Spotlight on Games > Variants
Variants
22 February 2014
ebbes
Variant for the card game from Palatia Spiele
Introduction
The first few hands, and if you're unlucky maybe more than just a few hands, are played completely in the dark because nobody knows which suit provides the positive points. This tends to make play purposeless and unexciting. This variant addresses this problem.

Components
Add a Joker card to the main deck. It would be nice if this card had the same back as the rest of the cards, but it's not compulsory.

The neutral rank cards are not used.

Extra Rules
After shuffling, but before dealing, reveal the top card. This card not only determines the rank of the game, but also the suit that provides positive points. This card is removed from play.

After this, deal out the cards and play the game as usual, determining the trump suit first and then the ebbes, minus points and nix.

The rank and suit of the Joker card is the same as the card removed from play. If its owner wishes, he may swap out the Joker for the removed card. In either case, as its suit has already been allocated, it does not set any of the categories. It is worth a positive point to whoever captures it.

Should the revealed card have been the Joker, then players compete to set the rank and positive points suit. Play two hands. Then the card used to lead the third trick sets both the rank and the positive points suit.

Other Trick-taking Games
which also feature special rules for every hand

Created: 22 February 2014

Spotlight on Games > Variants

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