The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (101 page)

maker by announcing a trump suit. Bidding ends as soon as trumps

are made. Fol owing three passes, the dealer is obliged to make

trumps. Play (Rot erdam rules) Eldest leads to the first trick. To a

trump lead you must fol ow suit if possible and head the trick if

possible. To a plain-suit lead you must fol ow suit if possible, but

possible. To a plain-suit lead you must fol ow suit if possible, but

need not head the trick. If you can’t fol ow suit, you must trump

and overtrump if possible, even if your partner is winning the trick.

The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led, or by the

highest trump if any are played. The winner of each trick, before

leading to the next, scores to his partnership the value of any meld

it may contain. If a trump sequence includes K-Q, the marriage

counts 20 in addition. Score If the maker’s side has scored more

than the other, both sides score what they make. If not, the makers

score nothing and the opponents score 162 plus the value of al

melds made by both sides. There is a bonus of 100 for winning

every trick. Game is 1500 points.

Variations

Amsterdam rules of fol owing (1) If you cannot fol ow to a plain-

suit lead and the trick is being won by an opponent, you must

trump and overtrump if you can. However, if they are winning with

a trump which you cannot beat, you may only undertrump if you

cannot discard from a plain suit. (2) If you cannot fol ow to a plain-

suit lead and the trick is being won by your partner, you may play

anything, other than a lower trump if your partner played a higher

(unless you have no alternative). (3) If trumps are led, you must

fol ow suit and head the trick if you can, even if your partner is

winning it.

Trump selection A preferred trump suit is proposed by revealing

the dealer’s last card or by cut ing a second pack. In one round of

bidding each in turn may pass or make the preferred suit trump. If

al pass another round fol ows, in which each in turn may pass or

make another suit trump. If al pass again there is a new deal.