Eleanor Finch
Trick-taking games are a type of card game in which players aim to win tricks by playing the highest card of the suit led or by playing a card from the trump suit, which beats all other suits. The winner of each trick typically leads the next one, and the cards won in tricks are counted to determine the overall winner. The concept of tricks in card games is believed to have originated in Europe in the 15th century with the invention of trumps and the requirement to follow the suit led. Today, most Western card games are trick games, with popular examples including Bridge, Spades, Hearts, and Euchre.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of cards in a trick | Four, one played from each player's hand |
| First card played | The lead |
| Rotation | Clockwise in games originating in English-speaking countries, counter-clockwise in some others |
| Following suit | Not always required, but when required, the subsequent cards must follow the suit of the lead |
| Winning a trick | The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led or by the highest trump if any are played |
| Counting tricks | Accord some cards a higher counting-value, and some cards no value at all, leading to point-trick games |
| Bidding | Players bid for points, specifying how many tricks they will win |
| Partnerships | Players form partnerships to cooperate and reach desired outcomes |
| Trump | A trump suit or card defeats other cards of a non-trump suit without exception |
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What You'll Learn
Trick-taking card games
In a trick-taking game, each player, in turn, plays one card from their hand to the table. This is known as the ""lead" card. The other players then play a card, typically following the same suit as the lead card if possible. Once all players have played a card, the trick is evaluated to determine the winner. The winner of the trick takes the cards and places them face down in a pile before leading the next trick. The winner of each trick leads to the next one, and the process repeats until all cards have been played or the game's objective has been achieved.
Trick-taking games can be further categorised into different types, such as plain-trick games, point-trick games, positive trick-taking games, and evasion trick-taking games. In plain-trick games, only the number of tricks taken by each player matters, while in point-trick games, players are rewarded or penalised for taking certain cards with assigned point values. Positive trick-taking games encourage players to win as many tricks as possible, while in evasion trick-taking games, players aim to avoid winning tricks.
The concept of "trumps" is a significant element in many trick-taking games. A trump card or suit has the power to beat all other cards or suits, regardless of their rank. Trumps can be static, such as the spade suit always being trump in the game Spades, or dynamic, where the trump suit or card may change during the game. Some games, like Euchre, determine the trump suit randomly, while others, like Spades, have a fixed trump determined by the game rules.
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Trumps
The concept of trumps was introduced to card games in the 15th century, alongside the requirement to follow suit, and it has since become a staple of trick-taking games. A "trump" is a card from a designated superior suit that will defeat other cards of a non-trump suit, even those of a higher rank. For example, when Hearts are trumps, a 2 of hearts will beat an Ace of any other suit. The trump card can only be beaten by another, higher trump card.
The trump suit can be determined in several ways. In some games, it is chosen randomly by turning up the top card of the deck after dealing the cards to players. In other games, the trump suit is determined by the game itself, as in Spades. In still other games, the trump suit is chosen by a winning player, as in Bridge. In Euchre, the jack of the trump suit and the other jack of the same colour are considered high trumps.
The invention of trumps became so popular that very few European trick-taking games exist without them. The oldest known game in which certain cards have additional privileges is Karnöffel, where specific ranks of one suit were named Karnöffel, Devil, Pope, etc. and were subject to a system of variable powers. However, these were not true trumps in the sense that they did not uniformly beat all other suit cards. The game Triomphe introduced the concept of declaring all cards of a fixed or randomly determined suit to be trumps, which is still used in many modern trick-taking games. Tarot cards, which are considered a fifth suit of trumps, also originated in Italy around 1440.
Some trick-taking games feature static trumps, where a specific suit is always designated as the trump suit, such as Spades. Other games feature dynamic trumps, where the trump suit can change. For example, in Sea Change, the trump suit changes whenever a player plays a card with the same number as the card just played, even in the middle of a trick.
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Bidding
In the popular card game Bridge, the bidding process is integral to gameplay. Each player in rotation, starting with the dealer, has the opportunity to make a call, which can be a pass, a bid, a double, or a redouble. A pass indicates a player's disinterest in contracting to win tricks. On the other hand, a bid signifies a commitment to win a specific number of odd tricks with a designated trump suit or no trump at all. For instance, a bid of one heart implies a pledge to win seven tricks with hearts as trumps. Each successive bid must surpass the previous bid, either by naming a higher number of odd tricks or the same number of tricks in a higher-ranking suit. The highest possible bid in Bridge is seven, representing a contract to win all 13 tricks.
The bidding process in Bridge also includes the concept of vulnerability. When a side wins a game, it becomes vulnerable to heavier undertrick penalties but stands to gain larger bonuses for overtricks and slams. For instance, bidding and achieving a small slam (six tricks) earns a bonus of 500 if not vulnerable and 750 if vulnerable. A grand slam (all seven odd tricks) fetches a bonus of 1,000 if not vulnerable and 1,500 if vulnerable.
Another card game that incorporates bidding is Pfeffer, a trick-taking game played with a 48-card pinochle deck. In Pfeffer, each player receives 11 cards, and the remaining four cards are placed in a blind pile. The winner of the bid can exchange cards from this blind pile before the first trick is played. The bidding process involves players stating the number of tricks they anticipate winning. The player with the highest bid then selects the trump suit.
Additionally, there are card games with unique bidding mechanics, such as Diminishing Bridge and a variant similar to Spades. In Diminishing Bridge, players start with seven cards in the first round and bid on the number of tricks they can make. The number of cards dealt decreases by one in each subsequent round until the final round, where players have one card each. In the variant similar to Spades, players start with seven cards and bid on the exact number of tricks they expect to take. As the game progresses, the number of cards dealt increases by one each round until the entire deck is dealt out.
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Positive and Evasion trick-taking games
Trick-taking games are card games with a distinct and common play structure. Each round of play is divided into units called tricks, during which each player selects one card from their hand. The first card played in a trick is called the "lead". The rules of the game dictate what cards are eligible to be played, but in typical trick-taking games, subsequent cards must follow the suit of the lead.
Positive trick-taking games are those in which players seek to take tricks. There is no penalty for taking as many tricks as possible. Examples of this include Bridge, 500, some variations of Spades, and Euchre.
Evasion trick-taking games, on the other hand, are those in which players seek to avoid taking tricks. An example of this is Hearts, where the Jack of Diamonds is counted as -10 points, so it is beneficial for a player's score to have this card in their hand. Other examples of evasion games include reversis and polignac.
Some point-trick games contain features of both positive and evasion games. For instance, while most rounds of 500 are positive, in misère rounds, the aim is to lose all tricks.
Trick-and-draw games are another type of trick-taking game in which players can replenish their hands after each trick. In most variants, players are free to play any card into a trick in the first phase of the game, but must follow suit as soon as the stock is depleted.
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Point-trick games
In point-trick games, the objective is typically to win tricks, with each trick consisting of one card played by each player in rotation. The first card played to a trick is known as the lead, and subsequent cards must follow the suit of the lead unless trumps are involved. The trick is then taken by the highest card of the suit led, or by the highest trump card if one is played.
Some point-trick games combine elements of positive and evasion trick-taking games. For instance, in the Omnibus variant of Hearts, the Jack of Diamonds is worth -10 points, so players are incentivised to avoid taking this card in a trick. This adds a layer of strategy and complexity to the game.
Trick-taking games, including point-trick variations, have a shared DNA that makes learning new games within this category easier. Understanding the mechanics of one trick-taking game can provide a foundation for exploring and mastering others, showcasing the versatility and accessibility of this genre.
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Frequently asked questions
A trick is a set of cards, typically one from each player, played in rotation. The winner of the trick is the player who puts down the highest card of the suit led or the highest trump card. The winner of each trick leads to the next one.
A trump card is a card that will defeat other cards of a non-trump suit without exception. The trump suit may be determined randomly, by the game, or chosen by a winning player.
Some popular trick-taking card games include Bridge, 500, Euchre, Hearts, Pinochle, Rook, Spades, and Tarot.
