The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (86 page)

lead yet a third and fourth time, if he wishes, so that the trick may

contain 4, 8, 12 or 16 cards.

When the leader is unable or unwil ing to lead again, the trick is

taken by the last-played natural or wild duplicate of the card

original y led. Each in turn, then, starting with the trick-winner,

draws from stock until he has four cards, or until none remain, and

the winner of the trick leads to the next.

Whenthestock runsout, the remaining cardsareplayed withhowever

many remain in hand.

Score Each player scores the points made by his own partnership.

The scores are carried forward, and the winner is the player with

the highest total after 12 deals, or any other agreed number.

Hola

(2p or 4pp, 52c) The Polish equivalent of Sedma uses a ful pack

(2p or 4pp, 52c) The Polish equivalent of Sedma uses a ful pack

and is typical y played, to the left, by four in partnerships. If three

play, reduce the pack to 51 by removing any card other than an

Ace, Ten, Seven or Two. Play as Sedma but with these dif erences:

Twos are wild in addition to Sevens;

At the end of a round the leader is al owed to lead to another

round with any card, not necessarily of the same rank as the

previous lead.

Each side scores 10 for each Ace and Ten taken in tricks, and one

side adds 10 for winning the last trick. In the rare event of winning

every trick, a side scores 170 instead of 90. This feat is cal ed hola,

from a Slavic word meaning ‘nakedness’.

If the non-dealing side take 50 or fewer points, the same player

deals again for the next hand. If they take 60 or more, the deal

passes to the left-hand opponent of the previous dealer.

Play up to any agreed total, e.g. 500 points.

(Source: David Przednowek, via the Pagat website.)

Zsérozá s

(2p or 4pp, 32c) The Hungarian equivalent of Sedma is normal y

played with the national 32-card pack, the so-cal ed ‘Tel pat ern’

(after Wil iam Tel ) with German suit symbols. If you haven’t any,

use an international pack with AKQJT987 in each suit. Four play

crosswise in partnerships, and to the right.

Play as Sedma, but with these dif erences.

The trick leader must pass if his side is winning the trick. He may

lead again only if it is being won by the other side, and even then

he must lead a duplicate of the original lead, or a Seven to

represent it.

The side taking a majority of Aces and Tens (known as zsér,

‘grease’), or who took the last trick in the case of equality, scores 1

game-point. For taking al the grease but not al the cards, they

game-point. For taking al the grease but not al the cards, they

score 2, and the losers are said to be kopasz (bald). Winning every

trick scores 3, and the losers are said to be csupasz (naked). Play up

to 5 or 10 game-points.

Zsirozas means larding, greasing, or basting. In the partnership

game, a player may give his partner one of four instructions,

namely ‘Win it [if you can]’, ‘Don’t win it’, ‘Lard it’ (by playing an

Ace or Ten if possible), or ‘Don’t lard it.

Ristiklappi (‘Crossclap’)

(2p or 4pp, 52c) A Finnish relative of Sedma, sent me by Veikko

Lahdesmaki. The rules were writ en in very unreliable English

(albeit miles bet er than my Finnish), and I have had to adjust them

to make the game playable. In particular, Landemaki says the trick

is taken by the first-played duplicate; but I find this incredible, and

have made it the last, as in Sedma.

Four players sit ing crosswise in partnerships receive five cards

each in batches of three and two from a 52-card pack, ranking and

counting as fol ows:

A T K Q J 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2

11 10 4 3 2 0

The rest go face down as a stock. The total of card-points

available is 120. The aim is to be the first side to reach 121 from

the capture of counting-cards over as many deals as necessary.

Eldest leads to the first trick. Subsequent players may play any card.

The trick is taken by the last-played card of the same rank as the

one led, or by the one led if nobody duplicates it, and the winner of

each trick leads to the next. So long as any cards remain in stock,

each in turn, starting with the trick-winner, draws the top card of

stock before playing to the next trick. Having drawn from the stock,

the trick-winner has the privilege of ‘spicing’ the trick by adding to

it the card just drawn, and taking back into hand the card he won

the trick with. Furthermore, any player upon playing to a trick

need not play from hand but may speculatively turn the top card of

need not play from hand but may speculatively turn the top card of

stock and play that instead.

Don’t forget…

Play to the left (clockwise) unless otherwise stated.

Eldest or Forehand means the player to the left of the dealer

in left-handed games, to the right in right-handed games.

T = Ten, p = players, pp = in fixed partnerships, c = cards,

† = trump,

= Joker.

9 King-Queen games

These games also belong to the ‘Ace 11, Ten 10’ family, but extend

it by awarding points to anyone declaring the ‘marriage’ of a King

and Queen of the same suit in the same hand –typical y 20 for a

plain-suit marriage, 40 for a ‘royal’ or trump marriage. A further

bonus of 10 for winning the last trick raises the card-point total

from 120 to 130, and the winning target from 61 to 66, thereby

giving rise to the great game of that name (also cal ed Schnapsen).

Counting marriages towards the target score makes Sixty-Six and its

descendants even moreexciting, inthatmarriages are normal y

unpredictable: they may not occur at al , or they may bring a

sudden win to a player who was previously trailing.

Sixty-Six(Marriage)

2 players, 20 or 24 cards

The oldest Marriage game remains one of the best two-handers ever

devised. Despite claims for its invention at Paderborn, Westphalia,

in 1652, it is not at ested earlier than 1715, appearing first under

the title Mariagespiel, later Sechsundsechzig from its target score.

Though stil played in Germany, it is in Austria that it ranks (with

Tarock) as a truly national game. Here it is cal ed Schnapsen, or

Schnapser – possibly with bibulous connotations – but, as you need

a real y clear head to play it wel , it may instead relate to

a real y clear head to play it wel , it may instead relate to

schnappen, meaning ‘grab’. Schnapsen dif ers from Sixty-Six only in

that it is played with the Nines stripped out of the 24-card

Schnapsen pack. This makes for an even tighter and snappier game,

one ful of speed and variety yet demanding a high degree of skil .

Cards 24, ranking and counting Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3,

Jack 2, Nine 0.

Deal Deal six each in two batches of three, turn the next for trump,

and half cover it with the rest of the stock face down.

Object To be the first to correctly announce that you have reached

66 or more points for cards, marriages (if any), and 10 for winning

the last trick (if applicable). Counting must be done mental y, not

oral y or in writing.

Play Elder leads first, and the winner of each trick leads to the next.

Suit need not be fol owed. The trick is taken by the higher card of

the suit led, or by the higher trump if any are played. The trick

winner then draws the top card of the stock and waits for the other

to do likewise before leading to the next trick.

Trump Nine When in possession of the trump Nine, whether dealt

or drawn, you may exchange it for the turn-up immediately before

leading or fol owing to a trick, provided that (a) you have won at

least one trick, and (b) the turn-up is stil covered by at least two

cards.

Marriages When holding a King and Queen of the same suit, you

may score 20 for the marriage, or 40 in trumps, by showing both

cards when leading either of them to a trick (but not when

fol owing). If as elder you are dealt a marriage, and declare it, but

never win a trick in that deal, the marriage score is annul ed.

Last six When the last card of stock (the turn-up) has been taken,

the last six tricks are played to dif erent rules. Now you must fol ow

suit if possible, otherwise must trump if possible; and in either case

must beat the card led if possible. Marriages are no longer

declarable. The winner of the last trick scores 10.

Closure If, before the stock is exhausted, you think you can reach 66

on the cards remaining in hand, you may close the stock by turning

the turn-up card face down. You may do this either before or after

drawing, so the number of tricks remaining wil be either five or

six. These are then played as above, but without 10 for last (which

applies only if al twelve tricks are played).

Score Play ceases when the last trick has been taken, or when either

player claims to have reached 66. If both have 65, or it transpires

that one player reached 66 without declaring, it is a draw, and the

next deal carries an extra game-point. A player correctly claiming

66 scores:

1. game-point, or

2. if the loser failed to reach 33 (schneider), or

3. if the loser took no trick (schwarz).

If a player claims 66 incorrectly, or fails to reach 66 after closing,

the opponent scores 2 game-points, or 3 if he took no trick.

Notes Keep track of the other player’s points as wel as your own

throughout play. In the first half, try to reserve plain-suit Aces for

capturing Tens, but be prepared to lead them if you have no

trumps and wish to draw them from your opponent’s hand. The

trump Ace is always best reserved for capturing an Ace or Ten

rather than for drawing a low trump. Trumps in general are best

not led before the last six tricks. Keep careful track of the Kings and

Queens played, so as to know whether or not it is worth aiming for

a marriage. The main point of the game is to know when to close

a marriage. The main point of the game is to know when to close

it. Expert players conclude more games by closing than by playing

them through to the bit er end.

Schnapsen

(2p, 20c) Same as Sixty-Six, but drop the Nines, and deal five each

(3+2 or 2+3), from the resultant 20-card pack. Play as above,

except that it is the trump Jack that may be exchanged for the turn-

up.

Auction Sixty-Six

(4pp, 24c) American partnership version. Game is 666 points over

as many deals as necessary, compiled from the actual point-scores

made for counting-cards, marriages and last tricks. Deal six each,

leaving no stock. Each in turn bids for the right to name trumps, but

without actual y naming a suit until a contract is established. The

lowest bid is 60, succeeding bids are made in multiples of 6 (66, 72

etc.) or 10 (70, 80), jump-bids are al owed, and the highest bid is

130. A player who passes may not bid again unless his partner bid.

When three players pass in succession, the last (highest) bidder

declares trumps and leads first (not necessarily a trump). Players

must fol ow suit if possible, otherwise may play any card. The trick

is taken by the highest card of the suit led, or by the highest trump

if any are played, and the winner of each trick leads to the next.

If the bidding side takes at least what it bid, it scores what it

makes. If not, the other side scores what it makes, plus the amount

of the bid. The ‘grand bid ’ (130), whether won or lost, counts 260

to the scoring side.

Tausendeins

(2p, 32c) This Austrian variant is played also in Switzerland under

the name Mariage, in Denmark as Deliriumseksogtres, and in the