Klaverjas

The Dutch favorite. Name trump, always trump when you can’t follow, and win tricks that hold runs for bonus roem. Don’t go wet. 4 players, in partnerships.

Also known as Klaverjassen.

Who To Play With

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How to play Klaverjas

  1. 1Four players in two partnerships, using the 7s through aces (32 cards). Everyone gets eight cards.
  2. 2Starting left of the dealer, each player may name a trump suit or pass. Whoever names trump is playing, along with their partner. If all four pass, the player left of the dealer has to name one.
  3. 3Trumps rank J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Other suits rank A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7.
  4. 4The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit if you can. If you can't, you must play a trump, even when your partner is winning, and you must beat any trump already in the trick if you can. If trumps are led, play a higher trump than the best one so far if you have one. If you can't beat a trump in the trick, play any card.
  5. 5Cards are worth points: jack of trump 20, nine of trump 14, aces 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3, other jacks 2. The last trick is worth 10 more, so each hand holds 162.
  6. 6Roem is a bonus for whoever wins a trick that holds a pattern: three cards in a row in one suit (7 8 9 10 J Q K A order) 20, four in a row 50, the king and queen of trump 20 more, four jacks 200, and four aces, kings, queens or tens 100.
  7. 7Taking every trick is worth 100 roem more.
  8. 8The playing team must finish with more points than the other team, roem included. If they do, both teams keep what they won. If not, they go wet: they score nothing, and the other team scores 162 plus all the roem from that hand.
  9. 9A game is 16 hands, so everyone deals four times. The team with more points then wins.

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