Zole

How to play Zole

1. 1Zole is Latvia’s favorite card game, for three. It uses 26 cards: ace, king, queen, jack, ten and nine of every suit, plus the 8 and 7 of diamonds. Everyone gets eight cards and two go face down in the middle as the talon.
2. 2Fourteen cards are trump, highest first: the four queens (clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds), the four jacks in the same order, then the ace, ten, king, 9, 8 and 7 of diamonds. In clubs, spades and hearts the order is ace, ten, king, 9. Queens and jacks belong to trump, not to their printed suit.
3. 3Starting left of the dealer, each player gets one chance to play alone against the other two, or to pass. Take the talon (Lielais): pick up the two cards and discard any two face down; their points count for you. Zole: play without the talon, which counts for the other two, for much higher stakes. Little Zole: promise to take no tricks at all.
4. 4The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit if you can (trump counts as one suit); otherwise play anything. The highest trump wins the trick, or else the highest card of the suit led.
5. 5Aces are worth 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3 and jacks 2: 120 points in all. Playing alone you need 61 to win. Taking the talon, you win 2 (4 with over 90, 6 with every trick) or lose 4 (6 at 30 or fewer, 8 with no tricks). Zole is worth 8 more either way. Little Zole wins 12 or loses 14. The other two each pay or collect half.
6. 6If all three pass, it’s Galdiņš: everyone plays for themselves, and whoever takes the most tricks (most points on a tie) pays 2 to each of the others.
7. 7The deal passes to the left. Everyone deals three times, nine deals in all, and the highest score wins.

More trick-taking games

• Leekha 4 players
• Marafone 4 players
• Agram 2–5 players
• Six-Bid Solo 3 players
• Calabresella 3 players
• Put 2 players
• Pepper 4 players
• Briscola Chiamata 5 players

All 220 games, free, in your browser.