Kozel

Russia’s goat game. Lead up to four cards of a suit, beat them one for one or throw away face down, and keep clear of 12 penalty points. 2–4 players, in partnerships.

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How to play Kozel

  1. 1Kozel (the Goat) comes from Russia and Belarus. It uses 36 cards, sixes up. Two or three play alone; four play as partners sitting across from each other.
  2. 2Everyone gets four cards. The next card goes face up under the stock and its suit is trump. Within a suit, cards run A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7, 6 from high to low.
  3. 3The six of spades is special: it beats every card, even the trump ace, though it counts nothing.
  4. 4The leader plays one to four cards, all of one suit. The six of spades may join a lead of any suit.
  5. 5Everyone else plays the same number of cards, of any suits. To get on top you must beat every card on top one for one: by a higher card of its suit, by a trump against a plain card, or with the six of spades. Cards that don't beat go face down and nobody sees them.
  6. 6Whoever is on top at the end takes all the cards, face down ones too, and leads next. Then everyone draws back up to four, the winner first; the trump card is drawn last.
  7. 7Before a lead, a player holding Moskva (four aces and tens with at least one ace; the six of spades may stand in for a ten) or Molodka (four cards of one suit, or three and the six of spades) may call it and lead instead. Moskva beats Molodka.
  8. 8Cards count Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2, the rest nothing: 120 in all. The side with the most points scores nothing. A losing side takes 2 penalty points with 31 or more, 4 with less, or 6 with no tricks at all; with three players the line is 21. A tie for most gives each tied side 2.
  9. 9At 12 penalty points a side is out. The last side left wins. If everyone left reaches 12 together, only the highest goes out. After 25 deals the fewest penalty points wins.

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