represents one bet, whatever shape of chip it might be. A pinne chip can also be
placed under the pool to represent placing 6 betar into the pool. At the end of play the betar in the pool
are divided as equally as possible among the players, any odd one or two being converted into pinnar.
(During this distribution, any irregular shape of chip used to represent a bet must be returned to the

player, identifiable by the chip's colour, who placed it in the pool.) Any odd pinnar left over are given to
the player who lost most altogether. Chips are then exchanged so that everyone retrieves as many as
possible of his own colour of chips. The chips remaining unredeemed at this stage show the final profit
or loss. If monetary stakes are being played for they must now be bought back by their original owners.
The Contracts
In the form of Vira usually now played, there are 40 possible contracts; some variations may allow more
or fewer possibilities. The contracts will first be described in groups, according to the way the stock is
used and the objectives of the declarer. The ranking order of the contracts for bidding purposes is shown
in the summary scoring tables below: the bergs table and the Stockholm Vira Society table.
a) Contracts in which declarer alone uses the stock:

vira
Declarer takes the whole talon, discards 13 cards, announces a trump suit of his choice, and either
surrenders or plays. The declarer must take all 13 tricks to win.
gk
Declarer takes the whole talon, discards 13 cards, and either surrenders or plays. He exposes his
hand on the table before the lead to the first trick. To succeed he must lose all 13 tricks at no
trump.
gask keeping 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 cards
Declarer announces (if he did not do so during the bidding) how many cards he is retaining,
discards the rest, picks up the whole stock and discards back down to 13. He now decides whether
to play or surrender.
If playing having kept 0, 1 or 2 cards he either names a trump suit and plays to win at least 7, 8 or
9 tricks respectively or else discards 2, 1 or 0 more cards and plays to lose all 11, 12 or 13 tricks at
no trump. The defenders do not exchange. If the bid was "gask in colour" or "gask in Preference",
however, the alternative to lose all the tricks is not available.
If playing having kept 3 or 4 cards he either names a trump suit and plays to win at least 10 or 11
tricks respectively or else discards 1 or 0 more card, places his hand face-up on the table before
leading to the first trick, and plays to lose all 12 or 13 tricks at no trump. The defenders do not
discard. If the bid was "gask in colour" or "gask in Preference", however, the alternative to lose all
the tricks is not available.
If playing having kept 5 or 6 cards he now names a trump suit and plays to win at least 12 tricks in
both cases. Notice that "gask keeping 5" outbids "gask keeping 6".
In Swedish, these contracts are known as gask p 0, gask p 1, etc.
b) Contracts in which declarer uses the stock and the defenders may
also do so if cards remain:
begr, 7-spel, 8-spel, 9-spel

Declarer announces a trump suit of his choice, discards any number of cards, replenishes his hand
by drawing an equal number of cards from the stock and decides whether to surrender, play or (if
cards remain) exchange again. If playing, he invites his opponents to exchange. If exchanging
again he must keep the same trump suit and he pays pinnar at the rate for this trump suit, discards
at least 1 and replenishes his hand. He then decides whether to surrender or play. If playing (and
cards remain in the stock) he invites his opponents to exchange. When playing, the declarer's
objective is to take at least 6, 7, 8 or 9 tricks respectively.
turn 6, 7 or 8
Declarer turns the first card of the stock and the suit of this card is trump. He then discards at least
one card, replenishes his hand including the turned card and decides whether to surrender, play or
turn again. If playing, he invites his opponents to exchange. The declarer is only allowed to turn
again if at least two cards remain in the stock. If turning again he pays pinnar at the rate for the
first trump suit, turns the top remaining card of the stock for trump, discards at least one card,
replenishes his hand including the newly turned card and decides whether to surrender or play. If
playing (and cards remain) he invites his opponents to exchange and plays to take at least 6, 7 or 8
tricks respectively.
vingel 6, 7 or 8
Declarer turns the first two cards of the stock and chooses one of their suits as trump, discards at
least two cards, replenishes his hand including both turned cards and decides whether to surrender,
play or turn again. If playing, he invites his opponents to exchange. The declarer is only allowed to
turn again if at least three cards remain in the stock. If turning again he pays pinnar at the rate for
the first trump suit, turns the top two remaining cards of the stock for trump, discards at least two
cards, replenishes his hand including both newly turned cards and decides whether to surrender or
play. If playing (and cards remain) he invites his opponents to exchange and plays to take at least
6, 7 or 8 tricks respectively.
tringel 9
Declarer turns the first three cards of the stock and chooses one of their suits as trump, discards at
least three cards, replenishes his hand including all three turned cards and decides whether to
surrender, play or turn again. If playing, he invites his opponents to exchange. The declarer is only
allowed to turn again if at least four cards remain in the stock. If turning again he pays pinnar at
the rate for the first trump suit, turns the top three remaining cards of the stock for trump, discards
at least three cards, replenishes his hand including all three newly turned cards and decides
whether to surrender or play. If playing (and cards remain) he invites his opponents to exchange
and plays to take at least 9 tricks.
kpmisr, exchanging 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6
Declarer announces (if he did not do so during the bidding) how many cards he is exchanging. He
discards this number of cards and then draws an equal number from the stock to replenish his hand
to 13 cards. He now decides whether to surrender, play or exchange again. If playing, he invites
his opponents to exchange. If exchanging again he first pays his opponents the pinnar, then
discards the same number of cards as he first discarded and replenishes his hand. He then decides
whether to surrender or play. If playing he invites his opponents to exchange.
If playing in "kpmisr" exchanging 4, 5 or 6 the declarer discards one further card before inviting
the opponents to exchange, and plays the hand with 12 cards; his opponents play with 13 cards and

will have one card left over at the end of the play. The declarer's objective is to lose all 12 or 13
tricks at no trump.
The lower "kpmisr" bids are really too difficult for their ranking among the contracts. An
alternative treatment is given in the new bid table of the Stockholms Wirasllskap, whereby the
declarer discards 1 or 2 further cards before inviting the opponents to exchange, and plays with 12
or 11 cards.
In Swedish, these contracts are known as kpmisr p 1, kpmisr p 2, etc.
c) Contracts in which only the defenders may use the stock

solo 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, solo vira
Declarer announces (if he did not do so during the bidding) the level of the solo. Declarer
announces the trump suit, invites the opponents to exchange and then plays to take at least 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 tricks respectively.
solo petite misr, solo grande misr
In "petite" declarer discards one card and plays to lose all 12 tricks at no trump. His opponents
may exchange but always play with 13 cards, having one left at the end of the play. In "grande" the
opponents may exchange and the declarer plays to lose all 13 tricks at no trump.
solo petite misr ouverte, solo grande misr ouverte
In "petite" declarer discards one card and plays with 12; in "grande" he plays with 13 cards. His
opponents may exchange but always play with 13 cards. Declarer exposes his hand after the
opponents' exchange but before leading to the first trick. The declarer's objective is to lose all 12 or
13 tricks at no trump.
solo petite misr ouverte royale, solo grande misr ouverte royale
In "petite" declarer discards one card and plays with 12; in "grande" he plays with 13 cards. His
opponents may exchange but always play with 13 cards. Declarer exposes his hand before the
opponents' exchange and plays to lose all 12 or 13 tricks at no trump. In the "grande" contract
defenders may discuss their exchange and their play, and may show each other their cards.
The bergs bid table

To or from the pool To/from opponents
in units of Betar in units of Pinnar
Stock Game
Name Simple game 2nd exchange Common
exchange objective 2nd
Suits Pref
won lost cod won lost cod Pref.
or Misr
1 Begr all exchange 6+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 0 1
turn 1 trump,
2 Turn 6 6+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 0 1
all exchange
3 7-Spel all exchange 7+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 0 1

turn 2
4 Vingel 6 trumps, 6+ tricks 1 2 4 -1 6 10 0 1 1
all exchange
declarer 7+ tricks or
Gask, keeping
5 discards 13, 11 card 1 1 2 - - - 0 0 0
0
takes stock closed misr
declarer takes 13 card
6 Gk 1 2 4 - - - 0 - -
whole stock open misr
turn 1 trump,
7 Turn 7 7+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 1 1
all exchange
declarer
Kpmisr, exchanges 1, 13 card
8 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchanging 1 opponents closed misr
exchange
declarer
8+ tricks or
Gask, keeping discards 12,
9 12 card 1 1 2 - - - 0 0 1
1 takes stock,
closed misr
discards 1
turn 2
11 Vingel 7 trumps, 7+ tricks 1 2 4 -1 6 10 1 1 3
all exchange
turn 1 trump,
12 Turn 8 8+ tricks 2 1 2 (a) 3 5 1 1 3
all exchange
declarer
13 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchange
declarer 10+ tricks
Gask, keeping discards 11, or
14 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 1
2 takes stock, 13 card
discards 2 closed misr
turn 2
16 Vingel 8 trumps, 8+ tricks 2 2 4 (b) 6 10 1 3 5
all exchange
declarer
17 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchange

declarer 10+ tricks

18 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 2
discards 3 open misr
opponents
19 Solo 6 6+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 0 0 1
exchange
declarer
20 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange
declarer 11+ tricks
21 1 1 2 - - - 1 1 3
turn 3
22 Tringel 9 trumps, 9+ tricks 3 3 6 (c) 9 15 3 5 11
all exchange
opponents
23 Solo 7 7+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 1
exchange
declarer
24 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange
declarer
25 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 2 4
6 takes stock,
discards 6
opponents
26 Solo 8 8+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 1 3
exchange
declarer
27 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange
declarer
28 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 3 5
5 takes stock,
discards 5
opponents
29 Solo 9 9+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 3 5
exchange
Solo petite opponents 12 card
30 1 1 2 - - - 2 - -
misr exchange closed misr

declarer takes
31 Vira 13 tricks 1 1 2 - - - 2 4 8
whole stock
opponents
32 Solo 10 10+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 3 5 11
exchange
Solo grande opponents 13 card
33 1 1 2 - - - 3 - -
opponents
34 Solo 11 11+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 5 11 21
exchange
opponents
Solo petite exchange 12 card
35 1 1 2 - - - 7 - -
misr ouverte before open misr
exposure
opponents
36 Solo 12 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 11 21 43
exchange
opponents
Solo grande exchange 13 card
37 1 1 2 - - - 13 - -
exposure
opponents
38 Solo Vira 13 tricks 1 1 2 - - - 21 43 85
exchange
opponents
Solo petite
exchange 12 card
39 misr ouverte 1 1 2 - - - 27 - -
after open misr
royale
exposure
opponents
exchange
Solo grande
after 13 card
40 misr ouverte 1 1 2 - - - 53 - -
exposure open misr
royale
and may
consult
Notes on the table

(a) A declarer who succeeds in a Turn 8 on the second exchange normally receives 1 bet for taking 8
tricks and 1 extra bet for each trick above 8. Some however play that the declarer gets nothing extra for
overtricks, and some play that the declarer who takes 8 or more tricks wins nothing at all.
(b) A declarer who succeeds in a Vingel 8 on the second exchange normally receives nothing for taking 8
tricks and 1 bet for each trick above 8. However, some play that the declarer who takes 8 or more tricks
wins nothing at all.
(c) A declarer who succeeds in a Tringel 9 on the second exchange normally receives 1 bet for taking 9
tricks and 2 betar for each trick above 9. However, some play that the declarer receives nothing extra for
overtricks and some play that the declarer who takes 9 or more tricks wins nothing at all.

Some comments on passing conventions in Vira

The holdings that are required for passing the bid of gk were introduced because the contract was
regarded as too easy to make. Although this is the only contract to have such a formal requirement there
are also rules of thumb about passing other simple contracts.
The first to pass over a low trump contract such as begr, turn 6, 7-spel or vingel 6 ought preferably to
have three or four stops to pass and the second two or three stops. (A stop is a holding in a suit that is
guaranteed eventually to take a trick if another player leads out the suit from the top down - for example
K-x or Q-x-x). Lacking such strength it is usually better to continue the bidding. Even though you run
some risk of losing your contract the alternative is a much greater probability that someone else will
make his contract.
The large payments in the so-called "gambling contracts" of vingel 8 and tringel 9 mean that it can be
cheaper to go off in a contract oneself than to let someone else bring home a gambling contract. It is
therefore strongly advisable that the first to pass such a contract should have at least three good stops and
the second should have two stops.
In Handbok i Vira (Gran B Nilsson, 1973) the author suggested that these rules of thumb be crystallised
into strict conventions and that they be expanded to cover all the contracts up to gask keeping 5, so that a
pass would be a guarantee to one's eventual partner of certain holdings. The holdings proposed have
proved much too tough. They are difficult to enforce and make the bidding inflexible. However these
passing conventions or modifications of them are used in some circles and players should enquire about
local practice. The original conventions from Handbok i Vira are listed below.
Begr ... Stops in all 4 suits
First: Stops in Preference, 2nd Preference and one Common suit
7-Spel ...
Second: Stops in both Common suits
First: Stops in Preference and Second Preference
8,9-Spel ...
Second: Stops in both Common suits
Turn 6 ... Stops in 3 suits
Turn 7 ... Stops in any two suits
Turn 8 ... Stops in any two suits
Vingel 6 ... Two double stops
First: two double stops
Vingel 7 ...
Second: One double stop and two stops
First: two double stops
Vingel 8 ...
Second: One double stop and one stop
First: Stops in any three suits
Tringel 9 ...
Second: Stops in any two suits
Kpmisr ... A low guard, or two "half low guards"
Solo 6-8 ... Should not be passed
Gask, keeping 0-4 ... A stop and "half a low guard"
Gask, keeping 6,5 ... A stop in one suit

Historical note on the payments

The payments of pinnar in Vira may seem somewhat irregular, but they are derived from a
straightforward system. In the early forms of the game the lowest unit of payment was a so-called pong
(a Swedish spelling of the French word "point"). The payments for a game with Second Preference for
trump were always twice the rate for a Common trump Suit and for Preference they were four times.
During the course of the 19th century the use of the chips changed. The following exchange rate is given
in the Illustrerad spelbok of 1888: one pinne represented 1 point, one round chip 12 points and one bet
48 points. To avoid having too many unnecessary exchanges, bronze one and two re coins were often
used as extra chips for 6 points.
About the turn of the century Vira players began to tire of the points, which were in any case more or less
worthless in comparison with the bet. The pinne was given a value of six points and became the lowest
unit of payment, while the round chips and betar retained their values.
The payments for the contracts were rounded to the nearest number of pinnar. For example the payment
for begr in a Common trump suit (1 point) rounded to 0 pinnar, that in Second Preference (2 points)
also to 0 pinnar and that for Preference (4 points) to 1 pinne.
The original use of the number 48 reflects the fact that before decimalisation in 1855 Sweden reckoned
48 skilling to the Riksdaler, and denominations down to 1/12 skilling were being issued at the beginning
of the nineteenth century.
Note on the evolution of Vira bid-tables

(information from Sten Helmfrid)
Vira evolved from an earlier game "Lomber Boston or improved Exchange-Boston", described in 1809 in
Reglor fr Kort-Spelare, the alterations perhaps being made in the foundry settlement named Vira Bruk
(Vira Works) on the Vira stream. The earliest known bid-table for Vira was published in 1818 in the
book Lyckans Talisman. Solo Vira was the highest bid, just as in the most recent bid-tables, while Vira
was next, greatly overvaluing the difficulty of this contract. Contracts such as gk, vingel, tringel and
gask keeping 0 had not yet seen the light of day. Nor were any kpmisr contracts to be found, but there
were two contracts called little and great misr with exchange, where the player could exchange any
number of cards he chose. This bid-table survived with some minor variations until about 1880, when a
new and greatly revised bid-table began to spread. Gk, vingel 6 and vingel 7 had now begun to be
accepted in most circles, the modern kpmisr contracts were devised and solo grande misr ouverte
royale was placed (somewhat unmathematically) highest in the bid-table. This version must be regarded
as the truly classical bid-table.
At the beginning of the 20th century a new series of contracts was devised: gask keeping 0, turn 8,
vingel 8 and tringel 9, bringing with them the additional novelty that declarer could take more than one
bet from the pot for a single contract. The reformist variations of Vira which included the new contracts
are usually called norrlandsvira as opposed to the more traditional variants.
At the beginning of the 1920s the so-called hasardvira began to spread. A series of contracts of dubious

character was introduced: kvadruppel, pingel, karusell and gk 15, unlimited further exchanges were
introduced and the payments to the pot for all the hazard-bids went sky high. During this period Vira
began to lose ground in favour of bridge, especially contract bridge. After the second world war the
card-makers berg published their booklet"Viraboken: Fullstndiga viraregler" which became a
standardising influence in the following decades. bergsvira is based on norrlandsvira, i.e. the reformist
variations from the beginning of the century. Most of the hazard-bids had been cleaned out, and the
payments for those that were retained were drastically reduced.
Many Vira societies had realised the illogicality of putting solo grande misr ouverte royale above solo
Vira in the bid-table. It is easier to lose all the tricks than to win all the tricks, since winning a trick
requires that one has played the highest card in it, whereas playing either the lowest or the next lowest
card is enough to lose a trick. In the mid 1950s the Falu Vira club therefore arranged to rank solo in
accordance with the statistics of games made which had been being compiled for a long time at Falun
and Sundsvall. Unfortunately they did not make this reform starting from bergsvira, but from an older
table with a less logical ordering of the lower contracts in the bid-table. In the most recent decades the
Falutabell has, along with bergs', been the table most widely used. The Stockholm Vira Society
(Stockholms Wirasllskap)'s new bid-table, which was test-played during 1998 and was accepted at the
annual meeting in January 1999 is a fusing of these two tables.
The new bid table of the Stockholms Wirasllskap

To or from the pool To/from opponents
in units of Betar in units of Pinnar
Stock Game
Name Simple game 2nd exchange Common
exchange objective 2nd
Suits Pref
won lost cod won lost cod Pref.
or Misr
1 Begr all exchange 6+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 0 1
turn 1 trump,
2 Turn 6 6+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 0 1
all exchange
turn 2
4 Vingel 6 trumps, 6+ tricks 1 2 4 0 6 10 0 1 1
all exchange
declarer 7+ tricks or
Gask, keeping
5 discards 13, 11 card 1 1 2 - - - 0 0 1
0
takes stock closed misr
declarer takes 13 card
6 Gk 1 2 4 - - - 0 - -
whole stock open misr
turn 1 trump,
7 Turn 7 7+ tricks 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 1 1
all exchange

declarer
8 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchange
declarer
8+ tricks or
9 12 card 1 1 2 - - - 0 0 1
1 takes stock,
closed misr
discards 1
turn 2
all exchange
turn 1 trump,
12 Turn 8 8+ tricks 2 1 2 0 3 5 1 1 3
all exchange
declarer
13 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchange
declarer 10+ tricks
14 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 1
discards 2 closed misr
opponents
15 Solo 6 6+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 1
exchange
turn 2
all exchange
declarer
17 1 1 2 0 3 5 0 - -
exchange
declarer 10+ tricks
18 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 2
declarer
20 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange

declarer 11+ tricks

21 1 1 2 - - - 1 1 3
turn 3
22 Tringel 9 trumps, 9+ tricks 3 3 6 1 9 15 3 5 11
all exchange
declarer
23 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange
declarer
24 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 2 4
6 takes stock,
discards 6
opponents
25 Solo 7 7+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 0 1 2
exchange
declarer
26 1 1 2 0 3 5 1 - -
exchange
declarer
27 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 3 5
5 takes stock,
discards 5
opponents
28 Solo 8 8+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 1 2 4
exchange
declarer takes
29 Vira 13 tricks 1 1 2 - - - 2 4 8
whole stock
Solo petite opponents 12 card
30 1 1 2 - - - 2 - -
opponents
31 Solo 9 9+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 2 4 8
exchange
Solo grande opponents 13 card
32 1 1 2 - - - 4 - -
opponents
33 Solo 10 10+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 4 8 16
exchange
opponents
Solo petite exchange 12 card
34 1 1 2 - - - 8 - -
exposure

opponents
Solo petite
exchange 12 card
35 misr 1 1 2 - - - 16 - -
after open misr
ouverte royale
exposure
opponents
36 Solo 11 11+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 8 16 32
exchange
opponents
Solo grande exchange 13 card
37 1 1 2 - - - 24 - -
exposure
opponents
Solo grande
exchange 13 card
38 misr 1 1 2 - - - 32 - -
after open misr
ouverte royale
exposure
opponents
39 Solo 12 12+ tricks 1 1 2 - - - 16 32 64
exchange
opponents
40 Solo Vira 13 tricks 1 1 2 - - - 32 64 128
exchange
Some advice on bidding

There are two ways of making profit in vira. Either you win contracts of your own or you force your
opponents to become declarer in contracts that they cannot win. There is no general rule for when to
apply which strategy, but a surprisingly large part of your profits will come from the latter method.
Therefore, the defensive value of your hand is just as important as the offensive value in the bidding.
Here are some basic pieces of advice.
Don't pass too early with weak defensive cards.
Below 7-spel, you should not pass without good passing cards. You should not pass a 7-spel either
without some defensive strength, if you are in a position to hold it because you are forehand or bid
it in colour.
Vingel 6 and gk are rather easy for the declarer to win unless the opponents have strong
defensive cards for a trump game and a misr, respectively. On the other hand, the declarer will be
penalised by two bets to the pot for losing these contracts, and there are no really easy contracts
left that outbid them.
The decision whether to pass or bid over vingel 6 is a difficult balance between your chances to
make your own contract and the risk that the vingel 6 bidder will make his contract if you let him.
Because of the restrictions on passing over gk without low guards, it is cheaper to go off in a
contract of your own than to let the declarer make his contract and at the same time pay a bet as
penalty for not following the convention. Therefore, you should always continue the bidding after
gk when you have weak defensive cards for misr play.
For higher contracts, always keep the defensive value of your hand in mind when you bid, but
don't continue the bidding unless you have at least fairly good cards for a contract of your own.

Beware of passing contracts that are easy to make or have a large payment.
Solo 6 and all other low solo contracts that still can be outbid by gask and kpmisr should be
outbid, if there is some chance to make a contract of your own. The declarer is completely
independent of the talon, and such solo contracts will in general be made easily if left in.
Take the payment for the bid into account when you pass vingel 8 and tringel 9. In general, it is
cheaper to lose a contract of your own than to let someone else make one of these contracts,
particularly if you play one of the versions in which the declarer gets extra betar for overtricks
after a second exchange. For instance, at a table for three, it will cost you 19 pinnar if the declarer
makes tringel 9 in preference (after the first exchange), 13 pinnar in second preference and 11
pinnar in a common suit. This should be compared to the cost of surrendering a gask or kpmisr
yourself, which is only 7 pinnar. Therefore, avoid passing these bids without good defensive cards.
Do pass when you believe that the declarer will not make his contract (unless you have really good
cards for a contract of your own).
This way you make a small but a comparatively safe profit.
When bidding trump games with exchange, bid at the lowest possible level
Games such as begr, 7-, 8- and 9-spel, turn and vingel should always be bid at the lowest legal
level. The extra profit in payment of pinnar is too small to motivate the risk of playing these
contracts at a higher level than necessary. In vingel 8 and tringel 9, on the other hand, the reward is
worthwhile.
Pay attention to the bids of other players
This will help you to evaluate how the cards are distributed around the table and what cards are left
in the talon. Bids such as turn or vingel require strength in many suits and usually imply that there
are weak cards in the talon, and that you can expect little support for trump contracts of your own.
When your opponents bid kpmisr and gask, on the other hand, it is a sign of that they are weak.
You may find that little extra help in the talon that you need for a successful trump contract.
Make bids that give away as little information as possible about your hand.
This is especially important at the start of the bidding when the chance that you will become
declarer is not that large. Begin your bidding with begr if you are forehand, even if you have
cards that are suitable for turn or vingel.
Adapt to the skill level of the other players.
If your opponents are good players, bid carefully; if they are poor players, bid aggressively. Adapt
your evaluation of their bids to their habits. Vingel 6 may mean something completely different
from an optimistic player than from a careful one.
Take the payments of pinnar into account if you are considering bidding vira, gask p 6 or 5 or tringel
9.
A vira that you aim to make in preference can be bid with less good cards than a vira in simple
suits. If the talon is good and the vira succeeds you receive the extra pinnar for preference, but if
you pick up a bad talon you can reduce your loss by announcing a simple suit and surrendering.

Some comments on the offensive value of a hand

Trump games
A general rule of thumb says that for trump games with exchange from the stock, which are the
most frequently bid contracts, you have a good chance of winning at the 6- or 7-trick level if your
original hand is not more than three "safe" tricks short of the number you require. At the 8- or
9-trick level, you usually exchange fewer cards with the talon and your original hand should be
only two tricks short. As "safe" tricks, you can count winning trump cards, aces, and kings
accompanied by the ace of the same suit. Subtract one trick each if you don't have the ace, king,
queen or jack of your intended trump suit. According this rule of thumb, you need three safe tricks
in your original hand for begr, four for 7-spel, six for 8-spel and seven for 9-spel.
Turn, Vingel, Tringel
If you are going to play turn, you need at least three or four potential trump suits to keep the risk
in the selection of trumps at a reasonable level. You should have the minimum number of safe
tricks no matter which one of these suits is turned as trumps. In vingel 6 or 7, you need two or
three possible trump suits, and in vingel 8 two of them. In tringel 9 you need either two strong
suits, in which case no competent player will ever pass your bid, or one strong suit, which is really
risky. This is truly a gambling contract!
Notice that although vingel is easier to win than turn for the same number of tricks, vingel ranks
higher in the bidding because you incur a larger penalty if you lose.
Gask
In gask, you need at least the number of top cards corresponding to the level of the gask. For
instance, the best hand for bidding gask keeping 3 is ace, king, and queen in one suit. However,
remember that there is really no good hand for gask unless you believe that you will get help from
the talon. It is difficult to bid gask with the intention of playing it in misr, but it could sometimes
happen if you want to outbid a trump bid or if your opponents don't have the strength to pass misr
bids such as gk. You should in that case have twos and cards in suit from the 2.
Vira
Typical hands for a bid of vira would be two good five-card suits to the A-K-Q, or a single
six-card suit to the A-K-Q-J with three other aces. However, as in gask contracts, the strength
required strongly depends on the expected support from the talon. Don't expect to find your
missing aces in the talon. If you have a long suit headed by a king, the chance is only one out of
three that the ace will be in the talon.
Gk
To bid gk with a good prospect of winning, you need two 2's in your original hand, and at least
two more low cards (3's, 4's, 5's or 6's) in each of these suits. Note, however, that 2-5-6 is not a
solid basis for a suit, as the whole lowguard 3-4 is missing. Don't expect to find missing twos in
the talon.
Kpmisr
Kpmisr can be bid offensively at the level 1, 2 and perhaps also 3 if you have really good cards
for misr play (except for the cards that you want to exchange). One bad card from the talon may
be enough to ruin your hand! The higher kpmisr contracts are mostly bid when you have bad

defensive cards for a trump contract and at least reasonably good cards for misr play, except for
the cards that you intend to exchange.
Some comments on the defensive value of a hand

The defensive value of your hand against a trump contract first and foremost depends on the number of
stops. A stop is a card which will eventually take a trick if another player repeatedly leads the suit from
the top down - for example an ace, a king and one other card, or a queen and two other cards. A stop in
the trump suit may make it possible for one or both defenders to win some important tricks before the
declarer has finished drawing trumps. A strong trump holding by itself will usually not be enough for the
declarer to win, he needs additional tricks in side suits. It is primarily aces and kings that will win tricks
for the declarer in these suits; cards of lower ranks will be beaten by higher ones if the opponents are
playing their cards correctly. A good defensive hand against a low level trump contract should contain at
least one or a few aces and kings. Finally, it is important to at least have some length in suits where
strength is lacking. If you have a singleton or void suit, you take a big risk that the declarer will find lots
of cards of this suit in the talon when he exchanges, and your partner's stop in the suit might not be
enough to beat the contract. A hand with more than one short suit (less than two cards) must be regarded
as defensively weak, even if its long suits have significant strength.
You always need stronger cards if you are the first player to pass than if you are second. As soon as one
player has indicated strength with a pass, the other players will usually lose all incentive to continue the
bidding and make compromises when they pass.
For begr and vingel 6, you should have three or four strong stops to have a fair chance to beat the
declarer. In 7-spel and turn 6, you need about three to four stops if you are first to pass and two to three
stops if you are second.
It is hard to give rules of thumb for higher contracts. In some sense, you need less strength than in lower
contracts, but it is not so easy as to say that you need one stop less for each extra trick that the declarer
has to make. The bidding has provided you with more information about your opponents' strength and
about the talon, and you must take this into account. If a careful and miserly player outbids your turn 7
with 8-spel, and you have three stops and a singleton on your hand, you may have reason to believe that
the latter player has a significant strength in your short suit, and that he has a fair chance to win his
contract in spite of the formal defensive strength of your hand. If the other player bids 8-spel after gk,
you may evaluate the risk of your singleton quite differently.
To pass bids such as vingel 8 and tringel 9 you typically need three stops in first hand and two stops in
second hand. Watch out for voids and singletons - the declarer will have a good chance of finding these
suits among the turned cards. If the declarer gets an extra bonus for overtricks after a second exchange,
you may need even stronger cards to pass.
The only misr contract that is really simple to win is gk, for which there are formal requirements to
pass. The kpmisr contracts are difficult to win, and although it is good to have a lowguard when you
pass, or at least some low cards in different suits, players with poor passing cards rarely take any great
risks to outbid them.
Gask contracts are intrinsically risky, as the declarer depends on the entire unknown talon. Quite often,
these bids are used to outbid other contracts, such as solo 6, vingel 8 and tringel 9. They are usually

passed also with poor cards, unless there are offensive possibilities.
Some advice on exchanging cards

For trump games in which the declarer exchanges some cards, there is an important rule of thumb that is
used in almost all vira societies: the first defender to exchange takes all remaining cards if he either has
at least three trumps or can complete a stop or a double stop in trumps with any low trump card. He
should, for example, exchange if he has a singleton king of trumps, or Q-x, K-Q, K-J, or A-J of trumps.
Otherwise, he takes no cards and lets his partner exchange. In contracts on the six trick level, the
defenders may share the talon to try to create void suits. This is often very useful in cases when the
declarer plays with short trumps and tries to make the contract with help of aces and kings in side suits.
In solo trump contracts all 13 talon cards are available to the defenders and it will always be best to share
them. If the first player decides that his hand will benefit more from any trumps in the talon, he takes as
many cards as possible without significantly weakening his hand. If he believes that the trumps will be
more useful in his partner's hand, he exchanges five cards and leaves eight for his partner.
In misr contracts, the defenders usually share the talon. The first defender may sometimes take less than
half of the talon to create void suits, but should never take more than half as his partner may have an
urgent need to improve his hand.
Some advice on the play of the cards

In trump contracts, the defenders should first and foremost avoid letting the declarer win tricks with
kings and queens in short suits. For instance, if the declarer is sitting with K-x and has to play from the
suit himself, he will in general not be able to make a trick with the king. If the ace is sitting to the left of
him, he will also lose both tricks in the suit if it is led by the defender to his right. Therefore, when
leading through the declarer, lead a middle high card from your weakest suit. If you get the lead again
later, try other suits as well, but avoid suits headed by the ace and lacking the king or suits headed by the
king and lacking the queen. If you have to lead up to the declarer, play from your strongest suit; lead the
top card if it is headed by a sequence; otherwise lead the second or third highest card. If you have to lead
from a suit in which you have the ace but not the king, always start with the ace - otherwise the declarer
may win a trick with a singleton king. If it turns out during play that the declarer has a void suit, this is an
excellent suit to play when leading up to the declarer.
If the defenders let the declarer win a trick with a card that could never win a trick if the declarer had to
lead the cards of that suit himself, the defenders are in Swedish said to have given him a favr.
It is to the defenders' advantage if the declarer has to play second to a trick. The first player can then
choose the suit to lead and the third player is in a good position to beat the declarer's cards. When the
declarer leads to a trick, the defender to the left of the declarer should generally play low, and the
defender to the right of the declarer should normally win the trick, overtaking the other defender's card
when necessary, so as to put the declarer in second position for the next trick.
If the defenders shared the talon, the first defender may try to find his partner's void (or short) suit by
leading from his longest suit. This is especially advantageous when the declarer is playing second to the

trick.
If the declarer is playing the contract vira and one of the defenders has the lead to the first trick, he
should always start with an ace if possible. The declarer will most likely play a trump, otherwise the
contract is immediately lost. In this way, the partner that plays second or third to the trick will know that
the declarer is void in this suit. The defenders now only have to keep cards in the other two side suits. If
the declarer is playing gask p 6 or gask p 5, defenders should always lead ace from A-K, but otherwise
be careful about leading aces. If the delarer is sitting with K-x, he may get exactly the "favr" he is
waiting for.
In misr contracts, the defender to the right of the declarer should try to take the lead, so that the declarer
plays second to the tricks. For this reason, the defender to the left should avoid playing his highest card
in the suit led when playing second to a trick, but rather play middle high cards that his partner can
overtake. When the defender to the right leads, he should play from long suits with low cards in the
bottom, in which his partner is likely to be short or void. He should lead the lowest cards first. Be wary
suits that have very good misr cards, like 2-3-4 etc. in the bottom. The declarer is probably void in such
suits. If the defender to declarer's right has a single low card in a suit, he should try to lead it before the
suit is opened by his partner. If the suit is opened by the partner instead, the defenders will either have to
waste two low cards in the trick to force out one low card from the declarer or, if a high card is led, they
will not be able to force out any low card from the declarer.
Card signalling during the play

It is useful for the two opponents of the declarer to exchange information about their card holdings.
When playing against a trump contract this can be achieved by a simple system of discard signals. The
most commonly used system is called gren and originates from the 'Handbok i vira'. In trump games,
each opponent of the declarer may use the first two tricks in which he is not able to follow suit to signal
strength or weakness in other suits. Discarding a high card followed by a low card shows strength. If the
cards are of the same suit, it shows strength only in this suit, if they are of different suits, they show
strength in both suits. Discarding a low card followed by a higher one shows weakness in the suit(s)
discarded in a similar manner. These discards do not necessarily promise anything about the other suits,
but your partner will often assume that if you indicated weakness in one or two suits you are strong in the
others (and vice versa).
The gren system is mostly used in contracts like vira, gask p 6 and gask p 5, where the declarer has to
take 12 or 13 tricks. In these contracts the declarer often begins by playing trumps. The opponents signal
to each other as soon as they run out of trumps in order to know which are the correct suits to have a
chance of defeating the contract by winning tricks at the end. In lower contracts, the opponents will be
able to show their strengths and weaknesses in other ways by their tactical behaviour. However, there are
occasions where discard signals can also be useful in lower contracts.

Rules of Card Games: Vorms
Vorms / Voormsi
This page is based on an article contributed by Anthony Smith.
1. Introduction
2. The Objective
3. The Cards and their Ranking
4. The Players
5. The Deal
6. The Lead
7. The Score
8. The 3-Player Game
10. Sources for Vorms
11. Some Greenlandic Vocabulary
12. Related Games
13. Sources for Related Games
1. Introduction
Vorms or Voormsi is the national game of Greenland. It is said (10.d) to be much played on the coastal
ferry. It is a trick-taking game for four players, with versions for three and for two. There are many local
variations.
A Danish-Greenlandic dictionary (recent, but before the implementation of the Greenlandic
spelling-reform of 1973) equates both "brus" and "vorms" in Danish to "vrmse" in Greenlandic. In
(10.b) it is spelled "Wumps". The initial consonant is pronounced like an English "w" (10.b). The word
"vrmse" (spelled "voormsi" since 1973) is not of Greenlandic origin. Neither have I found any other
reference to any Danish word "vorms".
The game is reputed to be ancient. Some Greenlanders have speculated that it may date from the Whaling
Period, the period between the late 15th century disappearance of the Norse Settlement and the early 18th
century arrival of Danish missionaries, when the only contacts with Europeans were with pirates and
whalers.
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2. The Objective
The objective in Vorms is to gain points by winning tricks and by either bringing certain high cards home
or preventing the opponents from doing so.
3. The Cards and their Ranking

A 36-card pack is used, consisting of A, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 in each of the four suits, clubs, spades,
hearts and diamonds, except that the King of Diamonds is nowadays replaced by the 3. But the cards do
not rank in the standard order.
The highest two cards, equal in rank, are the Jack of Clubs, called Toqutsit (Greenlandic for "your
executioner", literally "he who kills (you)" ) or Toqu (Greenlandic for "death") and the King of
Hearts, called Voormsi (not a native Greenlandic word). These are pronounced approximately as if
spelled "dogutsit" and "woormsi" in English. If both of these cards are played to the same trick, the
second to be played beats the first.
The third highest card is the Eight of Spades.
Next after the 8 come, in descending order, the Nines, the Aces, the remaining Jacks, the Sixes,
Fives, the remaining Eights, the Queens and the remaining Kings (lowest). Within each
denomination the cards rank Club (high), Spade, Heart, Diamond (low).
The 3 of Diamonds is worthless if led and anything beats it, but is unbeatable when it is added to a
trick. It beats even Sevens and Sevens headed by black kings.
The Sevens are worthless unless led (or played as second card when the 3 of Diamonds has been
led), but can then be beaten only by a Seven in a higher suit, or by the 3, or by the King of
Clubs, which has the special power of beating all Sevens but is otherwise the second lowest card.
Cards (other than 3) played between the Seven and the King of Clubs do not prevent the King of
Clubs heading the trick.
If a Seven is led and has been beaten by the King of Clubs, then the King of Clubs can in turn be
beaten by the King of Spades, provided that the K is played directly on the K, with no
intervening plays. In other circumstances the K is the very lowest card; it has no direct power
over Sevens and the K beats it.
4. The Players
Normally four play, as partners sitting opposite one another, and nine tricks are played. Alternatively
three can play, each on his or her own behalf, and twelve tricks are played. The two handed variant is
described separately

5. The Deal
The player cutting lowest deals 4 cards to each. {Variant - according to (10.b) all the cards are dealt out.
This variation is unknown to my correspondent in (10.c), but was true in the former Polish variant in
reference (13.i)}
6. The Play
The dealer's left neighbour leads first, and subsequently the winner of each trick leads to the next.
A lead may consist of a single card or of a pair or three or four of the same rank. The other players in
turn play the same number of cards. There is no obligation to head the trick when able to, except that if
an opponent's Voormsi is heading the trick a player holding Toqutsit must play it. A pair, triple or four
can only be beaten by two, three or four cards, not necessarily of the same rank, which beat all those led,
and counts as two, three or four tricks respectively. Sets of any rank, even Sevens or Kings, can be led.
After each trick the hands are replenished to four, so long as the stock lasts, the winner of the trick
drawing first.
7. The Score
A line with cross-strokes is drawn. Each partnership has one arm of each cross-stroke. Points scored are
recorded by erasing or otherwise ticking off strokes and the first side to erase all its strokes has won the
rubber. Nine strokes are played in the four-player game and the two-player game, 12 in the three-hander.
Points are scored for winning tricks, and sometimes the trick to which the Voormsi ( K) is played
brings extra points to the winners.
Scoring for tricks

1. Normally the team which takes five or more tricks scores one point for their first five tricks, and
one for each additional trick.
2. In the two- and four-player games, a team which wins the first five tricks scores an additional
point for this.
3. However, if one team wins all nine tricks, the whole hand is nullified, and no one scores any
points.
Scoring for the Voormsi

1. Voormsi may be played to any trick. A team which wins a trick with the Voormsi scores one point
for this, if there was a possibility (from the point of view of the person who played the Voormsi)
that it could have been beaten by the Toqutsit. The point for winning a trick with the Voormsi is
therefore not scored:

if the Voormsi is the last card played to the trick;

if the Toqusit has already been played to a previous trick;
if the player of the Voormsi holds the Toqutsit as well.
A player who claims a point for winning a trick with the Voormsi must, if asked to do so, quickly
show their cards to prove they do not hold the Toqutsit.
2. If the Voormsi was winning a trick but is beaten by an opponent's Toqutsit which then wins the
trick, the team which played the Toqutsit scores two points. This score does not apply if the
Voormsi was not winning the trick when the Toqutsit was played. For example if an opponent
discards the Voormsi on a double trick, which you win with the Toqutsit and the 3, you do not
score the two point bonus.
3. If the Voormsi was winning the trick but is beating by partner's Toqutsit (or by the same player's
Toqutsit in the two-player game), the team that played the Voormsi and Toqutsit lose all their
points and the game.
4. Beating the Voormsi when it was heading the trick with you 3 of Diamonds gains you one point,
irrespective of whether the Voormsi was your partner's or an opponent's.
5. Using your 3 to beat a Toqutsit which has just beaten a winning Voormsi gains you 2 points,
and the bonus for executing the Voormsi with Toqutsit is cancelled.
6. Note that there is no bonus if the 3 of Diamonds beats Toqutsit unless theToqutsit has beaten the
Voormsi.
The Endgame
1. It is possible for play to end in the middle of a hand if one team has enough points to win.
However, play cannot cease and no points can be scored during the hand until the scoring side
loses a trick. For example if your team has 4 points and you win the first 8 tricks, you have not
won yet. If you succeed in losing the ninth trick you can score your 5 points (1 for five tricks plus
1 for first five plus 3 for three tricks extra) and win the game; if you win the ninth trick the hand is
annulled and your acore remains at 5.
2. A team that scores too many points, taking their score beyond 9, goes bust and is set back from the
target by the number of overshoot points. As explained above, points are scored at the moment
when the scoring team loses a trick (or at the end of a hand). Thus it is possible to go forward and
backward several times during a hand. For example, you start with 7 points, and win the first five
tricks, winning one of the tricks with the Voormsi. The opponents win the sixth trick. At this
moment you score 3 (five tricks plus first five plus Voormsi) taking your score up to 9 and back to
8. You then win the last three tricks. As you already had five tricks, each of these last three tricks
is worth an extra point, so your score goes up to 9 and then bounces back to 7.

As there are now 12 tricks to be played, the scoring goes up to 12. The other details are as for the
4-hander.


This is played to nine points, but differs from the 4-hander in that
a) All my sources agree that only four cards each are dealt out initially and the hands are
replenished during play.
b) Each trick contains a multiple of four cards, because each player contributes twice to each trick.
[Perhaps this represents each player's own play and that of an imaginary partner.] The leads can be
a single card, a pair, a triple or all four of a kind, just as in the 4-player version. After both have
played once the hands are replenished if possible, the person who is currently heading the trick
drawing first and then playing third to the "trick". The best of all four cards (or combinations) wins
the trick.
10. Sources for Vorms

a. Correspondence in 1995 between myself and an Archivist at the Greenland National Museum.
Unfortunately she is not herself a player.
b. Notes taken in 1989 by Matthew MacFadyen of a description obtained by a Swede from a
Greenlandish player. Unfortunately Matthew did not witness a game.
c. Correspondence in 1996/7 between myself and Lars Petersen of KN-RTV.
d. Correspondence in 1995 between myself and Professor Petersen of Greenland University.
Unfortunately he is not himself a player.
11. Some Greenlandic Vocabulary

The Greenlandic language is closely related to Labrador Eskimo but has taken many of its card playing
terms from Danish. Danish influence on the Greenlandic language began with 18th century missionaries.
One word may be of Dutch origin, from Dutch whalers perhaps.
essi Ace
kunngi King
arnaq (lady)
Queen
atequtilik (skirt-wearer)
kinitsi
Jack
knaegti
kulooq Clubs
sipaaq Spades
hjerteri Hearts

ruderi Diamonds
aalaterpai (he) shuffles
nallukattat
cards
inukkat
nallukattaq (ataaseq) (one) card
pinnattaaq (that which is newly got) trick
nerfala (that which is turned)
trump
tuluffi
tolufve, torufve (pre-1973 spellings) trump (cf Dutch troef)
Vocabulary sources:
(i) The dictionaries Oqaatsit, 1990, ISBN 87-558-0520-5 and Den Groenlands Ordbog, 1926, by
Schultz-Lorentzen.
(ii) Correspondence in 1996/7 between myself and Lars Petersen of KN-RTV.
12. Related Games

Related games are or have been played in several Baltic and Nordic countries:-
Sweden:
A related game called Brus is currently played on the Swedish island of Gothland.
Iceland:
Related games called Alkort and Treikort were played in Iceland until at least the late 19th
century. They continue to be described in Icelandic game-books.
Denmark:
A related former Danish game, also called Brus, is clearly described in several manuals, 13(e)-(h).
It continues to be described, and ascribed to Jutland, in both Danish and Finnish game-books.
Poland:
A former Polish game Drubart is vaguely described in the two manuals (13.h) and (13.i).
The Estonian Isles:
Swedish-speakers had settled what are now the Estonian islands in the thirteenth century and their
descendants remained there until 1944 when they fled from the approaching shoot-out between the
forces of Hitler and Stalin. This community was described in (13.m).
Nine card games are mentioned on page 115, one of which is Brus. Locations are given for the
games, and for Brus the location is "Worms", the German name of the island spelled Vormsi on
modern Estonian maps. The name of this island is extremely close to the name used in present-day
Greenland for the game, but as I can suggest no mechanism by which the name of the Estonian
island can become the name of a high card in the Greenlandic game I fear this is merely a beautiful
coincidence.

Livonia:
The multi-volume dictionary "Ordbog over det Danske Sprog", ed. Dahlerup, traces the word brus
to "Brusbart", "man with curly beard", and reference (13.k) says on page 34 that in the mid 18th
century "Brusbart" was one of the three favourite games of the middle classes in Riga [who at that
time were largely German-speakers] and cites an early 19th century poem "Die Oberpahlensche
Freundschaft" (recte "Die Oberpahl'sche Freundschaft", by J J Malm) in which Brusbart is named
as being played by both German speakers and Estonian speakers. On page 43 we are told the game
survived into the beginning of the 19th century but was unfashionable by 1879. On page 44 the
author says the game was undoubtedly of German rather than Russian origin. But an editor of
Malm's poem comments that it is a Swedish game. No details of the mode of play are given.
Russia:
I have not myself seen reference (13.l), but I am told that "Bruzbard" is listed among the games of
non-Russian origin played in Russia. An alternative Russian name "Dulya" is given, but no details
of the mode of play.
More distant relatives include the Faroese Strivolt in which the rearrangement of the ranking is confined
to two "trump" suits and the modern Swiss Kaiserspiel and its ancestors in which it is confined to a single
"trump" suit.
13. Sources for Related Games

e. "Spillebog for Boern", anonymous, 1853, Copenhagen, pp21-23.
f. "Reglerne for 52 gamle Spil", 'Per David', pseudonym of Sv. Frederiksen, 1920, Copenhagen, pp19-24
g. "Spillefuglen", ed. Herman Dedichen, 1952, Copenhagen, pp121-123 of 1995 edition.
h. "Korttipelit ja Pasianssit", ed. Ilmo Kurki-Suonio, 1973, Helsinki, pp19-20; p-89 of 1982 edition. This
appears to be a straight translation of source (13.g) into Finnish.
i. "Gry i zabawy rnych stanw w kraju caym lub w niektrych tylko prowincjach", ukasz
Gombiowski, 1831, Warsaw, pp45-46
j. "Gry w Karty", 'Stary Gracz', pseudonym of Stanisaw Kozietulski, 2nd, corrected, edition 1893,
Warsaw, pp23-25
k. "Die Kartenspiele des estnischen Landvolkes in Livland", F. Amelung, pp33-48 of "Sitzungsberichte
der gelehrte Estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat", 1879, Dorpat [now Tartu, in Estonia]
l. "Opisanie kartezhnykh igor s pokazaniem pravil, pomoshchiyu kotorykh vsyakoy sam soboyu i bes
utichela vo vse v Rossii upotreblyaemyya kartezhnyya igry mozhet nautichisya igra pravino i ikusno",
G Komov, 1779, St Petersburg
m. "Eibovolke, oder die Schweden an den Ksten Esthlands und auf Run", C. Russwurm, 1855, Reval
(now called Tallinn).
(c) Anthony Smith 26 April 1998



Rules of Card Games: Watten
Watten
Introduction
Outline of the game
Bavarian Watten
Players and cards
Dealing and choosing trumps
The play
Betting and scoring
Variations
Bavarian Watten for two or three players
Tyrolean Watten
Vierer-Watten - The players and the deal
Choosing trumps
The play
Betting and scoring
Signals
Variations
Kritisch-Watten
Blind-Watten
Other Watten web pages
Introduction
Watten is a sociable card game that is widely played in various versions in an area extending across the
Alps from Bavaria in Southern Germany through the Austrian Tyrol to the South Tyrol. The basic
version of the game is for four players in partnerships, but it can also be played by two or three. Watten
is traditionally played with German suited cards, with suits of acorns, leaves, hearts and bells. In Bavaria
a 32 card pack is used, the cards in each suit being the ace (As or Sau), king (Knig), over (Ober), under
(Unter), 10, 9, 8, 7. In the Tyrolean versions it is usual to include a 33rd card, the six of bells, which is
known as the WELI. In Austrian and Italian packs the card is marked WELI and is decorated with some
extra suit-marks of other suits, to suggest its wild status in this and some other Tyrolean games.
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Outline of the game

Each player is dealt five cards (the remainder are unused) and these are played out in tricks. In most
cases there is no requirement to follow suit. The team (or player) that takes the majority of the tricks
(three or more) wins two points. During the play, a team can propose to increase the number of points at
stake, at which point the other team must either accept the higher stake or concede.
In each hand there is a trump suit, chosen by the dealer, and a trump rank (Schlag) chosen by the other
team. Cards of the trump suit can be used to beat non-trump cards, and trump rank cards beat the other
cards of the trump suit, with the card of the trump suit and rank (the Rechte or Hauptschlag) being the
best of these. In most versions of Watten there are also some permanent trumps called Kritische, which
are the highest cards, beating even the Rechte.
Bavarian Watten
The four-handed version of this game will be explained first. The modifications for two or three players
are described later.
Players and cards
There are four players, partners sitting opposite.

A 32-card German suited pack (Bavarian
pattern) is used. Three of the cards are called
Kritische; they are permanent trumps, and are
always the highest cards whatever other trumps
are chosen. These are:
1. Maxi - the king of hearts - the highest
trump
2. Belli - the seven of bells - second highest
3. Spritzer or Soacha - the seven of acorns
- third highest Maxi Belli Spritzer
In each hand a trump rank (Schlag) and trump suit are chosen. The fourth highest trump is the
Hauptschlag - the card belonging to both the trump suit and the trump rank. Then come the other three
Schlge of the same rank, which are also known as Blinde (blind cards), which are all equal in value; if
two or more Blinde are played to the same trick, the first played beats the others. Below the Blinde come
the remaining cards of the trump suit in descending order: ace, king, over, under, 10, 9, 8, 7 (omitting any
card that is a Kritisch or Schlag). The cards in the non-trump suits also rank from high to low: A, K, O,
U, 10, 9, 8, 7 omitting the Schlag rank and any Kritische.
Examples of trumps:
1. If the Schlag is 10, and trump suit is hearts, the trumps rank from high to low:
Maxi (heart K), Belli (bell 7), Spritzer (acorn 7), heart 10, the other three tens (equal), heart ace,

over, under, 9, 8, 7.
2. If the Schlag is 7 and the trump suit is acorns, the trump ranking is:
Maxi (heart K), Belli (bell 7), Spritzer (acorn 7), sevens of hearts and leaves (equal), acorn ace,
king, over, under, 10, 9, 8.
Note that in this case there is no Hauptschlag, since the Spritzer is already a Kritisch, and only one
Blinde.
Dealing and choosing trumps

The game is played clockwise, and the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand. At the start of each
hand the dealer shuffles the cards and the player to dealer's right cuts. The cut card (the one which would
become the bottom card of the pack) is shown to the players. If it is one of the three Kritische, the cutter
may take it. If the card thereby revealed is a second Kritisch, the dealer may take it, and if this in turn
reveals the third Kritisch the cutter may take that.
The dealer now deals five cards to each player - normally a packet of three cards to each, followed by a
packet of two cards each. If the cutter and possibly the dealer has already taken a Kritisch, they are given
correspondingly fewer cards in the first round of the deal, so that after the deal everyone has a hand of
five cards.
The dealer and the player to dealer's left (who is called forehand) pick up and look at their cards.
Forehand chooses what rank (ace, king, over, under, 10, 9, 8 or 7) should be the Schlag and announces it.
Then the dealer chooses and announces the trump suit. Only after the Schlag and suit have been
announced are the other two players (the dealer's partner and the cutter) permitted to pick up and look at
their cards.
The play
The cards are played out in tricks, a trick consisting of one card played by each player in turn. Forehand
leads to the first trick. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trump by the
highest card played of the suit that was led. If the highest cards in a trick are two or more Blinde, the one
that was played earliest wins the trick. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
There is generally no requirement to follow suit - any card can be played to any trick. The only exception
occurs when the Hauptschlag is led to the first trick. In that case the player leading the Hauptschlag calls
"Trumpf oder Kritisch" and the other players are obliged to play a trump (i.e. a Kritsch, a Blinde or a
card of the trump suit) if they have any. This obligation continues until someone beats the Hauptschlag
with a Kritisch, or if that does not happen, until the end of the trick. So for example if the second player
beats the Hauptschlag with the Spritzer, the third and fourth players can play whatever cards they want.
But if the second player does not play a Kritisch but a lower trump, the third player is obliged to play a
trump, and if this is also not a Kritisch, the fourth player must also play a trump. There is no obligation to
beat the Hauptschalag with the Kritisch if you also have a Blinde or a lower trump - in that case you can
play the lower trump if you wish.
Note that if the choice of Schlag and suit is such that there is no Hauptschlag (e.g. kings and hearts), then
there is no possibility to call for "Trumpf oder Kritisch" on that deal.

The object of the play is to win three tricks. After a team has achieved this there is no need to continue
the play. Any remaining cards are thrown in and the hand is scored.
Betting and scoring

If there is no betting, the team that wins three tricks scores 2 points. The first team that achieves a
cumulative score of 11 or more points wins the game.
At any time after the Schlag rank and trump suit have been announced, a team may bet. This is indicated
by a member of the betting team saying "gehen!" (i.e. "go!"). This is a proposal to increase the number of
points at stake from 2 to 3. The play pauses while the opposing team decide whether to give up or to
accept the increased stake.
If the opponents elect to give up (to go), the play ends, the remaining cards are thrown in (face
down) and the betting side scores 2 points.
If the opponents refuse to give up - saying "schauen!" (see) - the play continues but the winning
team will now score three points.
A team that has accepted a bet to increase the stake can in their turn - either immediately or at any later
point - freeze the play again by proposing to increase the stake to four points, saying "vier!". The other
team must now decide whether to surrender, allowing the betting team to score three points without
further play, or to continue playing for a four point stake.
There can be further bets "fnf!", "sechs!" and so on, the only restriction being that the teams bet
alternately. A team that has already bet cannot bet again until the other team has bet.
Note that a bet freezes the play until the other team responds. This can often happen in the middle of a
trick. If the opponents of the betting team continue by playing the next card without responding to the
bet, this is considered equivalent to "seeing" the bet, and play continues for the increased stake.
A team that has 9 or 10 points is gespannt ("tight") and is not allowed to bet (though they are of course
allowed to accept or see a bet made by the other team). If you are gespannt, there is in fact no point in
betting, since the normal two points will already be sufificient for you to win the game if you take three
tricks. If the other team have 8 points or fewer, they will always bet against the team that is gespannt,
having nothing to lose by increasing the stake.
The score is recorded on a piece of paper or a beer mat, and when a team wins by achieving 11 points or
more, the losers buy the drinks or pay a small fixed stake, as agreed in advance of the game.
Signals
After the Schlag and trump suit have been chosen, talking and discussion of tactics between partners are
allowed. Partners are also permitted to signal what high cards they hold by a system of signals. The
details vary somewhat, but a common system is:
Maxi . . . Form lips into a kiss
Belli . . . Wink with right eye
Spritzer . . . Wink with left eye

Hauptschlag . . . Wrinkle the nose

Blinde . . . Briefly extend some fingers to show number of Blinde held
Trumps . . . Tap with middle finger to indicate number of trumps held
Variations
The target score
Many people play to a target score of 15 rather than 11. In that case a team with 13 or 14 points is
gespannt and cannot bet. Some play that a team that has 12 points is already gespannt and thus
prohibited from betting.
The machine
A holding of all three Kritische is called a "machine" (Maschine), and a team that has this can of
course be sure of winning all three tricks. In order to win more points, they would normally
pretend at the start to have relatively weak hands to tempt the opponents to bet or at least to accept
a bet. Some play that such tactics are not allowed when a single player holds a machine - i.e. all
three Kritische. The holder of the machine is forced to declare it at the start, and the player's team
simply scores two points without play.
Bavarian Watten for two or three players

The two-player game is essentially no different from the four-player game. Five cards each are dealt, the
non-dealer chooses the Schlag, the dealer chooses trumps and the cards are played, with the possibility of
betting at any stage as usual.
In the three-player game, forehand (the player to dealer's left) chooses both the Schlag and the trump
suit and plays alone. The other two players play as a team. If the team wins both players score the
relevant number of points. A separate total is kept for each player and the game is to 11 or 15 points as
usual.
Tyrolean Watten
There are several small but siginificant differences between Tyrolean and Bavarian
Watten. The most immediately obvious is the cards. In the Austrian Tyrol Watten is
most often played with cards of the German suited William Tell pattern, in which the
aces depict seasons of the year. In the South Tyrol and in Vorarlberg it is more usual
to use the single-ended "Salzburg" pattern. In either case, a thirty-third card is added
to the pack - the WELI - which is a modified six of bells, used as an extra trump.
In the Tyrol, Watten is often played without Kritischen, so that the card which
belongs to both the Schlag rank and the trump suit, which in Austria is called "der
Rechte", is the highest trump. There are also differences in the play, in that when the
Rechte or any card of trump suit is led everyone must play a trump if they can

Vierer-Watten: the players and the deal

This is the normal Austrian game for four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each
other. The first deal is decided between two opponents who each cut the cards - whoever cuts the higher
card has the slight advantage of dealing first. The player to dealer's right cuts but does not take or show
the cut card. The dealer deals clockwise - a batch of three cards to each player, followed by a batch of
two cards each. So each player has 5 cards are there is a stock of 13 cards that is not used in the game.
Choosing trumps
The dealer and forehand look at their five cards. Forehand chooses and announces the Schlag, which can
be any rank from ace down to six; then the dealer chooses and announces the trump suit. After that the
other two players may also pick up their cards and look at them.
The Schlag of the trump suit is the highest card, called "der Rechte" (the right). Then come the other
three cards of the same rank - "die Linken" (the lefts). The lefts are all equal; if more than one left is
played to a trick, the first played beats the others. Below the lefts come the remaining cards of the trump
suit, in descending order ace, king, over, under, 10, 9, 8, 7. Finally, the lowest trump is the WELI, which
is always a trump no matter what suit is chosen.
It is possible to choose six as the Schlag, in which case the WELI will be the only Schlag, and there are
no "Linken". There are then only 9 trumps - the WELI and the eight cards of the chosen suit - instead of
the usual 12.
If forehand has unsuitable cards to choose a Schlag - for example small cards of five different ranks not
including the WELI - forehand can ask the dealer for "schneres" (better cards). If the dealer agrees, both
discard their five cards face down and the dealer deals a new five-hard hand to each from the remaining
stock. Dealer is entitled to refuse the request, in which case all play with their original cards. It will
sometimes happen that forehand will ask for "schneres" with a strong hand, hoping that dealer will
refuse and wrongly assume that forehand has bad cards.
The play
Forehand, the player to dealer's left, leads to the first trick. A trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if
it contains no trumps by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next. In
Tyrolean Watten, when the Rechte, the WELI, or any card of the chosen trump suit is led, all the other
players must follow with a trump. This can be any Schlag or trump or the WELI - there is no obligation
to beat the led card. If a Linke (one of the three equal Schlag cards) is led, the other players do not have
to follow suit but may play any card they wish. As usual, if a non-trump is led there is no need to follow
suit; any card can be played.
Betting and scoring

The game is won by the first team to reach 15 or more points. In each hand, if there is no betting, the
team that takes three tricks scores two points.
Betting works the same way as in the Bavarian game. At any time after the Schlag and trump suit have

been announced, any player can bet on behalf of their team, saying "Gehen!". The other team must
choose whether to give up (go) for 2 points or continue playing for 3. If they decide to go on they can
later try to increase the stake to 4, and if the original bettors accept this they can later try to increase the
stake to 5, and so on, up to the number of points needed to win the game.
There is a special rule in Tyrolean Watten about betting during the last trick. This rule only applies if
there has been no betting up to this point, and the teams have two tricks each. If you then wish to bet
after the first card has been played to the last trick, you are only allowed to do so if your last card is
either the same suit as the card led to the trick, or is a trump or Schlag (left or right).
Some play that it is possible to bluff in this situation, betting without a card of the right suit or a trump or
Schlag. If you play this way, then the opponents have four possible reponses to a first bet during the last
trick:
1. To give up, or "go", giving the betting side 2 points.
2. To hold or see the bet, playing out the last trick with the winners scoring 3 points.
3. To hold and bet in their turn, proposing that the winners of the last trick should score 4 points
(unless the original bettors give up for 3).
4. To say "Farbe" (suit), which is to accuse the opponents of having bet without the requisite card.
The player who bet exposes their card. If it is the same suit as the lead or a trump or Schlag, the
betting side score 2 points even if their card would not win the trick. If it is a different (non-trump)
suit, the opponents of the betting side score 2 points.
The points scored are written down in two
columns, with the scorer's team's score on the
right and the opponents' score on the left. A team
that has 15 or more points has won, which is
indicated by drawing a black blob (called a
Bummerle) above the losers' column.
A team that has 13 or 14 points is "gestrichen" - a
line is drawn through their score. If just one team
is gestrichen, that team must decide (after Schlag
and Trumps are announced and before playing to
the first trick) whether to play the hand for 3
points or to give up and allow the other team to
score two points. If they decide to play there is no
betting. If both teams are gestrichen the cards are
always played and there is no betting; the winners
win the game. (These rules are really just a
formal recognition of the fact that - under the
usual betting rules - if you are gestrichen it is
always wrong to bet, and that if your opponents
are gestrichen and you are not it is always right
for you to bet before a card is played).
In the illustration on the left the opponents of the
scorer were gestrichen with 13 points and then

won. It is of course possible to win without first

being gestrichen, by scoring more than 2 points in
the last hand. If the losing side score no points at
all, they are "Schneider", which counts as a
double loss. This is indicated with two blobs
extended to make a pair of scissors (see right-hand
illustration). A "reverse Schneider" occurs if a
team which has scored nothing when their
opponents are gestrichen subsequently goes on to
win. This counts as a quadruple game - that is 4
Bummerlen or two pairs of scissors.
Signals
From the moment that Schlag and trumps have been announced, players can use signals to indicate to
their partner what cards they hold. It is also legal to signal cards that you don't hold, to try to confuse the
opponents. One signalling system is as follows:
Rechter . . . Form lips into a kiss
1 Linker . . . Wink with one eye
2 Linke . . . Shut both eyes
3 Linke . . . Shut both eyes, then wink
Ace of trumps . . . Right thumb
King of trumps . . . Right index finger
Over of trumps . . . Right middle finger
Under of trumps . . . Right ring finger
Small trump . . . Right little finger
Acorn . . . Left little finger
Leaf . . . Left ring finger
Bell . . . Left middle finger
Heart . . . Left index finger
Poor cards . . . Glance up at the ceiling
Exception: if six is the Schlag, so that the WELI is the top trump, the game is played without signals.
Instead, before the play begins each player is allowed to look at their partner's cards. Partners therefore
exchange hands across the table, and having memorised their partner's holding, return the cards to their
original holders.
Variations
Watten without signals
Some play the game without signals. In this case, partners are allowed to look at each other's cards
once, after Schlag and trump are announced and before the first lead. This is done by each player

passing their hand across the table face down to their partner, and then returning the cards to their
original owners after everyone has seen their partner's hand.
WELI is always a bell
Some play that WELI is not a wild card but always counts as a bell. Therefore it is only a trump
when bells are trumps. Nevertheless it always counts as the Rechte when 6 is the Schlag, so that in
this case trumps must be played when it is led.
Der Guate
In the South Tyrol, some play that the trump whose rank is next above the Schlag in the natural
order is the highest card in the pack, beating the Rechte. This high trump is called "der Guate" (the
good one). So if 10 is the Schlag and leaves are trumps, the highest card is the Leaf Under (der
Guate) followed by the Leaf Ten (der Rechte), the other tens (die Linken), and then the remaining
leaves from the ace downward. If ace is the Schlag then the seven is the Guate. If six is the Schlag
there is no Guate, and the WELI remains the highest trump.
Target score
Some play the game to a target of 11 points (gestrichen with 9 or 10) or 18 points (gestrichen with
16 or 17) rather than 15 points (gestrichen with 13 or 14).
Immediate bet of four
In the South Tyrol, some play that a team that is 4 or more points behind can make an immediate
bet of 4 before the first lead. If the winning team give up the betting team scores 2 points; if the
winning team accepts the bet, the score for the game becomes 4, which they can later try to
increase further by betting 5 if they wish, and so on. Wolfram Steiner reports a related rule
observed in Steiermark. If one team is "gespannt" with 13 or 14 points and the other team has no
points at all, the situation is known as "Gespannt - Luft"; the gespannter team has to decide after
trump and Schlag are announced whether to play for 4 points or give up for 2.
Two or three players
Tyrolean Watten can be adapted to be played by two or three people in the same way as the
Bavarian game.
2) Cards and Terms like Tyrolean Watten (Kritisch): "doppeldeutsche" deck (although 33, only one VI =
Weli) "Kritische" are: Signs are: Matl: Kiss with the mouth Weli: switch your lips to the right Spitz: lips
to the left Rechter: wink with the right eye. Additional linke are also regarded as Rechte Linke: left eye
Trumps: Fingers of the right hand from thumb (Ace) down
Kritisch-Watten
A version of Watten with Kritischen is also played in the Tyrol. The rules are the same as for
Vierer-Watten above, except that six cannot be chosen as the Schlag. There are a few permanent trumps
that rank above the Rechte. The exact set of permanent trumps varies somewhat from region to region.
One set of rules (from Helmut Jenewein of Innsbruck) has three Kritischen - from high to low:
Martl (king of hearts), WELI (six of bells), Nell (seven of acorns).
Others play with four Kritischen - from high to low:
Martl (king of hearts), geschriebener Weli (six of bells), kleiner Weli (seven of bells),
Eichelspitz (seven of acorns)

Some play with three Kritischen, omitting the seven of acorns from the above four. One informant
described a version with two Kritischen - the Maxi (heart king) and the ober of bells, with the WELI as
the lowest trump and six as a possible Schlag.
Wolfram Steiner gives the following set of signals for Watten with three Kritischen:
Matl (heart king) . . . Form lips into a kiss
WELI . . . Move your lips to the right
Spitz (acorn VII) . . . Move your lips to the left
Rechter . . . Wink with right eye.
Linke . . . Wink with left eye.
Ace of trumps . . . Right thumb
King of trumps . . . Right index finger
Over of trumps . . . Right middle finger
Under of trumps . . . Right ring finger
Small trump . . . Right little finger
Blind-Watten
This interesting verion of the four-player game - also known as Ladinisch Watten - is played in the
South Tyrol and to some extent in Steiermark. There are no Kritischen, but it is played with the Guate
(see above) - so the highest card is the trump with the next higher rank above the Schlag rank. The
Rechte (card of trump suit and rank) is second, then the three Linken (the other cards of the Schlag rank),
the remaining cards of the trump suit from the ace downwards. In this game the WELI is usually counted
as a bell whatever suit is trump, unless six is the Schlag. If ace is the Schlag the Guate is the seven; if six
is the Schlag there is no Guate, the WELI is the Rechte and there are no Linken.
The special feature of Blind Watten is that the Schlag and trump are not announced out loud. Instead
forehand privately shows the dealer a card whose rank is the Schlag, and the dealer then similarly shows
forehand a card whose suit is trump. The other two players do not see these cards, and in this version the
players are not allowed to look at their partners' cards, nor to signal or communicate their cards in any
other way. Therefore the partners of the dealer and forehand will only be able to deduce what are the
Schlag and trump by observing the play. To aid this process the cards played to the first trick are left face
up throughout the play.
Forehand and the dealer are bound by the usual Austrian rule that if the Rechte, a card of the suit chosen
as trump or the WELI is led, they must follow with a trump. The other two players are not bound by this
rule - they can play any card to any trick. However, this rule along with the information about who wins
each trick often enables everyone to deduce what the trump suit and rank are after one or two tricks have
been played.
Betting works in the same way as in open Watten. The restrictions on betting during the last trick,
whereby the bettor must have a card of the suit led or a Schlag, also apply only to forehand and the
dealer.

Other Watten web pages

Here is a description of Bavarian Watten in German from the Kartenspiele.net site.


Rules of Card Games: Whist
Whist
Types of Whist
Classic Whist Rules
Variations
Other Whist WWW Sites
Types of Whist
This page describes the classic game of Whist which was played widely in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Whist was derived from the older game Ruff and Honours, and in the twentieth century, bridge has
displaced whist as the most popular card game internationally among serious card players. Nevertheless,
whist continues to be played in Britain, often in local tournaments called "whist drives".
Nowadays there are many other games called whist - the name has become attached to a wide variety of
games based on classic whist, but often with some kind of bidding added, for example:
Knockout whist (a children's game in which a player who wins no trick is eliminated)
Solo whist (played in Britain; a game where individuals can bid to win 5, 9 or 13 tricks or to lose
every trick)
Colour whist or Kleurwiezen (a Belgian game similar to Solo Whist, but more elaborate)
Bid whist (a partnership game with bidding, played in the USA)
Minnesota whist (in which there are no trumps, and hands can be played to win tricks or to lose
tricks - also the very similar game of Norwegian Whist)
Romanian whist (a game in which players try to predict the exact number of tricks they will take -
similar to Oh Hell)
Israeli whist (another game somewhat related to Oh Hell, in which one tries to bid the exact
number of tricks one will take)
German Whist (a British two-player adaptation of Whist without bidding)
Whist Rules
The classic game of whist is a plain-trick game without bidding for 4 players in fixed partnerships.
Although the rules are extremely simple there is enormous scope for scientific play, and in its heyday a
large amount of literature about how to play whist was written.
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Players
There are four players in two fixed partnerships. Partners sit facing each other. The game is played
clockwise.
Cards
4 3 2.
Deal
The cards are shuffled by the player to dealer's left and cut by the player to dealer's right. The dealer
deals out all the cards one at a time so that each player has 13. The final card, which will belong to the
dealer, is turned face up to indicate which suit is trumps. The turned trump remains face up on the table
until it is dealer's turn to play to the first trick.
It is traditional to use two packs of cards. During each deal, the dealer's partner shuffles the other pack
and places it to the right. The dealer for the next hand then simply needs to pick up the cards from the left
and pass them across to the right to be cut. Provided all the players understand and operate it, this
procedure saves time and helps to remember whose turn it is to deal, as the spare pack of cards is always
to the left of the next dealer.
Play
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. Any card may be led. The other players, in clockwise
order, each play a card to the trick. Players must follow suit by playing a card of the same suit as the card
led if they can; a player with no card of the suit led may play any card. The trick is won by the highest
trump in it - or if it contains no trump, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to
the next.
Scoring
When all 13 tricks have been played, the side which won more tricks scores 1 point for each trick they
won in excess of 6.
The partnership which first reaches 5 points wins the game. This will normally take several deals.
Variations
Honours
Honours are the top four trumps - A K Q J. A partnership which between them held all four honours in
their hands score an extra 4 points, which they claim at the end of the play. A side which held three of the
four honours can claim 2 points for them. A team which at the start of the already has 4 points towards

the 5 required for game cannot score honours on that deal.

If on the same deal one side scores for tricks and the other side scores honours, the tricks are scored first.
That means that if both sides would have reached 5 or more points, it is the side scoring for tricks that
wins the game.
Although scoring honours was part of the traditional game, nowadays many players do not count them.
Scoring for honours introduces a larger luck element into the game.
Determination of Trumps
Instead of determining trumps by facing the last card in the deal, an alternative is to fix the trump suit in
advance. In this case it is normal to go through the trump suits in a fixed sequence - for the first deal
hearts are trumps, for the second deal diamonds, then spades, then clubs, then hearts again, and so on.
This method is commonly used in tournaments, such as whist drives.
It is also possible to introduce no trumps into the sequence - so that every fifth hand is played without
trumps.
Scoring
The number of points required for game varies. In America a target of 7 was customary. In Britain the
game was 5 points up, but it was usual to play a rubber which was the best of three games - that is, the
winners were the first side to win two games. There was also "Long Whist" in which game was 9 points.
When playing a tournament, it is inconvenient to have people at different tables play varying numbers of
deals before moving. Therefore it is usual to play a fixed number of deals, rather than a game. Each
player's score is the total number of odd tricks (tricks above six) that their side has taken over the deals
played.
Other Whist WWW Sites

Jean-Franois Bustarret's page Le Whist has rules in French.


Card Games: Link to Zwanzigerrufen
Zwanzigerrufen
Zwanzigerrufen (XX-rufen) is an Austrian Tarock game for four players, somewhat simpler than
Knigsrufen, and played with just 40 cards of the Tarock pack. The name means "Call the XX", because
you call the tarock-XX to determine who will be your partner.
You can find the rules on Bernhard Krpl's Tarock Page.
A XX-rufen computer program is available from KEC Austria (Triangle productions).
Return to General Index of Card Games Site

Last updated 22nd May 1998
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Rules of Card Games: Zheng Fen
Zheng Fen
This description is based on an article by Axel Schmale which appeared some years ago in the
Pppel-Revue. He learned it in China during a railway journey.
The name of the game means "competing for points". It is an interesting hybrid between a climbing game
and a point-trick game of the king-ten-five group. The mechanics are like those of Zheng Shangyou or
Big Two but the primary aim is to win points rather than necessarily to get rid of cards as quickly as
possible. The point values of cards are the same as in the popular Chinese point-trick game Da Bai Fen
(Hundred).
Players, Cards and Object
The Deal
The Play
End of the Play, and Scoring
Differences in the Second and Subsequent Deals
Playable Card Combinations
Players, Cards and Object

From three to six people can play.
A 54 card pack is used, consisting of the standard 52 cards plus two distinguishable jokers, big and small.
Generally the red or colourful joker is agreed to be the big one.
The object is to win valuable cards in tricks. The fives are worth 5 points each, and the tens and kings are
worth 10 points each. All the other cards are worthless. There are therefore 100 points in total to be won
on each hand. A target score for the game is agreed - generally 500 or (for a longer game) 1000. The
winner is the first player whose score reaches or exceeds the target.
The Deal
The deal and play are anticlockwise. For the first deal a randomly chosen player shuffles, that player's
right-hand neighbour cuts. The Chinese method of dealing is that the players take their own cards. The
pack is placed face-down and starting with the player who cut and proceeding anticlockwise, each player
takes the top card without showing it. This continues until all the cards are distributed to the players.
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Some players may have one more card than others - this does not matter. Players can look at and sort
their own cards as they pick them up.
The Play
In the first deal, the player who holds the three of hearts leads to the first trick. The tricks in this game are
not like those in most western trick-taking games, where the players contribute one card each and then
the trick is over. Instead:
1. The player who leads to the trick may lead several cards at once; when more than one card is
played together the cards must form a legal combination in one of the 10 categories described
below.
2. Subsequent players (in anticlockwise rotation) may either play to the trick or pass. If they play,
they must play a higher ranking combination of cards of the same category that was led, or one of
the special combinations from category J. If they pass, they do not play any cards and the turn
passes to the next player.
3. The trick does not end when everyone has had a turn to play - it continues round the table for as
many rounds as necessary until all players but one pass in succession.
4. If you pass at your turn to play to a trick, this does not prevent you playing to that same trick if the
turn comes round to you again.
The trick ends when all the players but one pass in succession. At this point the trick is won by the player
who played the final and therefore highest combination. This player gathers in all the cards played to the
trick and keeps them in a face-down pile. The winner of the trick leads to the next trick, and may lead a
combination from any category.
End of the Play, and Scoring

Eventually the players will run out of cards in their hands. A player who has no cards takes no further
part in the play, but play continues between the remaining players, until only one player has cards left.
The players with no cards simply miss their turns. If a player with no cards is due to lead, having just
won a trick by playing their last card(s), the lead passes to the next player to the right who has cards.
When only one player has cards left, the trick in progress is completed - i.e. that last player is allowed to
beat the combination played by the second last player left in if able to - and is gathered by the winner of
the trick as normal.
The player who runs out of cards first has an advantage in the scoring, and the last player who has cards
left is at a disadvantage. Before the scoring, all the cards in the tricks taken by the last player, and all the
cards remaining in the last player's hand at the end, must be given to the first player and added to that
player's tricks.
Each player then counts the the total value of card in their tricks (10 for each king or ten, and 5 for each
five) and adds it to their score. The player who came last will of course score nothing. There is a total of
100 points to be scored on each hand. If someone has reached or gone above the target figure the game
ends and the player with the highest score wins.

Differences in the Second and Subsequent Deals

The player who came last in the previous hand shuffles. The player who came first takes the first card in
the deal, and it continues anticlockwise. The player who came first in the previous hand also leads to the
first trick (rather than the holder of the 3).
Playable Card Combinations

The possible card combinations are given below. Note that a combination can only be beaten by a higher
combination of the same category, or by a combination from the special category J. The general ranking
of the cards, from low to high, is:
3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - J - Q - K - A - 2 - small joker - big joker
This ranking is used both to determine which cards beat which others, and which cards are in sequence.
A: Single Card
Any single card. The ranking is as given above.
B: Pair
A pair of cards of equal rank - such as two sixes or two queens. The ranking is the same as for
single cards.
C: Triple
Three cards of equal rank. The ranking is the same as for single cards.
D: Quartet
Four cards of equal rank. The ranking is the same as for single cards.
E: Sequence of pairs
Three or more pairs in unbroken sequence - such as 8-8-9-9-10-10-J-J. Note that 2-2-3-3-4-4
would not be a legal play, as 2's and 3's are not adjacent (2's high and 3's low). On the other hand,
K-K-A-A-2-2 is legal. The rank of the highest pair determines the rank of the sequence. If the
highest pairs are equal, a longer sequence beats a shorter one. So 5-5-6-6-7-7 beats 4-4-5-5-6-6,
but 4-4-5-5-6-6-7-7 beats 5-5-6-6-7-7.
F: Sequence of triples
Three or more triples in unbroken sequence, such as 7-7-7-8-8-8-9-9-9. The rank is determined by
the rank of the highest triple.
G: Sequence of quartets
Three or more quartets in unbroken sequence. The rank is determined by the rank of the highest
quartet.
H: Full House
This is not quite like a full house in poker. It consists of three cards of the same rank plus two
other cards, but the two cards do not necessarily have to be a pair. There are four legal types:

triple + pair (e.g. 5-5-5-Q-Q)

triple + two adjacent cards of the same suit (e.g. 7-7-7- A- 2)
triple + any three + any other single card (e.g. 5-5-5-3-10)
triple + any two counting cards (i.e. fives, tens or kings) (e.g. J-J-J-5-K)
The rank of a full house is determined by the rank of the triple. If the triples of two full houses are
of equal rank (which is possible using jokers as substitutes - see below), neither beats the other.
The type of full house and the rank of the other two cards have no effect.
I: Suit Sequence
Five or more cards of the same suit in unbroken sequence (e.g. J- Q- K- A- 2). The rank
is determined by the highest card in the sequence. If these are equal, the longer sequence beats the
shorter. So 7- 8- 9- 10- J can be beaten by 8- 9- 10- J- Q, which in turn can
be beaten by 7- 8- 9- 10- J- Q.
J: Special
There are three special combinations. In ascending order they are:
five, ten and king of mixed suits
five, ten and king, all in the same suit
four twos
These beat any combination in categories A to I.

In categories B to I, jokers are wild - that is a joker can be used as a substitute to represent any card
needed to make the combination (or two jokers can be used to represent two such cards). In category A
(single cards) jokers are themselves - the highest two cards in the ranking. In category J (special) jokers
cannot be used as substitutes - the cards must be real.
Note that there is no suit ranking, and that certain cards and combinations are therefore equal in rank. To
play to a trick, it is necessary to play higher than the previous combination. Therefore between two equal
combinations, whichever is played first to a trick prevents the other one from being played to the same
trick.
When a joker is used as a substitute it has exactly the same rank as the card it represents. So for example
the triple 8-8-8 has exactly the same rank as 8-joker-joker. Neither can be played to beat the other. The
same is true of full houses: for example 9-joker-joker-3-6 is equal in rank to 9-9-9-A-A.


Rules of Card Games: Zsrozs
Zsrozs
The Hungarian game Zsrozs belongs to an unusual group of card games found only in Central and
Eastern Europe; as far as I know its only close relatives are the Czech game Sedma (= seven), the Finnish
game Ristiklappi (=cross-clap) and the game Hola (= naked), which may be of Polish origin. Though the
principles are unusual, Zsrozs is quite straightforward to learn, and offers scope for interesting tactics.
Players
Zsrozs can be played by two or four people. When four play, there are two fixed partnerships, with the
partners facing each other.
Cards
The 32 card Tell pattern pack is used. These are the standard cards used in Hungary for most games (for
example for the national game Ulti). The names of the cards are:
Suits Ranks
Makk Acorns sz Ace Tzes X
Zld Leaves Kirly King Kilences IX
Piros Hearts Fels Over Nyolcas VIII
Tk Bells Als Under Hetes VII
Objective
The aces and tens are called zsr (grease), and the aim is to capture the majority of these cards.
Deal
The first dealer is selected at random, and the turn to deal rotates anticlockwise after each hand. Initially,
just four cards are dealt to each player. The remaining stock of undealt cards is put face down on the table
to form the talon.
Play
The player to dealer's right leads to the first trick, and each of the other players, in anticlockwise rotation,
contributes a card. Any card may be played - there is no requirement to follow suit, etc - in fact suits are
irrelevant in this game. The trick is won by the last card played which is equal in rank to the led card.
Example: A leads a nine, B plays another nine, C plays a king, and D plays an ace. The trick is won by B.
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Sevens are wild.

That is to say, you can use a seven to equal any rank that is led. So for example, if the following cards are
played to a trick: A: ten, B: ten, C: seven, D: nine, then C wins the trick. On the other hand if the cards are
A: ten, B: ten, C: seven, D: ten, then D wins the trick.
If a seven is led, it counts only as a seven, and the trick is won by the last seven played to it.
Multiple tricks
When everyone has played one card to the trick, if the winning card was played by an opponent of the
player who led to the trick, the leader has two options:
1. stop at that point and concede the trick to the opponents;
2. continue the trick for another round, by playing another card of the same rank that was originally
led, or playing a seven, representing that rank.
If the leader chooses to continue, the other players must then each play a second card to the trick. After
this, the leader can continue for a third, and even a fourth round, if the opponents are still winning and the
leader still has another equal card or seven to lead.
The (multiple) trick ends at the end of a round when either:
the leader's side is winning (in which case the leader is not allowed to continue), or
the leader is unable to or does not wish to continue, or
everyone has played all their cards.
At this point whoever was the last to play a card equal in rank to the original lead, or a seven, wins all the
cards in the multiple trick, draws first from the stock, and leads to the next trick.
Example: suppose the cards held by the players are as follows:
A: ace, ace, over, seven;
B: ten, ten, nine, seven;
C: king, king, eight, seven;
D: ace, over, under, seven.
The trick begins: A: ace, B: ten, C: eight, D: seven. If A stops the trick now, D will win, so A continues:
A: ace, B: seven, C: seven, D: ace. D is still winning, so A plays a third round: A: seven, B: nine, C: king,
D: under. Now A is winning, and stops at this point, gathering all 12 cards. Note that if B or D had
another ace to play on the third round, winning the trick, A could not continue for a fourth round; A
cannot play the over to this trick as it does not match the original lead.

At the end of the trick (or multiple trick), each player in turn, beginning with the winner of the trick,
draws sufficient cards from the talon so that they have four cards in their hands again. When there are
insufficient cards left in the talon to allow this, the remaining talon cards are distributed equally to the
players. After the talon is exhausted, the game continues without drawing until all the cards have been
played.

Calls
In the four player game, you are not allowed to communicate with your partner, except that there are four
calls you can make when it is your partner's turn, to suggest what your partner should play. Your partner
may follow your suggestion but is not obliged to. The calls are:
"ss!" beat it! - i.e. play a card equal to the lead, or a seven
"ne ss!" don't beat it!
"zsrt!" grease it! - i.e. play an ace or a ten
"ne zsrt!" don't grease it!
Scoring
At the end of the play each side counts the value of the cards it has taken. Aces and tens are worth 10, and
everything else counts 0, so there are 80 points in the pack. The side with more points wins. If each side
has taken 40 points, the side which took the last trick wins.
If the winners took 40-70 points, they score 1 on the scoresheet.
If the winners took 80 points, but not all the cards, they score 2, and the losers are said to be kopasz
(bald).
If the winners took every trick, they score 3, and the losers are said to be csupasz (naked).
The first team to score 5 or more points, over as many deals as it takes, wins the game. For a longer game,
you can agree to play up to 10 points.


Rules of Card Games: Zwicker
Zwickern
Introduction
The players and cards
Matching values
Scoring values
The deal and play
Playing a card
Capturing
The Zwick
Building
End of the game; scoring
Notes on tactics
Christiansen/Carstensen version
Sample game
Other variations
Introduction
Zwickern (also known as Zwicker or Zwickeln) is a fishing game, played in Schleswig-Holstein in
North Germany. The "Zwick" (equivalent to the English "tweak") is a play by which you capture all the
cards from the table, scoring a bonus. There are several variants of Zwickern. The main description on
this page is of the version taught to John McLeod and Gnther Senst by Dietrich Jensen, who now lives
in Hamburg but comes originally from the Dithmarschen region of Schleswig-Holstein. After this there is
a section on the variation played by Reinhardt Christiansen, a Canadian whose parents came from
Schleswig-Holstein. Finally there are notes on other variations described in German card-game books.
Note: Zwickern is not to be confused with the similarly named Dutch game Zwikken nor with the
Austrian game Zwicken - both of those are gambling trick-taking games played with a three card hand.

Originally, Zwickern was played with a normal 52 card deck but today jokers are usually added. Dietrich
Jensen's version uses three distinct jokers, so that there are 55 cards in all. Before beginning the players
must agree which is the large (25) joker, which is the middle (20) joker and which is the small (15) joker.
http://www.pagat.com/fishing/zwicker.html (1 de 11) [04/05/2001 9:59:42]

If necessary the numbers 25, 20, 15 can be written on the face of the jokers to distinguish them.
This game is best played by four players in two fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. It can be
adapted for two or three, playing as individuals, but the tactical possibilities of the game are then much
reduced. The four-player partnership game is described here.
Matching Values
As in other fishing games (such as Casino and Scopa) there is a layout of cards on the table, and the
objective is to capture cards from the table by playing a card of matching value from your hand, and
when possible to clear all the cards from the table, thus scoring a bonus for a Zwick.
Each card has a matching value, used to determine which cards capture which. The matching values of
the cards from two to ten are simply their face values. The remaining cards have matching values as
follows:
Card Matching value
Ace 1 or 11 *
Jack 2 or 12 *
Queen 3 or 13 *
King 4 or 14 *
Small joker 15
Middle joker 20
Large joker 25
* Aces, kings, queens and jacks have two alternative matching values. The matching value of each
of these cards is chosen by the player who captures it, or captures other cards with it, or
incorporates it into a build.
Scoring values
At the end of the play, the cards won by each team are counted. There are 3 points for the team that took
the majority of the cards, but more important are the scores for certain valuable cards. The scoring values
of the cards are different from their matching values:
Item Scoring value
Large (25) joker 7 points
Middle (20) joker 6 points
Small (15) joker 5 points
Ten of diamonds 3 points
Ten of spades 1 point
Two of spades 1 point
Each ace 1 point
Majority of cards 3 points

Each Zwick 1 point

So there are 30 points in all to be scored for the cards, plus one extra point for each Zwick.
The Deal and Play

Deal and play are clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random. The dealer shuffles and the player to
dealer's right cuts the cards.
Each hand is played in three stages. For the first stage four cards are dealt to each player, one at a time,
and three cards face up on the table. The cards on the table are sometimes called the the Picture (das
Bild). The player to dealer's left plays the first card and play continues clockwise. Each turn consists of
playing one card from your hand face up to the table, which can be simply played and left there, or can
be used to capture cards or to make a build. When everyone has had four turns, using up their first four
cards, the dealer deals another four cards to each player. The game continues as before until the players
run out of cards again, at which point there is a final deal of five cards each, which exhausts the pack.
When everyone has played their last five cards the play ends and the hand is scored.
There are three possible things that you can do on your turn: to play a card which captures one or more
cards; to play a card to form or add to a build; or simply to play a card without building or capturing.
Playing a card
The simplest thing you can do in your turn is just to play one of the cards from your hand face up on the
table. It remains there and can be captured by another player later.
Capturing
If you play a card that matches a card on the table (according to the matching values given above), you
may (but are not forced to) capture the table card. If you decide to capture, you remove the captured card
from the centre of the table and put it face down, along with the card you played, in the pile of cards won
by your team.
If there are cards on the table whose matching values add up to the matching value of the card that you
played, you can capture this group of cards - for example a 10 can capture a 7 and a 3, or the 25-joker
can capture a king and an ace (11+14). Moreover if there are several separate single cards or groups
which match the card you played you can capture any or all of these cards and groups. For example if the
cards on the table are 3, 4, 7, 8, J you could play a 15-joker and capture either 8+7 and J+3 or 8+4+3.
You are never obliged to make a capture, nor to make all possible captures with the card you play.
Note that in serious play your partner is not allowed to point out capture possibilities which you may
have overlooked - if you don't take all the cards you are entitled to capture, the remainder stay on the
table.

Zwick
If you capture everything on the table, leaving it empty, you score one point for a Zwick. You place one
of the captured cards face up in the pile of cards you have won, so that the number of Zwicks scored by
each side can easily be counted at the end. It makes the counting easier at the end if the face up card is
not a scoring card.
Example: if the cards on the table are 2, 4, 6, 10, J and you play a jack from your hand you can count the
jack you play as 12 and the one on the table as 2 and thereby capture all the cards on the table as two
groups adding up to 12 (2+4+6 and 10+jack), making a Zwick.
After a Zwick, the next player of course has nothing to capture or build onto, so must simply play a card
to the table. The following player can either capture that card, scoring another Zwick, or play another
card to the table, and so on.
Building
The third possible type of play is to make a build, which is a card or a pile of cards with an announced
value and an owner. The owner must have a card that matches the value of the build, and must eventually
capture the build unless it is first captured or modified by some other player. Normally you build for
yourself, but if your partner has previously built a particular value and has not yet played the matching
card, you can make another build of this value "for partner". Note that if you own a build, you do not
have to capture it at your next opportunity - you can modify the build or make a new build, or make a
different capture or even just play a card to the table. Your only obligation if you do not capture a build
that you own is to keep in your hand a card which matches its value so that you can capture it later if it is
left for you.
To make a single card build you simply announce the value as you play the card - if it is an ace, jack,
queen or king you must fix its value at this point. For example if you have two queens in your hand you
can play one of them announcing either "13" or "3". You are then obliged to keep the other queen to
capture it, unless someone else modifies or captures it first. If you had just one queen and a three you
could play the queen announcing "3", but not "13".
If you play a card onto an existing card or build you take over ownership and modify the old value by
adding or subtracting the value of the card you play. To do this you must hold another card in your
hand that matches the new value of the build you are modifying.
Example: if there is a 9 on the table and you hold 2, 7, A, you may play your 2 on the 9 and announce
either "11" (by addition) or "7" (by subtraction). Alternatively, you could play your 7 on the 9 and
announce "2". You cannot build your ace on the 9 - the result would have to be 8 (subtraction) or 10 or
20 (addition) and you do not have cards matching any of these values.
Another example: suppose that the 25-joker is on the table, and your partner has just played a queen,
announcing 13. If you have a jack, when your turn comes you can build the jack on the joker, subtracting
12 and announcing "13 for partner", so that your partner's other queen can take your build as well, thus
winning the joker.
Note that when building you can start a new pile or add to a single existing pile, but you can never
combine separate table cards or piles into a single build.

If you build with a card which is equal to the previous value of the card or pile on which you play it, you
have the extra option of leaving the value of the build the same. For example if you play a 10 on a 10 you
can make a build of 10 (if you have yet another 10 in your hand) or you can make it 20 (if you have the
20-joker). Playing a matching card on a build and leaving the value unchanged does not prevent further
modifications. (Note that this is different from the corresponding rule in Casino.) In fact any built pile
continues to behave just like a single card build with the same value.
A built card or pile can be modified by any player, or can be captured alone or with other cards or builds.
Note that separate cards or builds on the table can only be captured by matching or addition, never by
subtraction. Suppose for example that the table contains a build of 9, a build of 13 and a separate 4. If
you play a queen, you can make a Zwick (13 and 9+4), but if you play a 9, you can only take the 9 build.
There is no way that the 9 can take the 13 and the 4.
End of the game; scoring

Any uncaptured cards remaining on the table at the end of the first or second stage of the game remain
there and are available for capture in the following stage.
If there are cards remaining on the table at the end of the third and last stage, they are all won by the last
team that made a capture. This does not normally count as a Zwick. However, if the dealer's last card
validly captures all the cards from the table leaving nothing, the dealer's team does score a Zwick for this.
At the end of the play each side then counts the value of cards they have won and their Zwicks; the two
teams' scores should total 30 plus the number of Zwicks made. The scores are recorded and the turn to
deal passes to the left. Zwickern is generally not played for money. If you play a series of hands, the
overall winners are the team with the higher total score at the end.
Notes on tactics
The jokers account for more than half of the points, so much of the game centres around capturing or
saving the jokers, and to a lesser extent the ten of diamonds. This is difficult because of their high
matching values; they do not match any other single card.
You should avoid leaving cards totals of 10, 15, 20 or 25 on the table if the corresponding high value
card might be held by an opponent. You do not want to let them save it easily by capturing a group of
cards. If you hold a joker yourself, you will generally try to make a build to the value of your joker. The
opponents will probably try to destroy this build, either by subtraction or by increasing it to match a
larger joker that they hold, but your partner, knowing the joker you hold, may be able to restore it or
make other builds to the same value on your behalf.
If there is a joker on the table - either because it appeared in the initial deal or because it has been played
there - it can only be captured by building it down. If this does not happen it will eventually be collected
by the team that makes the last capture at the end of the game. Even if you cannot build down yourself
you may be able to do so by cooperating with your partner.
Example: If the 25-joker is on the table along with a 5 and you hold a queen and an 8, you can play your

8 on the 5 building 13. Now your partner knows that you have a queen, and may be able to play a jack on
the joker, building 13 for you.
You should generally avoid leaving a combination of cards on the table that will allow your left hand
opponent to score a Zwick. Not only does a Zwick score a point, but it puts your partner under pressure.
It may be the start of a series of enemy Zwicks, your partner's card being matched by the right-hand
opponent, and so on.
You should generally try to avoid playing aces, kings, queens and jacks except when capturing or
building with them. If left free on the table they give the next player more options, because of their
alternative matching values. In general it is bad to play low matching value cards to the table, as they are
too easy to capture. Cards 5 to 9 give the next player fewer chances, especially if you have more cards of
the same rank.
Christiansen/Carstensen Version of "Zwickern"

This section was contributed by Reinhardt Christiansen, a lifelong Canadian, who learnt the game from
his late father, formerly of Schleswig-Holstein. His mother's family, whose surname is Carstensen, also
played a very similar version of Zwickern. Reinhardt played the game as a child, in the late 1960s, and is
no longer absolutely certain of all of the details of the game, especially the exact scoring, but has
re-created the rules to the best of his ability below.
The Carstensen version of the game uses many of the same principles as the game described above, but
introduces some important variations. The differences are as follows:
1. It is played by two, three or four players as individuals.
2. Four jokers are used, with matching values of 15, 20, 25 and 30. This results in a deck of 56 cards,
the normal 52 card pack and 4 jokers. The 30 joker presents a special challenge: since no two
non-jokers can add up to 30, it is clear that any building involving the 30 joker must involve
another joker. For example, if the 30 joker is lying on the table, a player having a 5 and the 25
joker could use the 5 to build the 30 joker down to 25. Of course, another player could then build
the 25 down to another value that could be taken by a non-joker, e.g. reduce the 25 to a 14 (King)
by building it down with an ace (11).
3. The number of cards dealt is different:
Two handed version
During the initial deal, each player gets 8 cards and 8 cards are dealt face up to the
center of the table. In the second and third rounds, each player is again dealt 8 cards
but no new cards are dealt to the Picture.
Three handed version
center of the table. In the second round, each player is again dealt 8 cards but no new
cards are dealt to the Picture.
Four handed version
center of the table. During the second round, each player is again dealt 6 cards but no

new cards are dealt to the Picture.

4. The values of the cards are the same as in Dietrich Jensen's version above, with the exception of
the jokers. The scoring values are:
Item Scoring value
30 joker 7 points
25 joker 6 points
20 joker 5 points
15 joker 4 points
10 of Diamonds (cardinal) 3 points
7 of Diamonds (honour) 1 point
7 of Spades (honour) 1 point
Each ace 1 point
3 points
Winning most cards
(not awarded if there is a tie)
Each Zwick 1 points
A Sample Game of Zwickern (Christiansen/Carstensen variation)

The following is an example of a game of Zwickern, played according to the rules of the
Christiansen/Carstensen variation. It is annotated to highlight the reasoning behind each player's actions
during the game.
Four imaginary players, Albert, Beatrice, Charlie, and Dianne are having a game of Zwicker. None of
these players is especially gifted so each is capable of making poor plays when better plays are possible.
Albert won the right to deal. After the deal for the first hand, the cards are distributed as follows:
Albert: A, K, J, 3 ; 10 ; Joker 15
Beatrice: K ; 8, 7, 3 ; 9, 5
Charlie: 8, 7, 3 ; J, 5 ; 6
Dianne: 9, 6 ; J, 10 ; 4 ; Joker 20
Picture: Q ; A, 8, 4, 2 ; 2 ; 10 ; Joker 30
The first hand is played out as follows:
Beatrice is to the left of Albert and plays first. She sees that the Q and the A add to 14,
assuming that they are valued respectively as 13 and 1 or 3 and 11, and that the 8, 4, and 2
also add to 14, so she takes both builds with her K. (She could have taken the 10 and 4
instead of the 8, 4, and 2, but she feels that the one extra card will help her chances of
getting the bonus for having the most cards at the end of the hand.)
Charlie is to the left of Beatrice and plays next. He sees that the 10 and the 2 add to 12, the
value of a jack, so he takes these cards with his J.
Dianne is to the left of Charlie and plays next. Dianne sees that the only card left on the table is the

Joker 30. Fortunately, she has a Joker 20 and a 10. She plays the 10 on the Joker 30 and
announces that it is now worth 20. She can only do this because she has a Joker 20. If she was
missing either the Joker 20 or a 10, she could not build the Joker 30 down. In other words, a
player can only build a card up or down to a value that he has in his own hand. (Dianne could have
played her Joker 20 on the Joker 30 and made the result a 10 but she reasoned that it was safer to
make the build a 20 than a 10: she knows that she has the only card worth 20 whereas there are
four 10s (one of which she has and one of which has previously been taken) in the deck, so she
opts to make the build a 20 rather than a 10. In either case, there is a risk that another player could
build the 10 or 20 up or down to something that she doesn't have and can't build up or down
herself.)
Albert is the next to play. He sees that he has no two cards that add up to 20 so he can do nothing
but discard something from his hand. He discards the 3 into the picture.
Beatrice also has no pair of cards that add up to 20 so she can do nothing about the Joker 30 -
10 build. She uses her 3 to take the 3 discarded by Albert.
Charlie also has no pair of cards that add to 20 so he can only discard something from his hand. He
discards the 3.
Dianne plays her Joker 20 on the Joker 30 - 10 build to take it. Charlie's 3 is still on the
table so she does not get a Zwick.
Albert plays his J on the 3, declaring that the build has the value 15.
Since Albert obviously has a Joker 15, which would be worth 4 points in final scoring, Beatrice
decides to reduce the chance that he can use it. She plays her 8 on the 3- J build, declaring
that its value has now been reduced to 7.
Charlie plays his 7 to take the new build off the table. This clears the table and makes a Zwick.
He chooses one of the cards that he has taken, a card which is worth no points, and leaves it face
up in front of him to indicate his Zwick.
There are no cards in the center of the table so Dianne must discard something from her hand. She
chooses to discard the 4.
Albert knows that his K is worth 4 or 14. He uses it to take the 4 on the table. He also marks
a Zwick.
Beatrice has no choice but to discard something from her hand. She discards the 7.
Charlie has no seven and he has no pair of cards that add up to seven so he knows he must discard
something. He knows that if he discards his 8 and that if Dianne cannot remove either the 7
or the 8 from the table in her turn, Albert will be able to take them with his Joker 15. He wants
to avoid that so he discards his 6.
Dianne has no Queen, which has a value of 13, so she can't take both the 7 and the 6. She
takes the 6 on the table with her 6, leaving the 7 alone on the table.
Albert can do nothing so he discards his A. (He chooses the A because it is worth fewer
points than either the Joker 15 or the 10. The other players still have two cards each and he
doesn't want anyone to be able to snap up these two valuable cards if he can prevent it. He prefers
to play these cards as late as possible in the belief that they will then be left on the table until the

next hand when he has more cards and has a better chance to take them himself.)
Beatrice can't take either of the cards on the table so she discards her 5.
Charlie has two possible moves: he could take the 5 with his 5 or he could take the 7 and
the A with his 8. Since going after the A and 7 will result in him taking three cards rather
than two, thus increasing his chances of having the most cards at the end of the game, and since
the ace will be worth a point at the end of the game, he chooses to take the A and 7 build with
his 8.
Dianne can do nothing so she chooses to discard her J.
Albert plays his 10 on the 5, declaring that the build is now worth 15.
Beatrice can do nothing so she discards her last remaining card, the 9.
Charlie can do nothing so he discards his 5.
Dianne takes the 9 with her 9.
Albert takes the 5- 10 build with his Joker 15, leaving the J and the 5 on the table for
the next hand.
All of the players have exhausted their cards so Albert deals out the remaining cards in the deck to the
players so that each of the four players has 6 cards. At the conclusion of this deal, the cards are as
follows:
Albert: A, 10 ; 9, 6 ; 7 , 3
Beatrice: J, 9 ; 5, 2 ; 8, 2
Charlie: A, 4 ; 6, 5 ; Q ; Q
Dianne: K, 7 ; K, Q, 4 ; Joker 25
Picture: J ; 5 (left over from previous round)
Once again, Beatrice plays first. She takes the J with her J.
Charlie takes the 5 with his 5 and marks a Zwick.
Dianne discards her 4.
Albert places his 7 on the 4 and declares the build to be worth 11.
Beatrice has no single card worth 11 (i.e. she has no ace) but she sees that she has a 9 and a 2
which add up to 11. She plays her 2 on the 4- 7 build, declaring that it is now worth 9. (She
could have played the 9 on the 4- 7 build and declared that the build now had a value of 2 but
that would have been riskier because there are four 2's, each of which is worth 2, and four jacks,
each of which can be worth 2, so she felt it less likely that someone else would have a card worth 9
than a card worth 2. She could have used either her 2 or her 2 but she knows that the 2 is
worth a point during scoring while the 2 is worthless so she chooses the 2.)
Charlie plays his 4 on the build, declaring that the build now has a value of 13 (i.e. a Queen).
Dianne uses her Q to take the build and marks a Zwick.
Albert discards his 3.

Beatrice plays her 5 on the 3, declaring the build now worth 8.

Charlie decides to use one of his Queens as a three and places Q it on top of the 3- 5 build,
declaring it now worth 11.
Dianne sees her opportunity and plays her K on the 3- 5- Q build, declaring the build
now worth 25, the value of her Joker.
Albert can do nothing and discards his 6.
Beatrice can do nothing about the 3- 5- Q- K build so she plays her 2 on the 6,
declaring that the build is worth 8.
Charlie can do nothing about the 3- 5- Q- K build so he plays his Q on the 6- 2
build and declares it now worth 11.
Dianne stuns everyone by playing her K on the 6- 2- Q build and declaring it also worth
25.
Albert can do nothing about either build and discards his 9.
Beatrice can do nothing about either build so she takes the 9 with her 9.
Charlie can do nothing about either build so he discards his 6.
Dianne takes both of the builds that add to 25 with her Joker 25, leaving only the 6.
Albert can do nothing about the 6, so he discards his 10.
Beatrice can do nothing about either of the cards on the table so she discards her 8.
Charlie can do nothing about any of the cards on the table so he discards his A.
Dianne uses her 7 to take the 6 and the A.
Albert can do nothing so he discards his A. The game ends with the A, 10, and 8 on the
table. Since Diane took the last trick, she is awarded these cards but is not awarded a Zwick
because she did not take them with a card from her hand.
The players begin to score their hands, beginning with Beatrice:
Beatrice: She took 12 cards altogether but the only one that was worth anything was the A,
which is worth one point. She had no Zwicks. Her total score for this hand is 1 point.
Charlie: He also took 12 cards. The only card he took that has a score value is the A, which has
a value of one point. He also had two Zwicks which are worth one point each. His total score is 3
points.
Dianne: She took 27 cards, which is the most that anyone took, so she gets three points for that.
The cards which had value were: the 10, worth one point; the 2, worth one point; the A,
worth one point; the A, worth one point; the Joker 20, worth 5 points; the Joker 25, worth 6
points, and the Joker 30, worth 7 points. She also had one Zwick, worth 1 point. The total for her
hand is 26 points.
Albert: He took only 5 cards. The cards which had value were the Joker 15, worth 4 points, and
the 10, worth 3 points. He also had one Zwick, worth 1 point. His total score for this hand was 8
points.

Other Variations
Dietrich Jensen told us that at one time Zwickern was played without jokers, and such a game is indeed
described in two books: "Einmaleins der Kartenspiele" by Rita Danyliuk (Mnchen, 1972) and "Das
neue Spielbuch" by Rudolf Dietze (Berlin, 1984).
This is a much simpler game played by two or more people as individuals; the ace and court cards always
have their higher matching values of 11-14, and building is by addition only. The score for the
diamond-10 is increased to 10, the aces score 2 each, the diamond-7 and spade-7 score one each, and
there is one point for the majority of cards. This makes a total of 21 points for cards, in addition to which
each Zwick scores 3 points. The initial deal is four cards to each player and four face up to the table to
form the "picture". When the players have played their cards, another four each are dealt but no more to
the picture. If there are more than 4 players a double pack can be used, for a total of 41 points plus
Zwicks.
Claus Grupp's book "Schafkopf Doppelkopf" (Falken/ASS, 1976) describes a form of Zwickern that is
similar to Dietze and Danyliuk's game but uses 52 cards plus six jokers. A special 58 card pack for
Zwickern was at one time sold by the playing-card maker ASS. Grupp's version of the game is played by
two, three or four players as individuals, or by more people using a multiple pack. The deal (four cards at
a time) and the card and Zwick scores are the same as in the Dietze and Danyliuk version described
above. Because of the different size of the pack, it is not possible to deal four card hands to each player
throughout. Grupp says that in the last deal the players receive fewer cards; in fact there will always be
six cards left for the last deal - three each for two players, two each for three players, and presumably if
there are four players two of them get two cards each and the others get only one. The jokers are not
scoring cards but wild cards which can take on any value from 2 to 14. To limit their power, Grupp
suggests that a joker on the table can only be matched by another joker, and that clearing the table by
playing a joker does not count as a Zwick.
Grupp acknowledges help from the staff of the Flensburger Tagesblatt, so it may be that the simpler
Zwickern tradition described by the books is characteristic of regions further east than the more elaborate
Dithmarschen games described above.


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Rules of Card Games: Alphabetical Index

Alphabetical Index of Card Games

Solitaire / Patience games (games for one player)

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5's and 3's (dominoes) (2 to 4 players)

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Bonneteau (= 3 Card Monte) (2 [or more] players)

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Chinese Ten (2 to 4 players)

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Dom Pedro (4 players)

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French Tarot (4 [3 or 5] players)

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Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk (Palatinusz) (4 [5] players)

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Last One (2 to 6 players)

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Mittlere Jass (3 players)

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Parliament (= Sevens, Fan Tan) (3 to 8 players)

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The Price is Right (Poker variant) - see Poker

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Skat (3 [4] players)

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Tarok (Slovenian) (3 or 4 [5] players)

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Trou du Cul / Trouduc (= President, Asshole) (4 to 7 players)

XXas-hvsos Tarokk (Hungarian call XX tarokk) (4 [5] players)

Return to General Index of Card Games site

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Ready to bid? Sign up here.

Clarion 310c AutoPC AM/FM Mobile Authority M58FD Philips/Magnavox

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Browse Product Listings :

uBid Affiliate Program

uBid for Business

Get Live Financial News

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Summary of recent additions and changes.

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A few links to information about Solitaire

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Classified Index of Card Games

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Games Classified by Mechanism

Outplay Games Trick Taking Games A trick consists of

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this way. This category includes the stops

War Group Players store their cards in a pile

Comparison Games Showdown Games In these games the

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Patience Games Single player patience (solitaire)

Other Games Compendium games Games which use

Games Classified by Objective