Learn about the
TAROT RULES
The game is played with 4 players. Other versions of the game also exist for 3 or 5 players.
A bidding round determines the taker, who will then face the other 3 players.
The game consists of 18 tricks (1 card played by each player per trick). Players aim to win as many tricks as possible to accumulate the most points.
The taker wins the game if he scores enough points to fulfill his contract, while the other players try to prevent him from succeeding.
Know about the
BIDDING ROUND
The cards are all dealt counterclockwise by group of 3 cards (no shuffling needed) to other players starting from the right of the dealer, except for the 6 random cards dealt in the 'dog' (facedown).
Bidding takes place in a single round once the cards are dealt.
Players assess their hands and declare in the same order, starting from the right of the dealer: 'Take', ‘Guard’, ‘Guard Without', and ‘Guard Against'.
Except for the last two bids, the taker then reveals the cards in the 'dog' to everyone, adds them to his hand, and discards 6 cards which are kept facedown for his final point tally.
'Guard Without': The 'dog' remains hidden and is included in the taker's points.
'Guard Against': The 'dog' remains hidden and is included in the opponents' points.
Acknowledge the
CONTRACTS
0 Oudler
56 Points
1 Oudler
51 Points
2 Oudlers
41 Points
3 Oudlers
36 Points
Discover the
GAMEPLAY
Each player plays a card counterclockwise, starting from the right of the dealer.
The highest-ranking card in the trick wins (trump cards first, then non-trump cards).
The player who wins the trick leads for the next trick. The suit played by the first player must be followed by the other players. If the next player doesn't have a card of the same suit, they must play a trump card; otherwise, he can discard any card.
Trump cards must always be played incrementally. In the absence of a higher trump, a player can play any lower trump card.
The ‘Fool’ is used to avoid playing a valuable card in an inconvenient situation. It can be played at any time, except in the last trick (in which case it would be given to the other team for final point calculation).
If the trick with the Fool card is lost, it is kept by its owner and exchanged with a low-value card.
Understand the
SCORE CALCULATION
Once all cards are played, the points earned by the taker are counted following the cards values. These points are always counted in pairs of cards.
- Any 'Oudler' and 'court card' must always be paired with a low card (trump or non-trump)
- Two low cards count as 1 point
The taker adds 25 points to his hand score and deducts the total by his contract value.
The taker finally applies the bonus points (mentioned in the section below) to his hand score.
This Total score is given to the taker and its opposite value is distributed equally among the other players.
Thus, at the end of the round, the sum of the players scores must always be equal to 0.
Include the
BONUS POINTS
Once the score calculation is done, the taker may add the "Small at last" bonus to his score and then multiply the total score by the bid's index:
TAKE
X1
GUARD
X2
GUARD WITHOUT
X4
GUARD AGAINST
X5
The following Bonuses (Misery, Handful, Slam) are then added to the result.
Small at last
The #1 from trump suit is played and won in the last trick by the taker. If the contract is reached, then the taker adds 10 bonus points to his score.
Slam
To "Slam" is to win every trick in the round. "Announced" Slam by the taker (made while bidding in the auction) gains 400 points if made. It grants the taker the obligation to start the first trick. Non-announced Slam made by either the taker or the defenders gains 200 points. Failure to fulfill a pre-declared Slam costs the declarer 200 points.
Misery
If a player's hand lacks either trumps or court cards (king, queen, knight, jack), they have the option to declare "Misery" which gives the player's team 30 points while deducting 10 points from the other team's score.
Handful
If a player has 10 or more trumps in their hand, they can declare a single (10+), double (13+), or triple (15+) "handful" right before playing their first card. A single handful adds 20 to the scoring. Doubles and triples add 40 and 60, respectively. The bonus is always added to the winning team after declared.
Review the
CARDS VALUE
Card Qty
Card Type
Value
Total
3
Oudlers (21, 1, Fool)
4.5
13.5
4
Kings (R)
4.5
18
4
Queens (D)
3.5
14
4
Knights (C)
2.5
10
4
Jacks (V)
1.5
6
19
Trump Suit
0.5
9.5
40
Low Cards
0.5
20
TOTAL
91
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