Klaberjass

The two-handed jass game. Take or name trump, show your sequences, and outscore your rival or go bête. First to 500. 2 players.

Also known as Clobyosh and Bela.

Who To Play With

or

How to play Klaberjass

  1. 1A game for two with 32 cards, the 7s up to the aces. Each player gets six cards and the next card is turned face up beside the stock.
  2. 2The non-dealer speaks first: take the turned-up suit as trump, or pass. If they pass, the dealer may take it. If both pass, each in turn may name a different suit as trump or pass again. If nobody names a suit, the cards are thrown in and the deal moves on. Whoever settles trump is the maker.
  3. 3Each player then gets three more cards, for nine. If the turned-up suit is trump, whoever holds its 7 swaps it for the turned-up card.
  4. 4Sequences of three cards in a row in one suit (in the order 7 8 9 10 J Q K A) are worth 20, and four or more in a row 50. Only the player with the best single sequence scores, and they score all of theirs: a 50 beats a 20, then the higher top card wins, then a trump sequence. Exactly equal sequences score nothing. The winning sequences are shown to the other player.
  5. 5The non-dealer leads. You must follow suit if you can, and if trumps are led you must beat the trump in the trick if you can. If you can't follow, you must play a trump if you have one. The trick goes to the higher trump, or else the higher card of the suit led, and its winner leads next.
  6. 6Trumps rank J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7; the other suits A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. The jack of trump is worth 20 and the nine of trump 14. Aces are 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3 and the other jacks 2. The last trick adds 10. Playing both the king and queen of trump scores 20 more, called bella, when the second goes down.
  7. 7At the end of the hand each player adds up cards, sequences and bella. If the maker has more than the other player, both keep their totals. If it's a tie, the maker scores nothing. If the maker has less, they are bête and the other player scores both totals.
  8. 8First to 500 wins. If both pass it in the same hand, the higher score wins.

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